Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (
More info?)
Most movies (ever since the late 1950's) are filmed using anamorphic
lenses and an aspect ratio of 2.33:1 (the picture is 2.33 times wider
than it is tall). The old black & white movies (and the cartoons, ads and
newsreels played between features) were filmed using a "flat" lens and an
aspect ratio of 1.5:1
By comparison, your 16 x 9 widescreen TV displays (full screen) with an
aspect ratio of 1.78:1
Therefore, in order to **PROPERLY** display the (Cinemascope/Panavision)
movie exactly as it was filmed, it is necessary to frame it with black
bars top and bottom (called letterboxing). In this way you are able to
view the entire scene, edge-to-edge, with no loss of content.
In order for it to "fill the screen" top to bottom you would then lose the
edges or you would need to distort the image by stretching it, causing the
characters to then appear tall and skinny.
For the sake of comparison, the old black & white movies, again
**PROPERLY** displayed on your 16 x 9 widescreen TV would have black bars
on the left and right edges.
So if it's a movie that was originally made for "the silver screen" and it
is "filling" your entire TV screen top to bottom and left to right, the
broadcaster (i.e., HBO, etc) is tampering with the image. This is also
true of DVD movies. If it completely fills your screen, it has been
"munged" in some way.
Personally I would much rather see movies displayed correctly, in the same
aspect ratio they were filmed in, black bars be damned. Likely as you
learn more about this, you will too.
In article <WZednX5zg8otYcXfRVn-ug@comcast.com> "Steven de Mena"
<demenas@comcast.net> writes:
>Sounds like the format of the movie is a "wider" widescreen than your TV.
>
>Think about it, if there are bars on the top of the bottom it can't fill
>your screen without losing some of the picture information.
>
>Steve
>
>
>"Eddie G" <mickeddie(removeme)@comcast.net> wrote in message
>news:VpOdnU9co8xwF8XfRVn-vA@comcast.com...
>> This isn't an HD question, but a widescreen question. I rented a PPV
>> movie that is in widescreen, and it played with the black bars on the top
>> and bottom of the screen even though I have a widescreen TV. Why is this,
>> and should I rent the NON widescreen version next time?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Eddie G
>>
>