From: Tamzen Cannoy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 11:38:14 -0700 Subject: Rewind those DVDs
From http://www.suntimes.com/output/answ-man/sho-sunday-ebert14.html Q. "Be Kind--Rewind!" I've seen this label on rental DVD cases at my local Blockbuster. I asked a person who worked at Blockbuster why rewinding would be necessary on DVDs, and was told, "DVDs can be rewound so please rewind it." I asked the manager and he told me, "DVDs can be rewound like VHS." I e-mailed Blockbuster. They told me, "Most DVD players have a 'Rewind' button. What it does is spin the DVD the opposite direction from the play mode. It's similar to the rewind feature on a VCR." I emailed them and told them they were wrong, Blockbuster e-mailed me, "Sir, you are very wrong, please don't contradict what we say, we know more than you do about DVDs. Please don't e-mail us regarding this topic again." They were very rude. But I know that a DVD cannot be rewound. Kun Sun Sweeley, Baltimore A. Your message first appeared on a Web site devoted to "useless warnings." It sounded like an urban legend to me, but when I contacted you, you replied: "This is true. I have seen labels on DVDs at my local Blockbuster, asking for the DVDs to be rewound. The post that I wrote is true." I asked around, and columnist/critic David Poland supplied the likely explanation: The stickers double as magnetic security tags. The tags for VHS ask you to rewind. When they run out of DVD tags, they just use the VHS tags. What that doesn't explain are your phone conversations and e-mails with Blockbuster. Is it possible the chain has employees who don't know the first thing about DVD? Judging from their cluelessness on letterboxing, I think it's a possibility.
