Who not use theatrical or teaser poster for the DVD cover?

[Stefen]

DVD covers are awful. But posters are usually fantasic, and at worst, better than the DVD cover that eventually comes. How come they use dumbass photoshops for DVD covers, and not posters? Is using a poster for a dvd cover sacrilegious or something? Why not just create a better DVD cover then? Look at Criterion, they have the best covers and usually better covers than the posters, why are the majority of DVD's plagued by bad covers? I see covers and I don't want to see the movie cause it looks like some straight to video fare, but then I hear that it's actually a good movie so it's distracting. Are we just different from regular people in the way we judge the art? Are silmpletons and assholes grabbed by those covers?

[Kal]

I think its basically because Home Video and Theatrical even though it may be the same holding (like 20th Century Fox), they are different companies, and they get paid and they spend more for each thing. So thats why its better for them to do their own thing instead of getting something thats already done by another division (or company).

Also they do their stupid research thinking that this cover will sell more than this other cover. Unfortunatelly they still have no fucking idea of what sells and what doesnt sell. Even if they do an amazing cover, if the movie is shit they wont sell.

[Pwaybloe]

Simpler than that.  They know what sells: Star power. (not related to Star Jones)  

If a person can see a familiar actor/actress, likely from a good distance, they are more likely to pick up the dvd for rent/purchase.  Yes, you can argue the marketing ploy over the quality of the movie to determine what made the final sale, but all the marketing staff needs to prove their existance is an increase in sales.  Whether it be a coincidence that their marketing plan coincides with a solid movie is useless to the board.  The marketing dept.  created the sale, so the board will back them.  Until sales drop.  Remember it's marketing, not quality that counts.  

Using the "big head" template has been quite succesful, from what I hear.

[MacGuffin]

From the Eternal Sunshine thread:

I hate american cover art. They always have to show the actors and fill it with crap like review tag lines.

It's to attract attention and stand out from the shelf to the video consumer searching the many aisles and titles in the store. It's an easy visual reference so one's eye goes right to the actor/actress and you know he/she is in it. The reviews could help sway a renter on the fence about plunking down her/her money to take a chance on a title they are iffy about; and that's what it's all about - money. For a studio to make back some money on a film that didn't do too well in theaters, or make even more money on a movie that did. The cover 'art' is not made for a cinephile to display in his/her collection. It's for the common consumer.