Are there variations of widescreen DVD?

[Stewie]

Help me out here. I borrowed a DVD from a friend that is listed as "wide screen," but it has black bars on top and bottom. Is there a format that keeps the aspect ratio on an HDTV that's widescreen already?

[penguinz]

Because the DVD was filmed in Theatrical aspect not the 16:9 of your HDTV.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Several widescreen aspect ratios. The most common is 1.85:1 and 2.35:1. Chances are you're watching one that's 2.35:1.

What movie is it? Is the image you're seeing correct with the letterboxing, or does the image seem squished or stretched in some way?

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Several widescreen aspect ratios. The most common is 1.85:1 and 2.35:1. Chances are you're watching one that's 2.35:1.

What movie is it? Is the image you're seeing correct with the letterboxing, or does the image seem squished or stretched in some way?

Star Trek from 2010. I can't see any aspect ratio on the case. It just says "widescreen." It also says black bars on top and bottom are normal. I think the 1.85:1 is what I want. Are all movies available in that format?

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by Stewie

Star Trek from 2010. I can't see any aspect ratio on the case. It just says "widescreen." It also says black bars on top and bottom are normal. I think the 1.85:1 is what I want. Are all movies available in that format?

Star Trek is 2.35:1. The 1.85:1 is what will fill your 16:9 screen. No, if it's available in "widescreen," it will be the theatrical aspect ratio. So your options are to 1. understand that what you're seeing is what the director intended; 2. watch the 2.35:1 movies on some sort of zoom which will cut off the sides; or 3. watch only movies with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

As a corollary, I thought we were way past this "I don't like black bars on my TV" bullshit?

[DaveNull]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Star Trek is 2.35:1. The 1.85:1 is what will fill your 16:9 screen. No, if it's available in "widescreen," it will be the theatrical aspect ratio. So your options are to 1. understand that what you're seeing is what the director intended; 2. watch the 2.35:1 movies on some sort of zoom which will cut off the sides; or 3. watch only movies with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

As a corollary, I thought we were way past this "I don't like black bars on my TV" bullshit?

I take it you already are well versed with what Kubrick did with all of his films, but for the good of the order:

Why are some of Kubrick’s films not available "letterboxed" on home video?
Kubrick had total control over the aspect ratios (ratio of the width of a film image to its height) of his films, in their theatrical release and on home video. He liked to experiment, and he liked to question conventions regarding aspect ratios, so it’s no surprise that there is no real consistency regarding the home video versions of his films.

Spartacus and 2001: A Space Odyssey were the only films he shot using a "widescreen" format (Super Technirama on Spartacus and Super Panavision on 2001), so those would be the only two really hurt by not being letterboxed (both are available on video and DVD letterboxed to approximately their proper aspect ratios).

A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon were shot and released in most theaters in the matted 1.66 : 1 widescreen ratio, and The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut were shot open-matted (or full-frame) and framed for a theatrical release in the American standard ratio of 1.85 : 1.

However, Kubrick preferred on all these films that they be transferred to home video fullscreen (a ratio of about 1.37 : 1). Had he remained alive to see the rising popularity of widescreen and high-definition TVs, he may have eventually changed his mind about these films.

What is the definition of "letterboxed"?
"Letterboxed" is the term commonly used to describe when a feature film is shown

in its original aspect ratio on TV (meaning that there are black bars on

top of and below the image, to simulate a movie screen).

"Matting" can also be used, but is more commonly a term used in connection with the actual filming process, i.e. "Kubrick normally matted his films for a 1.66 : 1 aspect ratio."

It means putting an actual hard mat inside the camera to cut out part of the image. When referring to home video, "letterboxing" is the more common term.

From here..

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by DaveNull

I take it you already are well versed with what Kubrick did with all of his films, but for the good of the order:



From here..

Yep, aware of all of that. Huge Kubrick fan and one of my influences as a filmmaker.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Star Trek is 2.35:1. The 1.85:1 is what will fill your 16:9 screen. No, if it's available in "widescreen," it will be the theatrical aspect ratio. So your options are to 1. understand that what you're seeing is what the director intended; 2. watch the 2.35:1 movies on some sort of zoom which will cut off the sides; or 3. watch only movies with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

As a corollary, I thought we were way past this "I don't like black bars on my TV" bullshit?

Or option 4) Get an anamorphic (2.35:1) display.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by Swanman

Or option 4) Get an anamorphic (2.35:1) display.

Then he'd have curtains on the non-2.35:1 films, which would basically just reverse all the options.

[Silock]

2.35:1 will always have black bars on a television. This is because it is wider than the display, which is 16:9 (16:10).

[Frosty]

You're just now noticing this?





I've got one DVD that the picture is a 1.85:1 but it insists on playing with black bars all around, like it's shrunk down. Pisses me off.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by Frosty

You're just now noticing this?





I've got one DVD that the picture is a 1.85:1 but it insists on playing with black bars all around, like it's shrunk down. Pisses me off.

That's because it's an older DVD and doesn't use the anamorphic widescreen process. Basically, the DVD was produced before 16:9 televisions were the norm, so it was formatted for a 4:3 TV.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

That's because it's an older DVD and doesn't use the anamorphic widescreen process. Basically, the DVD was produced before 16:9 televisions were the norm, so it was formatted for a 4:3 TV.

I need to try to remember which one it was and throw it away.

[Frosty]

I've never seen Kubrick's "Fece Lyndon" film.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by Frosty

I've never seen Kubrick's "Fece Lyndon" film.