Are Hi-Def movies (hd-dvd/bluray) 16:9 or really widescreen like dvds?

[Sureshot324]

Most movies are filmed in extremely widescreen ratios like 5:2 or something and dvd's generally have the same ratio. Do HD-DVD movies and upcoming bluray movies keep up this trend, or do they cut off the sides and go to a 16:9 ratio, like most HDTVs?

 

[shabby]

I would expect them to be the original aspect ratio and not dumb it down to 16:9, btw its 2.35:1 not 5:2.

 

[Sureshot324]

grr, if I pay for a TV of a certain size I want to use ALL of it dammit. I wish dvd players let you zoom in a bit like I can on my computer so it takes up more of the screen.

 

[CrimsonKnight]

Out-of-aspect video annoys me 1000 times more than a couple inches of black on the top/bottom.

 

[KaranB]

Originally posted by: Sureshot324
Most movies are filmed in extremely widescreen ratios like 5:2 or something and dvd's generally have the same ratio. Do HD-DVD movies and upcoming bluray movies keep up this trend, or do they cut off the sides and go to a 16:9 ratio, like most HDTVs?

why would you call it "extremely" widescreen ratio? 2.35:1 is the true widescreen ratio (i.e anamorphic widescreen) that has been around since the 1940s. It is a truer representation of the human eye's field of vision. 16:9 is just a compromise they came up with to suit home widescreen tv's. So I would hope that BR/HD dvds are in anamorphic widescreen even if it means having black bars on our tv's.

 

[CU]

Why did they not just make the new wide screen TV's 2.35:1? Why did they have to go and make them 16:9? I would love to have only one aspect ratio.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: CrimsonKnight
Out-of-aspect video annoys me 1000 times more than a couple inches of black on the top/bottom.

 

[JBT]

hmm in my experiences not all movies are made in 2.35:1 there are plenty that are 16:9,even in the theater. 2.35:1 is ussually only on movie that want an "epic" feeling to them.
Another reason I think HDTV's use 16:9 is because the movies with 16:9 aspect ratio would have to have the top and bottom chopped off and that would look much worse than a few black bars here and there.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: CrimsonKnight
Out-of-aspect video annoys me 1000 times more than a couple inches of black on the top/bottom.

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: CU
Why did they not just make the new wide screen TV's 2.35:1? Why did they have to go and make them 16:9? I would love to have only one aspect ratio.

Becuase there are also many movies that are 1.85:1 which would take some big black bars on the sides witha 2.35:1 display, and other stuff is 4:3 which would take massive black bars on the sides. 16:9 fits nicely between all those standards instead of focusing on one extreme only to suffer great expence to the other.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: TheSnowman

Originally posted by: CU
Why did they not just make the new wide screen TV's 2.35:1? Why did they have to go and make them 16:9? I would love to have only one aspect ratio.

Becuase there are also many movies that are 1.85:1 which would take some big black bars on the sides witha 2.35:1 display, and other stuff is 4:3 which would take massive black bars on the sides. 16:9 fits nicely between all those standards instead of focusing on one extreme only to suffer great expence to the other.

Plus there is a world outside films, and TV programs are AFAIK made 16:9.

 

[Falloutboy]

Original aspect is the only way to go. My sisters got some movies for there bday and I cringed that they were fullscreen

 

[CU]

OK, so why do we need so many aspect ratios? Can't we just pick one and start recording everything in that and make the TV's match. All old stuff not recorded in the new standard ratio will be displayed with black bars.

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: CU
OK, so why do we need so many aspect ratios? Can't we just pick one and start recording everything in that and make the TV's match. All old stuff not recorded in the new standard ratio will be displayed with black bars.

Yeah, and why can't painters all just use the same shaped canvases? It sure would make it easier to arrange their work on the wall.

 

[Tom]

some older movies are even wider than 2.35/1, ultra panavision i think it was called.

 

[deeznuts]

A lot of the computer animated stuff i think is 16:9 as well.

 

[cycopl]

I'm a projectionist (i'm at work right now actually), and most of the movies are in 1.85:1 (16:9), but it seems the bigger budget ones are all 2.35:1 (x-men, mission impossible, davinci code, cars). Generally 16:9 is more common in films that I've seen.

 

[kylebisme]

Acutally 1.85:1 is closer to 17:9 than it is to 16:9. But yeah, aside for the big action flicks, most are 1.85:1.

 

[cycopl]

yeah, I never actually did the math... it's actually 16.65:9, I just always assumed it to be 16:9.

 

[BenSkywalker]

I wish dvd players let you zoom in a bit like I can on my computer so it takes up more of the screen.

My DVD player does have zoom, just look for it in the features before you pick one up- actually I just double checked the specs for my DVD player and it isn't listed(Panny SC-HT940)..... I know that one of my kids cheapie DVD players also has zoom built in so it isn't something restricted to the higher end players. Also- I haven't seen a widescreen TV yet that didn't have a zoom feature built in also. I have multiple levels of zoom on mine- although I never use it on either end as I want to see the source material as it was made(whatever aspect ratio that is).