Widescreen question

[poopontheshoes7]

I'm not a technical guy. Hell, I suck at technology. I've been around computers for years and still don't know much about them other then how to turn them on and do the simplest tasks. I don't know diddly squat about the tech aspects of DVDs either. I buy widescreen, that's it.

But I've noticed something bothersome. Some of the my widescreen DVDs have the black bars and some don't. Most notably my Jurassic Park(s) and Spider-Man DVDs. The DVD says widescreen, but the black bars aren't there. I realize that there is 1.85:1 and 2.40:1 aspect ratio's. The 2.40:1 DVDs always seem to have the bars. So, how exactly is the former different? Am I getting the whole picture? Because it looks like fullscreen.

[Dom Shady]

My understanding is that 2.40:1 aspect ratio gives you a wider view than the 1.85:1, hence the black bars. I would think the diffence is similar to the difference between 16:9 and 4:3, just not as pronounced.

Edit: 1.85:1 is about the same size as 16:9 so there's no need for bars, while 2.40:1 is actually a little wider than 16:9(16:9 is a little less than twice as wide as it is high, while 2.40:1 is more than twice as wide as it is high). However, the black bars allow you to still see the whole picture so you are not missing anything with 2.40:1.

It's just like trying to watch a widescreen movie on a standard 4:3 T.V., without the black bars you'd miss stuff on the sides.

[outsyder]

You mean something like this?

http://images.blu-ray.com/reviews/490_3.jpg

[someguy]

If you wanted your 2.40:1 movies to fit the screen you would need a 21:9 TV instead of the current 16:9 widescreen televisions out right now. Those televisions still don't exist on the market though (at least not for long since there will be a 21:9 TV coming out very soon).

16:9 televisions have certain aspect ratios that fill the screen completely. I forget if it's either 1.77:1 or 1.85:1 but those will fill up the entire 16:9 screen. Anything higher than those ratios (ex 2.35:1) will have a 'letterbox' effect (aka black bars on the top and bottom of the screen). Anything lower than that (1.33:1) will have a 'pillar box' effect which is black bars on the left and right sides of the screens. If you have a widescreen DVD and you have pillar boxes (or both pillar box and letterbox) then something isn't right. If you're just getting letterbox though then it's probably fine. Just remember those aspect ratios and check what the AR is on the back of the DVD.

[poopontheshoes7]

If you wanted your 2.40:1 movies to fit the screen you would need a 21:9 TV instead of the current 16:9 widescreen televisions out right now. Those televisions still don't exist on the market though (at least not for long since there will be a 21:9 TV coming out very soon).

16:9 televisions have certain aspect ratios that fill the screen completely. I forget if it's either 1.77:1 or 1.85:1 but those will fill up the entire 16:9 screen. Anything higher than those ratios (ex 2.35:1) will have a 'letterbox' effect (aka black bars on the top and bottom of the screen). Anything lower than that (1.33:1) will have a 'pillar box' effect which is black bars on the left and right sides of the screens. If you have a widescreen DVD and you have pillar boxes (or both pillar box and letterbox) then something isn't right. If you're just getting letterbox though then it's probably fine. Just remember those aspect ratios and check what the AR is on the back of the DVD.

Gotcha.

[MisterChristian]

There is a 21:9 widescreen telly on the market - well I can't confirm this but... Of course, no price tag:

Philips Cinema 21:9 TV stretches the meaning of widescreen (http://dvice.com/archives/2009/01/philips-cinema.php)

The 21:9 aspect ratio (about 2.33:1)!!!

And as some of the feedback states: Just get a projector.

Check out this video on YouTube:

Philips Carousel for Cinema 21:9 TV - How they did it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teoSDTJDjF4)

Then of course the final product (all this to sell a TV):

Philips Carousel Commercial - Adam Berg Commercial of the Year Stink Digital (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ3D4CqHbJM&feature=related)

[rilocay]

I just want to add, some older dvd's are bloody annoying. Like older releases of Ran or Weekend, where they arent 16:9 enhanced, giving you a pillared & letterboxed widescreen presentation on widescreen tv's. They were made to be presented as widescreen on a 4:3 set and that was it. It makes the image really small, and it shits me. Most of these are pretty hard to come by nowadays, but rental wise they are still on the shelf.

[MisterChristian]

Which version of Ran? The Criterion Collection DVD is definitely anamorphic. Weekend DVD from New Yorker has now been discontinued. Perhaps a Criterion version is in the works as they have other Godard films...