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Fandango at Home Forum Guidelines

The Fandango at Home Forums are designed to help viewers get the most out of their Fandango at Home experience. Here, Fandango at Home customers may post information, questions, ideas, etc. on the subject of Fandango at Home and Fandango at Home -related issues (home theater, entertainment, etc). Although the primary purpose of these forums is to help Fandango at Home customers with questions and/or problems with their Fandango at Home service, there are also off-topic areas available within the Fandango at Home Forums for users to chat with like-minded people, subject to the limitations below.

Please post all comments in English. When posting a comment in the Fandango at Home Forums, please conduct yourself in a respectful and civil manner. While we respect that you may feel strongly about an issue, please leave room for discussion.

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6. Comments that discuss ways to manipulate Fandango at Home products/services, including, but not limited to, reverse engineering, video extraction, and file conversion.

Additionally, please keep in mind that although Fandango at Home retains the right to monitor, edit, and/or remove posts within Fandango at Home Forums, it does not necessarily review every comment. Accordingly, specific questions about Fandango at Home products and services should be directed to Fandango at Home customer service representatives.

Terms of Use - User Comments, Feedback, Reviews, Submissions

For all reviews, comments, feedback, postcards, suggestions, ideas, and other submissions disclosed, submitted or offered to Fandango at Home, on or through this Site, by e-mail or telephone, or otherwise disclosed, submitted or offered in connection you use of this Site (collectively, the "Comments") you grant Fandango at Home a royalty-free, irrevocable, transferable right and license to use the Comments however Fandango at Home desires, including, without limitation, to copy, modify, delete in its entirety, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from and/or sell and /or distribute such Comments and/or incorporate such Comments into any form, medium or technology throughout the world.
Fandango at Home will be entitled to use, reproduce, disclose, modify, adapt, create derivative works from, publish, display and distribute any Comments you submit for any purpose whatsoever, without restriction and without compensating you in any way. Fandango at Home is and shall be under no obligation (1) to maintain any Comments in confidence; (2) to pay to users any compensation for any Comments; or (3) to respond to any user Comments. You agree that any Comments submitted by you to the Site will not violate the terms in this Terms of Use or any right of any third party, including without limitation, copyright, trademark, privacy or other personal or proprietary right(s), and will not cause injury to any person or entity. You further agree that no Comments submitted by you to this Site will be or contain libelous or otherwise unlawful, threatening, abusive or obscene material, or contain software viruses, political campaigning, commercial solicitation, chain letters, mass mailings or any form of "spam."

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Unsolicited marketing and quality advice

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    Unsolicited marketing and quality advice

    I'd like to offer up some free marketing and quality improvement advice to Vudu.

    I do understand that digital streaming/download services like this are fairly new, but I think if these issues aren't addressed sooner rather than later, it will hurt the company in the long run.

    First off, I'm a big film collector and movie buff. I read online reviews and have, over the years, purchased a large number of dvds and blu-rays - many "classics", but also contemporary films. In all, I have about 2,000 movies in my collection.

    An online streaming/download service is a tough sell for me. If something's available on disc, I'm probably going to go ahead and get it - having a physical object, at least I know I can play it if a streaming/download company goes under.

    After redeeming several Ultraviolet codes for blu-rays I've purchased, I decided to take a closer look at Vudu.

    What got me really interested in exploring more and seriously considering purchases to augment my disc collection was the fact that you have several older titles in high definition that aren't available on blu-ray and, considering the disc market, it looks like they might not get released on blu-ray in the near future.

    The half-off Disc to Digital incentive gave me enough of a push to purchase high-def upgrades of several of my dvds that are on Vudu in high def, but unavailable on blu-ray.

    Some observations:

    You need someone on your marketing staff familiar with "classic" films that would appeal both to older viewers and to film buffs that have a range of ages. You highlight, in the "recommended" section, several "classics", but it's the same titles we're all familiar with and likely already have on blu-ray - Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, etc.

    A good example are the many titles you have from Warner Archive's "manufacture on demand" program. There's no way you'd find them unless you specifically search for particular titles. And, there are many high-def catalogue titles not on blu-ray - again, you have to search for them to find that they're there.

    Film buffs really want to see the movies in the best quality they can and many have home theater setups. The availability of hard to find catalogue titles and titles otherwise unavailable is a big selling point to this audience - they're interested more in high-def rentals and downloads than the "watch anywhere" aspect of Vudu. You're really not reaching this audience right now.

    Of the hundred or so titles I upgraded to high-def with the Disc to Digital program, ten were in the incorrect aspect ratio. Of those, one had incorrect coding of the HDX version, which Vudu could correct, and the rest had incorrect aspect ratio masters provided by the studios.

    I understand that, with complaints, the studios can provide the correct version. But others might not be so patient - I frequent film enthusiast sites and forums like Nitrateville and I've seen more than one person try a rental or purchase at Vudu getting a film in the wrong aspect ratio and vowing never to return. Again, you're turning off a potential audience here.

    Finally, you really need to work on your in-store Disc to Digital service. I went to my local Walmart and the clerk there had provided these before but hadn't processed them in some time. She was confused because I had a printout from the Disc to Digital website - she spent considerable time filling out what looked like an older form, repeating everything on my printout. She was unable to log on to the system to process my order.

    I took my dvds to another Walmart about 20 minutes away. That clerk had been working in the Photo Department for about six months and had never had anyone come in to process discs. No one had told him how to do it.

    He was able to process the order following the directions in a handbook in the department, but was a little confused by the process. When it came time to stamp the discs, it took him some time to find the stamper - he discovered that the ink in the stamper was dried up. So, he used a Sharpie to write "Vudu" around the center hole of each disc.

    Granted, Vudu is only a part of Walmart's big empire, but folks in your division should be pushing the stores a little more on this if you're wanting to expand the service.

    #2
    Re: Unsolicited marketing and quality advice

    Originally posted by coolcatdaddy View Post
    I'd like to offer up some free marketing and quality improvement advice to Vudu.

    I do understand that digital streaming/download services like this are fairly new, but I think if these issues aren't addressed sooner rather than later, it will hurt the company in the long run.

    First off, I'm a big film collector and movie buff. I read online reviews and have, over the years, purchased a large number of dvds and blu-rays - many "classics", but also contemporary films. In all, I have about 2,000 movies in my collection.

    An online streaming/download service is a tough sell for me. If something's available on disc, I'm probably going to go ahead and get it - having a physical object, at least I know I can play it if a streaming/download company goes under.

    After redeeming several Ultraviolet codes for blu-rays I've purchased, I decided to take a closer look at Vudu.

    What got me really interested in exploring more and seriously considering purchases to augment my disc collection was the fact that you have several older titles in high definition that aren't available on blu-ray and, considering the disc market, it looks like they might not get released on blu-ray in the near future.

    The half-off Disc to Digital incentive gave me enough of a push to purchase high-def upgrades of several of my dvds that are on Vudu in high def, but unavailable on blu-ray.

    Some observations:

    You need someone on your marketing staff familiar with "classic" films that would appeal both to older viewers and to film buffs that have a range of ages. You highlight, in the "recommended" section, several "classics", but it's the same titles we're all familiar with and likely already have on blu-ray - Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, etc.

    A good example are the many titles you have from Warner Archive's "manufacture on demand" program. There's no way you'd find them unless you specifically search for particular titles. And, there are many high-def catalogue titles not on blu-ray - again, you have to search for them to find that they're there.

    Film buffs really want to see the movies in the best quality they can and many have home theater setups. The availability of hard to find catalogue titles and titles otherwise unavailable is a big selling point to this audience - they're interested more in high-def rentals and downloads than the "watch anywhere" aspect of Vudu. You're really not reaching this audience right now.

    Of the hundred or so titles I upgraded to high-def with the Disc to Digital program, ten were in the incorrect aspect ratio. Of those, one had incorrect coding of the HDX version, which Vudu could correct, and the rest had incorrect aspect ratio masters provided by the studios.

    I understand that, with complaints, the studios can provide the correct version. But others might not be so patient - I frequent film enthusiast sites and forums like Nitrateville and I've seen more than one person try a rental or purchase at Vudu getting a film in the wrong aspect ratio and vowing never to return. Again, you're turning off a potential audience here.

    Finally, you really need to work on your in-store Disc to Digital service. I went to my local Walmart and the clerk there had provided these before but hadn't processed them in some time. She was confused because I had a printout from the Disc to Digital website - she spent considerable time filling out what looked like an older form, repeating everything on my printout. She was unable to log on to the system to process my order.

    I took my dvds to another Walmart about 20 minutes away. That clerk had been working in the Photo Department for about six months and had never had anyone come in to process discs. No one had told him how to do it.

    He was able to process the order following the directions in a handbook in the department, but was a little confused by the process. When it came time to stamp the discs, it took him some time to find the stamper - he discovered that the ink in the stamper was dried up. So, he used a Sharpie to write "Vudu" around the center hole of each disc.

    Granted, Vudu is only a part of Walmart's big empire, but folks in your division should be pushing the stores a little more on this if you're wanting to expand the service.
    Thank you for the constructive feedback. We'll pass this along to the proper teams!

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Unsolicited marketing and quality advice

      Dan --

      Thanks for passing this along.

      Just as an FYI, a few days ago I posted in the "Online deals" thread at Nitrateville about the Vudu 1/2 price Disc to Digital program running out on January 31st and noted that I found several older titles in HD available that were not released on blu-ray. I offered to post a list of titles to look for if anyone was interested - no one posted a followup wanting the list so far.

      I have seen comments at Nitrateville where people rented or purchased older films at Vudu, particularly Warner Archive titles, that were in the wrong aspect ratio with 1.33 films "stretched" to fill the 1.85 screen, so they may be a little put off by the service. Some are exploring the Warner Archives streaming service and Netflix and have discussed those more than Vudu. The high-def options for older films and availability of many older titles for rental not on other services is one of the big selling points of Vudu - I don't think they're really aware of what Vudu has to offer.

      Nitrateville is one of the main "hubs" for old movie enthusiasts. Many of the members there attend or organize revival film showings or festivals, are active in blogs or writing books about films, or work directly with the studios or archives in film restoration. If they're interested in what you're doing, they can help get out the word.

      Comment

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