I'm glad we have some open minded individuals here.
I used to work at a video store , I found that most people hated subtitles.
I for one love them , have watched alot of foreign films that way, and much better than dubbed.
By the way a large percentage of people can't stand widescreen either , many would bypass a DVD for a Pan and Scan VHS.
Here in L.A., we have a lot of foreign language channels.
One of the most fun things I used to do, was watch a weekly drama in Japanese with English subtitles.
I even taped them. Generally about 11 one-hour shows per story.
Not quite mini-series, not quite soap-opera, not quite movie, but an interesting combination of all three.
Probably no more an accurate look into Japanese culture than
Everybody Loves Raymond is for American lifestyle.
But still quite different, and still quite interesting.
More recently, I recorded a big Hollywood movie about the Cuban missile crisis.
I forget the title, but it had a top-notch cast.
Unfortunately, it was on a Spanish channel, and all I had was the (well) dubbed Spanish sound track.
I made a DVD out of it anyway, and gave a copy to a Colombian kid I know.
Her Mom just -loved- it!
The acting was first rate. The story was first rate, and the dubbing was first rate.
There are an amazing pool of cross-cultural things to learn and enjoy, if you just take the time to look.
...and you might even learn a foreign language from a cartoon or Sesame Street, if you're not careful.
So, thanks for this informative thread.
As for wide-screen, I always buy in that format, when available.