WS dimensions

[moviegroupie]

Why are WS dimensions (sizes) different for different movies? It pisses me off because for some, there are no black bars and it fits my 51" hdtv projector widescreen tv, and for others there is a tiny bit of black bars. why don't they just stick to one and keep it? So that way, all tvs manufactured will have fit the standards and we all stay clear from the horrendous screen consuming devils!!!

[Jim H]

Originally posted by moviegroupie
Why are WS dimensions (sizes) different for different movies? It pisses me off because for some, there are no black bars and it fits my 51" hdtv projector widescreen tv, and for others there is a tiny bit of black bars. why don't they just stick to one and keep it? So that way, all tvs manufactured will have fit the standards and we all stay clear from the horrendous screen consuming devils!!!

Artistic reasons, mostly. That's the short answer.

[Slim_JGE]

I'm not sure that artistic preference really has anything to do with it. Some widescreen ratios are made specifically for widescreen TVs, while others are just a "generic" widescreen is my understanding. Check this out, I saw it on another post, and it's pretty imformative: http://www.dvdweb.co.uk/information/anamorphic.htm Hope maybe that helps. :D

[Jim H]

Originally posted by Slim_JGE
I'm not sure that artistic preference really has anything to do with it. Some widescreen ratios are made specifically for widescreen TVs, while others are just a "generic" widescreen is my understanding. Check this out, I saw it on another post, and it's pretty imformative: http://www.dvdweb.co.uk/information/anamorphic.htm Hope maybe that helps. :D

Most epic-type films are shot around 2.33:1, while things like comedies are typically around 1.85:1. You don't think the artists consider the framing of the film when spending a hundred million plus on each of them?

[Slim_JGE]

Originally posted by Jim H
Most epic-type films are shot around 2.33:1, while things like comedies are typically around 1.85:1. You don't think the artists consider the framing of the film when spending a hundred million plus on each of them?

Sure possibly some of the time that may be, but I wouldn't say that it's the motivation most of the time. I would even say that a lot of films outside of the more epic and/or artsy community don't even think about the format that it will be released in on DVD until it gets closer to a video/DVD release.

[Neesh]

Of course it's artistic reasons. The director makes the call, maybe with input from the producers. "Epic" movies with a lot of landscape or far-away style shots ( think: The Good, Bad, & the Ugly, LOTR, Star Wars...) just look better on a big screen if they are in the 2.35 (really wide) ratio. Most other Hollywood movies are 1.85, which just about fills a widescreen TV.

Originally posted by Slim_JGE
Sure possibly some of the time that may be, but I wouldn't say that it's the motivation most of the time. I would even say that a lot of films outside of the more epic and/or artsy community don't even think about the format that it will be released in on DVD until it gets closer to a video/DVD release.
I cant follow your line of thinking there. A movie is almost always put on DVD in the same ratio that it was seen in the theatres... at least for newer movies, of course alot of earlier DVD releases were cropped and 'panned and scanned'. Sometimes movies are released on DVD in both full-screen and their original widscreen ratio, to make people with normal full-screen ratio TVs happy.

[pyscho dude]

Makes sense.

[moviegroupie]

Originally posted by Neesh
Of course it's artistic reasons. The director makes the call, maybe with input from the producers. "Epic" movies with a lot of landscape or far-away style shots ( think: The Good, Bad, & the Ugly, LOTR, Star Wars...) just look better on a big screen if they are in the 2.35 (really wide) ratio. Most other Hollywood movies are 1.85, which just about fills a widescreen TV.


I cant follow your line of thinking there. A movie is almost always put on DVD in the same ratio that it was seen in the theatres... at least for newer movies, of course alot of earlier DVD releases were cropped and 'panned and scanned'. Sometimes movies are released on DVD in both full-screen and their original widscreen ratio, to make people with normal full-screen ratio TVs happy.

How can a movie be released on DVD in same ratio as the theatre? All movies in the theatre have the same ratio, never seen black bars on the silver screen (aside from the curtains).
That line of thinking made no sense. And I do buy the whole artistic reason but don't you think we should just ban FS and have the option to buy something like WS1 or WS2? That would be MUCH better.

[Jim H]

Originally posted by moviegroupie
How can a movie be released on DVD in same ratio as the theatre? All movies in the theatre have the same ratio, never seen black bars on the silver screen (aside from the curtains).

No they don't. I'll bet you $10,000 they don't, if you'd like. Different screens in theatres are at different ratios, for precisely this reason. Theatres will also matte the picture (cut off part of it) to get it to fit wider screens, if need be.

[Neesh]

Originally posted by moviegroupie
How can a movie be released on DVD in same ratio as the theatre? All movies in the theatre have the same ratio, never seen black bars on the silver screen (aside from the curtains).
That line of thinking made no sense.
Apparently you dont see very many movies in the theatre. Some movies in theatres are shown in the 2.35 ratio, the 1.85 ratio (the two most common), the 1.66 ratio, the 1.37 ratio, and a few others. Surely a "moviegroupie" like yourself knows this.

If youre not sure what the ratio is of a movie youre seeing in the theatre, theres an easy test to see if it's 2.35:1. It's the "dollar bill" test. A US currency bill is almost exactly 2.35:1. Take a dollar bill out, hold it out in front of you and try to frame it up to the screen.
And I do buy the whole artistic reason but don't you think we should just ban FS and have the option to buy something like WS1 or WS2? That would be MUCH better.
No.... some movies look better on the big screen in 2.35:1, some look better in 1.85 .... very few movies are actually done in 1.33 (full screen) anymore anyways. Youre going to have to deal with black bars, even on your widescreen TV, so I'd just accept it and get used to it. :)

[moviegroupie]

My bad ;) great apologies. I am a "moviegroupie" but I don't know shit from shinola when it comes to AR. I was just enlightened