DVD aspect ratios

[dg]

Whenever I rent an anamorphic widescreen movie and I notice the entire
screen is filled (16:9 TV), I have to wonder if the original film was done
in 16:9 or if the DVD producer is cropping the image so it fits a 16:9 TV
exactly. The reason I ask is that I understand almost no movies are
originally done in 16:9, yet many many rentals are 16:9. Fewer and fewer
rentals are 2.35:1.

Are they cropping the sides off and zooming in?

THANKS!
--Dan

[rdclark]

dg wrote:
> Whenever I rent an anamorphic widescreen movie and I notice the
entire
> screen is filled (16:9 TV), I have to wonder if the original film was
done
> in 16:9 or if the DVD producer is cropping the image so it fits a
16:9 TV
> exactly. The reason I ask is that I understand almost no movies are
> originally done in 16:9, yet many many rentals are 16:9. Fewer and
fewer
> rentals are 2.35:1.
>
> Are they cropping the sides off and zooming in?

Rarely.

Many movies' OAR is 1.85:1, which will fill a 16:9 frame almost
exactly. If your display has a little bit of overscan (most do), you
won't see the teeny little black bars at top and bottom that result
from a 1.85:1 movie in a 1.77:1 (16:9) frame.

RichC

[Italo]

"dg" <dan_gus@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:cfvOd.2620$lz5.2487@newssvr24.news.prodigy.ne t...
> The reason I ask is that I understand almost no movies are
> originally done in 16:9, yet many many rentals are 16:9. Fewer and fewer
> rentals are 2.35:1.

In fact the opposite is true i.e far fewer movies were made in the extreme
'cinemascope' ratio of 2:35 to 1 etc... since it was/is an expensive process
to both film and distribute using any of the large widescreen processes
(cinemascope, cinerama, panavision etc...). Most movies are made in 16:9
ratio (1:77/1:85.1, also known as the new academy ratio).

--
Italo

[Lucas Tam]

"Italo" <italotettoni.nospammingallowed@gmx.net> wrote in
news:420bb5c0$0$1348$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au :

> In fact the opposite is true i.e far fewer movies were made in the
> extreme 'cinemascope' ratio of 2:35 to 1 etc... since it was/is an
> expensive process to both film and distribute using any of the large
> widescreen processes (cinemascope, cinerama, panavision etc...). Most
> movies are made in 16:9 ratio (1:77/1:85.1, also known as the new
> academy ratio).

Yup, I agree... 2.35:1 is typically used for higher budget or more "epic"
type movies. 1.85:1 seems to be used for everything from your run of the
mill romance comedy to a brainless action movie : )

--
Lucas Tam (REMOVEnntp@rogers.com)
Please delete "REMOVE" from the e-mail address when replying.
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/coolspot18/

[Karyudo]

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 19:55:24 GMT, Lucas Tam <REMOVEnntp@rogers.com>
wrote:

>Yup, I agree... 2.35:1 is typically used for higher budget or more "epic"
>type movies.

Like 'Zoolander'.

>1.85:1 seems to be used for everything from your run of the
>mill romance comedy to a brainless action movie : )

Like 'Schindler's List'.

[Lucas Tam]

Karyudo <karyudo_usenet@yahoo.com.remove.me> wrote in
news:d07o0155uoeii5l8782kvd9jci5ap73jqh@4ax.com:

> On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 19:55:24 GMT, Lucas Tam <REMOVEnntp@rogers.com>
> wrote:
>
>>Yup, I agree... 2.35:1 is typically used for higher budget or more
>>"epic" type movies.
>
> Like 'Zoolander'.

Hence typically.

>>1.85:1 seems to be used for everything from your run of the
>>mill romance comedy to a brainless action movie : )
>
> Like 'Schindler's List'.

Hence for everything from.

I have my bases covered ; )

--
Lucas Tam (REMOVEnntp@rogers.com)
Please delete "REMOVE" from the e-mail address when replying.
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/coolspot18/

[Karyudo]

On Fri, 11 Feb 2005 03:46:21 GMT, Lucas Tam <REMOVEnntp@rogers.com>
wrote:

>Karyudo <karyudo_usenet@yahoo.com.remove.me> wrote in
>news:d07o0155uoeii5l8782kvd9jci5ap73jqh@4ax.com:
>
>> On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 19:55:24 GMT, Lucas Tam <REMOVEnntp@rogers.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Yup, I agree... 2.35:1 is typically used for higher budget or more
>>>"epic" type movies.
>>
>> Like 'Zoolander'.
>
>Hence typically.
>
>>>1.85:1 seems to be used for everything from your run of the
>>>mill romance comedy to a brainless action movie : )
>>
>> Like 'Schindler's List'.
>
>Hence for everything from.
>
>I have my bases covered ; )

Oh, I know. Well, mostly, anyway: "for everything from your run of the
mill romance comedy to a brainless action movie" is hardly
all-encompassing. Don't know where 'Schindler's List' would fit on
that tiny continuum, for example!

Let's not forget, either, that Super35 is also a route to 2.35:1,
without the expense of anamorphic processes.