Ah, this is close to my heart, and I have worked in video and streaming video for ten years, for many companies. Which is why I am so surprised the author does not realize that Netflix is not making this decision--video is supplied by third parties and sometimes this is out of control of Netflix or other streaming video vendors. Sometimes the pan and scan version is all that exists as a digital encode. Generally Hollywood studios are resistant to spending any extra money or labor to put our widescreen versions that customers can't generally discern from the pan and scan versions (and re-encoding costs are often absorbed by the streaming video service, in this case Netflix).
Netflix is generally making a smart business decision here--expanding selection and using a product that appears identical to 98% of viewers--and I say that as one of the 2% who can tell and do care.
In short, the author should know this, and have said it themselves, citing their video clerk experience--customers, if anything, think widescreen is the inferior product.
Netflix is generally making a smart business decision here--expanding selection and using a product that appears identical to 98% of viewers--and I say that as one of the 2% who can tell and do care.
In short, the author should know this, and have said it themselves, citing their video clerk experience--customers, if anything, think widescreen is the inferior product.