From kimp@goya.its.rpi.edu Thu Mar 24 09:06:16 EST 1994 Article: 11383 of rec.video.releases Xref: economic.mess.cs.cmu.edu rec.video.releases:11383 Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news.harvard.edu!noc.near.net!usenet.elf.com!rpi!kimp From: kimp@goya.its.rpi.edu (Phil Kim) Newsgroups: rec.video.releases Subject: RESULT: Laserdisc Poll '94 Date: 23 Mar 1994 23:37:56 GMT Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY Lines: 183 Message-ID: <2mqjsk$1eh@usenet.rpi.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: goya.its.rpi.edu Thanks to all you participants! It was... ehh, fun compiling this list. A number of people questioned (how dare you!) the purpose of this poll. Well, I am in the process of creating "Netter's Guide to Laserdisc" which will contain (scheduled for Fall '94): 1. Laserdisc reviews A. The Criterion Collection laserdiscs B. Collector's edition laserdiscs C. Foreign titles D. Popular laserdiscs 2. Laserdisc lists (all with ratings) A. A list of "bad" laserdiscs B. A list of THX LaserDisc Program-approved laserdiscs C. A list of laserdiscs with audio commentary D. A list of Reference Quality laserdiscs 3. Shopping guide A. Some of the best places to buy laserdiscs B. Laserdisc book reviews C. Laserdisc magazine/newsletter reviews But seriously folks, here is the result. Assumptions: - Any laserdiscs with similar traits (for a given category) count as a single title (i.e., Lawrence of Arabia for Favorite Restorations). - This list DOES NOT guarantee (or mean?) ANYTHING! Respondants: 39 Favorite Laserdiscs: 1. The Abyss: Special Edition (8 votes; tie) - Letterbox Widescreen Edition (CBS/Fox), - Director's Pan & Scan (CBS/Fox) Beauty and the Beast (8 votes; tie) - CAV Letterbox Edition (Walt Disney) Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Special Edition (8 votes; tie) - Special Collector's Edition/Widescreen Edition (Pioneer) 4. Aliens: Special Edition (4 votes; tie) - Special Collector's Wide Screen Edition (CBS/Fox) Blade Runner: Director's Cut (5 votes; tie) - Wide Screen Edition (Warner Bros.) Star Wars Trilogy (5 votes; tie) - The Definitive Collection (CBS/Fox) 6. Blade Runner (4 votes; tie) - CAV Special Edition/The Criterion Collection (Voyager) The Player (4 votes; tie) - The Criterion Collection (Voyager) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (4 votes; tie) - CAV Collector's Edition/Widescreen Edition (Pioneer) Labels with the most votes: CBS/Fox (37), Voyager (36), Paramount (20) Favorite Video Transfers: 1. The Abyss: Special Edition (18 votes) - Director's Pan & Scan, Letterbox Widescreen Edition (CBS/Fox) 2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Special Edition (15 votes) - Special Collector's Edition (Pioneer) 3. Star Wars Trilogy (10 votes) - The Definitive Collection (CBS/Fox) 4 Apocalypse Now (7 votes; tie) - Widescreen Edition (Paramount) Beauty and the Beast (7 votes; tie) - CAV Letterbox Edition (Walt Disney) 5. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (6 votes; tie) - Widescreen Edition (Paramount) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (6 votes; tie) - Special Collector's Edition, Widescreen Edition (Pioneer) 7. Blade Runner: Director's Cut (5 votes; tie) - Wide Screen Edition (Warner Bros.) 9. Raiders of the Lost Ark (4 votes) - Widescreen Edition (Paramount) Labels with the most votes: CBS/Fox (33), Paramount (24), Pioneer (22) Favorite Audio Transfers: 1. The Abyss: Special Edition (14 votes; tie) - Director's Pan & Scan, Letterbox Widescreen Edition (CBS/Fox) Apocalypse Now (14 votes; tie) - Widescreen Edition (Paramount) 3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Special Edition (13 votes) - Special Collector's Edition, Widescreen Edition (Pioneer) 4. Star Wars Trilogy (9 votes) - The Definitive Collection (CBS/Fox) 5. Beauty and the Beast (4 votes; tie) - CAV Letterbox Edition, Stereo CLV Version (Walt Disney) Hunt for Red October (4 votes; tie) - Widescreen Edition (Paramount) Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (4 votes; tie) - Widescreen Edition (Paramount) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (4 votes; tie) - CAV Collector's Edition, Widescreen Edition (Pioneer) Labels with the most votes: Paramount (28), CBS/Fox (25), Pioneer (18) Favorite Restorations: 1. Lawrence of Arabia (7 votes) - Letterbox Version (Columbia), The Criterion Collection [CAV or CLV] (Voyager) 2. Citizen Kane (6 votes) - The Criterion Collection [CAV or CLV] (Voyager) 3. Casablanca (4 votes; tie) - The Criterion Collection [CAV or CLV] (Voyager) Fantasia (4 votes; tie) - Deluxe CAV Collector's Edition, Stereo Laserdisc (Walt Disney) Wizard of Oz (4 votes; tie) - The Ultimate Oz (MGM/UA) Labels with the most votes: Voyager (37), MGM/UA (28), Walt Disney (8) Favorite Supplement: 1. The Abyss: Special Edition (17 votes) - Director's Pan & Scan, Letterbox Widescreen Edition (CBS/Fox) 2. Alien: Special Edition (9 votes; tie) - Special Wide Screen Collector's Edition (CBS/Fox) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (9 votes; tie) - Special Collector's Edition (Pioneer) 4. Aliens: Special Edition (6 votes; tie) - Special Wide Screen Collector's Edition (CBS/Fox) Wizard of Oz (6 votes; tie) - The Ultimate Oz (MGM/UA) 6. Adventures of Baron Munchausen (4 votes; tie) - The Criterion Collection (Voyager) Graduate, The (4 votes; tie) - The Criterion Collection (Voyager) Labels with the most votes: Voyager (41), CBS/Fox (35), Pioneer (13) Favorite Labels: Composite (popular) votes: 1. Voyager (27 votes) 1. CBS/Fox (136 votes) 2. MGM/UA (18 votes) 2. Voyager (134 votes) 3. Warner Bros (6 votes) 3. Paramount (72 votes) 4. Paramount (5 votes) 4. Pioneer (69 votes) 5. MGM/UA (57 votes) Most Wanted: 1. Aladdin (10 votes) - Reason: New release [Release plan uncertain] 2. Jurassic Park (6 votes) - Reason: New release [To be released later this year] 3. Brazil (5 votes) - Reason: The Criterion Collection [Release on hold] 4. Highlander (4 votes; tie) - Reason: European's cut, letterbox, supplement [Release announced] Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (4 votes; tie) - Reason: Release [Release plan uncertain] Survey analysis: A. Aspect Ratio Letterboxing preferred..........................92.3% Pan & scan preferred............................ 7.7% Original aspect ratio preferred.................69.2% More picture preferred..........................17.9% No preference...................................12.9% B. CAV vs. CLV CAV is always preferred.........................12.8% CLV is always preferred......................... 7.7% CAV is always preferred for some films..........79.5% C. Foreign release Subtitle is preferred...........................71.8% Audio dub is preferred..........................25.6% No preference................................... 2.6% D. Label satisfaction CBS/Fox: should lower price and improve quality..........48.7% is no worse than average........................41.0% No opinion......................................10.3% Walt Disney: poor marketing overshadows its products.........46.2% is no worse than average........................48.7% No opinion...................................... 5.1% -- Phil Kim Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute kimp@rpi.edu