WIDESCREEN or FULL SCREEN?

[Mike]

I'm getting a DVD player this month and I wanted to buy the Fast And The Furious DVD and the American Pie 2 DVD and I looked at amazon.com and they are both widescreen.
Is widescreen where you have a black bar at the top and bottom of the screen? If so, this totally sucks. I want full screen. I don't want to watch a movie with black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. They should at least have it so you can choose if you want Widescreen or Fullscreen. I am so damn pissed. I don't know what to do. I can't imagine anyone wanting to watch a movie on widescreen. That would annoy the hell out of me. I'm so damn mad, now I can't buy those two DVD's because they are in widescreen. DAMN IT!!!

What do you like, widescreen or fullscreen?

[This message has been edited by Mike (edited 12-02-2001).]

[Common Sense Man]

I cannot believe you would sacrifice quality to watch a movie in full screen or what is called Pan and Scan.

Widescreen is the only way to go especially on DVD's with Anamorphic Widescreen which gives you less of the black bar action.

I suggest you get a bigger TV if you hate the bars.

It annoys the crap out of me to have to watch a movie in pan and scan (fullscreen) you can see the blur of the camera as it focuses on one character then flips to the other, the whole feel of the movie is lost.

But do not despair most DVD's will have both Widescreen and a Pan and Scan selection.

Try watching the same movie in both formats you will indeed notice a difference. Especially in special effects heavy features.

Haven't you ever wondered why a character is having a conversation with someone and they are not in the frame?

I predict you will soon convert to the proper thinking. Just like in the commercial "Wider is Better!"

Out.......

[FlickJunkie]

Mike, I'm with you. I have a DVD player and all DVDs come in widescreen with the black bars on the top and bottom. Except there are a few that come in both widescreen and full screen, most are "family" oriented films. I'm sure widescreen would be cool if you have a big screen TV but I only have a 25" TV and widescreen isn't that good on normal TV sizes. There are two major kinds of Widescreen too. 2:35.1 which is, what I call it, like a superwidescreen where a total of half the screen is black (combining the top and bottom bars) and then there is 1:85.1 which ain't that bad. About a 1/4 of the screen is black (combining the top and bottom bars). But there's nothin to do about that. DVDs and DVD players are worth it, so don't even worry about it too much. I hate widescreen, but I can live with it.

[This message has been edited by FlickJunkie (edited 12-02-2001).]

[Common Sense Man]

Mike and Flickjunkie,

I feel the conflict within you, let go of your anger, embrace the true path!

Wider is Better http://www.joblo.com/ubb/tongue.gif

Out......

[FlickJunkie]

I dunno about Mike, but, I never said or came off as angry...

[Mike]

FlickJunkie,
I don't think you came off as angry either. But I on the other hand did and that would be accurate because I am angry. I don't want to watch a movie on widescreen, I don't have a BIG SCREEN TV, it's not a small screen but it's not a BIG SCREEN either. I have a 25 inch so it would probably look pretty shitty on my TV. And I'm used to watching TV on a full screen so it would be very hard to get used to watching it on widescreen. They should just make it so you can buy certain DVD's on widescreen or fullscreen.

[Common Sense Man]

Guys, guys.

I was being sarcastic! I know you are not really angry as it would be a fairly stupid topic to be agree about when there is so much other stuff to really be pissed about out there.

It's all in good fun, but I stick to my guns.

Wider is Better

Out......

[ParileseMonster]

Take the Pepsi challege man! Watch Poltergeist in both versions man and you will see that letterboxing is way better! This film suffers horribly in that formatted to fit your tv shit even Video Watchdog magazine agrees to that!!!! Try it Mikey you'll like it!! http://www.joblo.com/ubb/tongue.gif All movies suffer in the full frame format heheheh hell watch Dune in both formats ha ha ha you will not like the full frame version you will hate it compared to Widescreen I kid you not!!! http://www.joblo.com/ubb/tongue.gif

OH and another thing I watched Halloween Widescreen the other day Dude man I saw things I never saw before in full frame wow man damn!! Just remember guys watching a movie in Widescreen you are seeing the exact same thing you saw in the theatres and nothing is taken out like full screen shit damn man I used to hate the bars too but Ive seen the light cross over children all are welcome, come into the light!!!! http://www.joblo.com/ubb/tongue.gif

[This message has been edited by ParileseMonster (edited 12-02-2001).]

[Mike]

Alright, I'll give it a chance but I should get a bigger TV.

[SAI]

For eveidence that widescreen is the only way to go look at Magnolia. There is one scene (between Melora Walters and John C Reilly) where the fullscreen video HAS to flip into widescreen because in the pan and scan version of that scene all you would see is the space between the characters.

A good filmaker will stuff the frame with information by using pan and scan you lose not only information but the directors version of the film.

[Cyclonus]

I'd like a bigger TV too!

[The Heart Collector]

Mike, buddy... By watching a movie in full screen you're losing image, and not only that, but in the case of some movies, they just look PLAIN BAD and lose all sense of coolness. Like FIGHT CLUB. Watching it "fullscreen" is an absolute torture.


Also....
The American Pie DVD's generally come in either Full Screen version or Widescreen version. You can buy either one.
Go with WIDESCREEN. Trust us.

[Skaboy18]

I also used to hate Widescreen until I took my first film lit class. Our teacher insisted that all of the films we watched were in the WS format. I finally realized how important it is, and I now hate watching a film in Pan and Scan format....LONG LIVE WIDESCREEN!!!!

[SteveSzyk]

Widescreen is great! When my TV goes, I'm gettin' a much bigger one, so Widescreen's even better.

[This message has been edited by SteveSzyk (edited 12-02-2001).]

[ParileseMonster]

Hey I have a 27" Screen and I enjoy widescreen movies on my set very much! Yep a bigger tv would kick ass but it works just fine on a 27 inch come on man don't be so picky at least you dont have a 13 inch man. At least you have a tv. http://www.joblo.com/ubb/tongue.gif Maybe you need glasses and you are in denial or something heheheh just giving you a hard time now! http://www.joblo.com/ubb/tongue.gif

[Expeditioner]

Most TV's mde nowadays are going to the widescreen format. Not only because the demand for them by consumers, but because of HDTV. In about the next 5 to 10 years, almost everything in TV will be broadcast in HDTV which will make widescreen programming more prevelant.

[DaN]

Dat's why we bought a Widescreen TV. I hate hate hate Pan & Scan. It kills the movie and the director's vision. He didn't shoot it freakishly wide for nothing (Well, at least for the movies I watch. these new movies are just widescreen becuase they have the most expensive cameras and they're full of shit and I hate them...)

[Bud_Fox]

Mike this is a great topic dude. Listen to what all the other schmoes have said. In laymen terms you might think fullscreen is better because it is a larger pic, but bigger is not better, cause even though the picture is bigger your missing almost One Third of the Movie! Films are not shot on fim in the shape of a television [almost square 4:3 ratio]. They are shot on film in the shape of a rectangle (widescreen tv 16:9 ratio]. By watching shitty fullscreen you are losing all that film on the right and left of the frame!

ex.Shrek is either fullscreen or widescreen. Watch both versions and you'll see exactly what I mean.

Full Screen Sucks for the simple fact that it is not properly conveying the directors true intent. You will never see the complete scenery, background, or dialogues as they are originally intended. I am not sure the ratio but I believe on a non-flat screen television watching a fullscreen movie, you are only viewing approx 60% of the actually movie frames as originally shot. That my freind is an absolute fucking crime

p.s.if you are truly engrossed in a movie you never notice the black bars. Its kinda like saying on a fullscreen versions the grey frame of the tv is annoying. Pay attention to the movie! Imagine if movie theatre screens were 4:3 like television screens. Fucking Ugh! Get the point?




[This message has been edited by Bud_Fox (edited 12-03-2001).]

[Skaboy18]

Mike, Bud Fox is completely right. If you are watching the movie, then you don't even notice the black bars. Just try it and see what you think. I promise that you won't be bothered with it after five minutes.

And also, you mentioned buying Fast and the Furious on DVD. You really shouldn't complain about it being in widescreen because IT LOOKS GREAT!!!! I recently saw a....should I say illegal?....copy of Fast and the Furious on DVD. It is one of the best looking films I have seen on the format.

[Mike]

Well, I must say I'm not as upset about it now. After hearing you guys speak so highly of it I'm willing to give it a chance. I hope it really is as good as you guys are saying.

[ParileseMonster]

It Is Man! It Is!!! Take the Pepsi test man! Do It! Do It!!!!! http://www.joblo.com/ubb/tongue.gif

[Skaboy18]

Excellent...another has been converted...soon THE WORLD! http://www.joblo.com/ubb/wink.gif

[The Professional]

It's funny to hear J6P talk about widescreen and how it sux. i mean jeez, its the full picture man. everytime you go to the theater its widescreen, ya just don't notice b\c its so damn big.

[Paterfamilias]

Up until a few years ago, my life was different, not as broad or full as it is now. It's hard for me to discuss, even with close friends. But I will reveal to you, my fellow Schmoes, kindred spirits, how a single event has changed me forever.
It was rather enexpected. You see I didn't know that I had a need, a void in my life. To me, it seemed that I was living a "FULL" existance, but I was ignorantly myopic in my observation of the world.
I was eagerly awaiting the release of Braveheart on VHS (this was before DVD) and I hurried into my local video store to purchase my very own copy. Rushing home, I poured myself a bowl of Coco Puffs, slid the tape in, and planted myself in my favorite chair for the innagural viewing. On the screen before me they appeared, those black evil twins. They mocked me as I tried to suck in more air to compensate for their suffocating effect. I told myself that they would go away, like in Ben Hur when they came to visit briefly during the chariot race then slowly slipped away. But they did not go. They just sat there on the screen as action unfolded above and beneath them. Jumping up(and spilling some of my feast as the waves of milk crashed against the side of the bowl, carrying sweet chololate morsels over the edge to the delight of my faihful dog Sam) I grabbed the box. I scanned quickly, my finger sliding back and fo...NOOOOOO!!!!! There it was, the L word. L E T T E R B O X
As I watched the rest of the movie, an amazing thing occured. I didn't seem to mind the lines, in fact after a few minutes, I ceased to notice them. I was a believer. I began to feel dissapointed with the rest of my collection because they were FullScreen editions. What a fool I was, naive really. I had been duped by the fullscreen moniker. After all, I reasoned, I want to see the FULL picture ... HA if only I knew then what I knew now.

W I D E S C R E E N
VS.
ULLSCREE

No contest.

[Cyclonus]

What an inspiring saga!

Still, widescreen is better with larger TV's. http://www.joblo.com/ubb/smile.gif

[ParileseMonster]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by The Professional:
It's funny to hear J6P talk about widescreen and how it sux. i mean jeez, its the full picture man. everytime you go to the theater its widescreen, ya just don't notice b\c its so damn big.</font>


Yeah like at the movies do you notice the curtains while you are watching a movie???? http://www.joblo.com/ubb/tongue.gif

[The Professional]

curtains, man, i don't go to theaters from the 30's dude. heheh. http://www.joblo.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

[This message has been edited by The Professional (edited 12-04-2001).]

[This message has been edited by The Professional (edited 12-04-2001).]

[ParileseMonster]

I guess your theatres are all ghetto and trashy then yeee heee heee!!! http://www.joblo.com/ubb/tongue.gif There are curtains on the sides and above in most theatres man you know its called decoration???? http://www.joblo.com/ubb/tongue.gif

By the way going to the theatres in the 30's was not that bad, why you ask why? Because women with babies left when they cried and people had respect and shut the hell up and didnt carry on. The youth was very respectful and didnt run up and down like jack asses nor did they laugh during serious scenes or talked about mary lou screwing billy bob cause back then most girls were not whores! Also no beepers, no cell phones! Just a good time, a nice peaceful respectful time that everyone was grateful for now everyone is so ungrateful so really man it was not that bad maybe the movies were too serious or intelligent but the crowd was great!

[dicaprio_travolta_man]

Mike, I can kinda see where your coming from on this issue, because when I first got my DVD player a year ago I to was pissed at the fact that most movies were only available in Widescreen.. But after you watch a few movie's in Widescreen you start to relise that watching in widescreen is better because it brings back that theatrical style the film lost after it left theatres, what i'm trying to say here is that watching a movie on widescreen is better because it makes you feel like your in the theatre watching it.. In fact I have gotten so used to Widescreen that I absolutely refuse to watch a movie on DVD in fullscreen, It's like torture now if you make me watch in fullscreen http://www.joblo.com/ubb/biggrin.gif. I cant stand Fullscreen movie's anymore... And once you have watched a few widescreen film's you will agree with me. Trust Me. So obviously I prefer Widescreen over Fullscreen.......

[Jedizim]

Widescreen is in my opinion the ONLY way to go. I don't even look at a movie to purchase unless it is widescreen. I want to see what I would have seen if I went to the theater not what I am going to see when they put it on television. I don't have a large tv (27"), but the bars don't bother me at all.

[Mike]

I watched BEST IN SHOW today and it was in WIDESCREEN and it really didn't bother me that much, actually, it didn't really bother me at all. I was too interested in the movie to care. I don't think it will be that hard to get used to.

[Mike]

By the way, it was 1:85.1 which wasn't bad, but I hate to see what 2:35.1 looks like, I'm sure that will be horrible.

[The Professional]

ok dude it's 2.35:1 and 1.85:1, not 2:35.1. Also, that means that for every inch it is wide it is x number of inches long. The aspect ratios don't bug me unless its a non-anamorphic disk.

[The Heart Collector]

The black bars look great in 2.35:1 movies. The movie shown in a wide format gives ALOT of coolness to it, mostly if it's a flashy movie (ie: Fight Club).

[Mike]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">ok dude it's 2.35:1 and 1.85:1, not 2:35.1. Also, that means that for every inch it is wide it is x number of inches long. The aspect ratios don't bug me unless its a non-anamorphic disk.</font>

Oops, I made a mistake, I guess I'm not perfect...

[The Professional]

well i am http://www.joblo.com/ubb/tongue.gif

[Mike]

Well, it has been almost a year now since I got my DVD player and yes, I am fully converted. I LOVE WIDESCREEN, it's GREAT. I only buy WIDESCREEN DVD's, even if they are available on FULLSCREEN too, I'll still buy the WIDESCREEN. I have zoom on my remote but I never really use it unless I'm watching a movie with someone who doesn't like WIDESCREEN. Of course I always show them the difference and how much FULLSCREEN takes away first, but if they still want to watch it in FULLSCREEN then that's alright. I don't have a problem watching movies in FULLSCREEN, but WIDESCREEN is definitely my preference, it is sooooooo much better. WIDESCREEN is especially great with good looking movies, I find myself in awe of how great they look in WIDESCREEN. Moulin Rouge, The Fast And The Furious, and Requiem For A Dream all look great in WIDESCREEN. I LOVE WIDESCREEN! I watched The Fast And The Furious on VHS over at my sisters house that doesn't have a DVD player yet and it just wasn't as exciting, the colors were so dull. In WIDESCREEN The Fast And The Furious kicks ass and the colors really jump out at you, it looks GREAT.


I'm always trying to convert everyone around me to switch to WIDESCREEN and I've had a few success stories. My parents and my brother are still convinced though that it cuts off the picture, even when I've showed them the difference on the JOY RIDE and A WALK TO REMEMBER DVD's. I used zoom and zoomed in on a couple of scenes and you can notice a HUGE difference, but they still like FULLSCREEN. My sister on the other hand just bought a new 37' TV and a DVD player last spring and I borrowed her my LIFE AS A HOUSE DVD which is in 2.35:1 WIDESCREEN and she used her zoom to zoom in on it but hated how crappy it looked so she called me and asked me how to switch it back to WIDESCREEN. She now watches pretty much everything in WIDESCREEN and doesn't have a problem with it. Then this last summer my other sister got around to buying a DVD player and she loves it and was able to tell the difference with the WIDESCREEN as well. She called me and asked me why the black bars were on the top and bottom of the screen and I explained it to her, she now knows why they are there and can tell how much better the picture is.


WIDESCREEN is great, I'm so glad I was able to see the light...

[Boba Joe]

widescreen all the way baby

[Jewbo]

my mum hates widescreen.
"oh i cant watch this with those shitty bars" she sez.
"shut the fuck up mum" i say.

[RavenBlade]

I used to loath widescreen,
and I mean really loath it.
Where I was seething with
animosity, and wanted
to put a brick through
my television.

What converted me you ask??

Seeing one of my favorite movies
of all time in widescreen. Halloween.

I watched that baby, saw things
that were intended to be seen,
and came out feeling so much better
with what I saw.

Now a days, I loath full screen,
and I mean really loath it.
Where I will seeth with animosity,
and want to put a brick through my television.

The only times I will tolerate full screen,
is regular t.v. period.
And that's because I'm used to watching
regular t.v. as such.
I still loath it though.

I have a 27 inch television,
and I agree, I want a bigger
one, like a 56 inch, so I can litterly
wet my pants, as I watch my movies
in the format as they were intended.

Raven

[Common Sense Man]

I knew you would come around eventually Mike.

Welcome to the world of the WIDE, not that cramped dank world of the fullscreen.

Your mind is now free.

Out.............................

[Mike]

Originally posted by Common Sense Man
I knew you would come around eventually Mike.

Welcome to the world of the WIDE, not that cramped dank world of the fullscreen.

Your mind is now free.

Out.............................

I can't even stand fullscreen now, I even think I like the 2.35:1 better than the smaller bars, especially when it's a good looking movie. I was watching REIGN OF FIRE and the smaller WIDESCREEN kicks ass, I can't even imagine watching it in FULLSCREEN, it would suck...

[urbanlegend23]

In short, I don't see the point of widescreen. Why would someone want to half the size of the movie? I much prefer full screen and my PS2 always gives me it (even with WS DVDS) so I'm happy.

[FeverDog420]

Originally posted by urbanlegend23
In short, I don't see the point of widescreen. Why would someone want to half the size of the movie? I much prefer full screen and my PS2 always gives me it (even with WS DVDS) so I'm happy.

The pics on the left are "formatted to fit your screen." The ones on the right would be sandwiched by black bars on your TV screen.

http://home1.gte.net/res0mrb7/widescreen/attacks/Mars-PS-6.jpg http://home1.gte.net/res0mrb7/widescreen/attacks/Mars-Wide-6.jpg
http://www.davisdvd.com/images/faqpics/Bond-demo.jpg
http://www.davisdvd.com/images/faqpics/BlazingPS.jpg
http://home1.gte.net/res0mrb7/widescreen/rumble/Rumble-PS-1-small.jpg http://home1.gte.net/res0mrb7/widescreen/rumble/Rumble-Wide-1-small.jpg
http://home1.gte.net/res0mrb7/widescreen/demolition/demolition-ps-guntoss.jpg http://home1.gte.net/res0mrb7/widescreen/demolition/demolition-wide-guntoss.jpg


What don't you understand?

[FeverDog420]

This image is roughly the same dimensions as a widescreen movie:

http://www.joblo.com/forums/images/boardjoblologo.jpg

How would you crop it to fit your TV screen? And don't you think Jo would be pissed off if his carefully drawn pic was formatted into a square?

[Moviefan1234]

Originally posted by urbanlegend23
In short, I don't see the point of widescreen. Why would someone want to half the size of the movie? I much prefer full screen and my PS2 always gives me it (even with WS DVDS) so I'm happy.

Widescreen is the way the director intended it to be seen. And with the popularity of the widescreen TV's growing in the future they will be making less and less Fullscreen DVD's.

[SAI]

Urban Legend.
Full Screen is a misnomer, a con. The picture may fill the square tv but you are not seeing the whole of the film.

with a 2.35:1 ratio film approximately 40% of the picture is lost in the process of making the film fit the TV, how this can possibly be acceptable, let alone preferable is utterly beyond me.

Pan and Scan (the proper name for full screen) is an abomination and renders many films (Magnolia leaps to mind) unwatchable. It is also disrespectful to the director.
Imagine you are a painter and you lend a painting to be displayed in a gallery, then, when you go and see it only to find they have created a frame which covers up 20% of the painting on eiether side. How would you feel?

Death to pan and scan.

Note: Films prior to the 50's were shot in the square 1.33:1 format and, of course, should not be shown in any other ratio, this too disrespects the film's makers.