DVD Widescreen ????

[barona]

For the past few years I've purchased DVD's in the Widescreen format (LOTR, Star Wars, Pearl Harbor...etc) thinking that when I move to 16:9 display (future projector) the vertical black bars will disappear and I will have "full" screen viewing.

Was I mistaken?????

[Chris D]

Not if you bought Anamorphic widescreen discs. They will automatically fill up a 16:9 screeen. Nowadays, though, many video displays will have a feature to stretch letterboxed widescreen to a 16:9 screen, but you won't have the resolution and quality of the anamorphic video.




CHRIS
Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"

[Andrew Pratt]

Actually many of the 2.35 DVD's are listed as been enhanced as well in so when played back on a 16:9 monitor you will still have "back bars" on these wider format videos. The crux of the problem is that there are so many different aspect ratios that they decided to pick one that was least destructive to all when adjusted to fit...so with a 16:9 monitor 4:3 can fit pretty easily with some bars on the sides and 1.78 and 1.85 will fit nearly dead on while the 2.35's will require bars on top and bottom.

[barona]

Oh boy....there are different types of Widescreen?

Usually when I go to buy a DVD it has two formats, Full Screen and Widescreen (which I pick). So now I need to look for Anamorphic which gives me what type of aspect ratio?? And if it is Letterboxed, what ratio 4:3 or 16:9 will give the better picture and no black bars??

[Gordon Moore]

This is an oldie but a goody: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articl...c/welcome.html

No matter which format you choose...Anamorphic/enhanced for widescreen tv's /16X9 enhanced etc... is the one you want because of the increased resolution.

If your TV is widescreen then Anamorphic Widescreen Movies are your best bet.

If you now have a widescreen TV...be sure to set your DVD player to that format in the setup to take advantage of all that widescreen has to offer.



You don't pick the ratio the director does. So if it was 1.85 or 2.25 or 2.35 or 2.5 ...it doesn't matter because you can't control that part if you buy a widescreen movie.

Your tv may have a stretch or zoom feature to take a movie and eliminate the bars from the top or the sides depending on the format.

If you buy pan and scan understand that it was optimized (read butchered) for a 4:3 tv and is the best used with that format.

You gain even less by playing a pan and scan movie on a 16X9 set.
I believe there is 4:3 anamorphic (albeit rare) but that would probably confuse things.

Read the link a couple of times and things will start to make sense.


clear as mud?


Gord




"A RONSTER!"

[barona]

Thanks for your input and direction to the article. I think I got it....

If I'm going to a PJ in the future I need to stay away from Letterbox and Pan & Scan and stick with DVD's designated w/ Enhanced for 16:9, Widescreen or Anamorphic

[Chris D]

Andrew/Gordon: Good points of course.

Actually, for reasons beyond this discussion here, I would always advocate Anamorphic widescreen over Letterbox. (mostly resolution quality) And I will NEVER EVER EVER advocate pan and scan to anyone.
:M

That's my opinionated input for anyone with ANY display, not just widescreen, PJ, etc.




CHRIS
Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"