Fullscreen or Widescreen DVDs

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: Yzzim

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: Yzzim

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Yzzim
doesn't widescreen cut off the top of the picture? Maybe not in all movies but in some?

Some movies are filmed in "open matte" meaning they are filmed in 4:3 with the intention of cutting the top and bottom off. When you watch the widescreen version, you are seeing the directors original intent. When you see the fullscreen or "open matte" version, you are seeing more than the director intended.

A good recent example is Terminator 3

Thanks for the explanation.

Didn't think directors really cared about how much of the picture you see...you would think the more you can see the better...?

If you are an artist, and paint a picture, would you want someone to crop it how they see fit?

Is Widescreen >>>> Fullscreen cropping though? I'm talking about the "open matte" version Amused was explaining.

He said that you're seeing more than the director intended, I'm assuming that means more of the picture.

If I painted a picture I would probably want the viewer to see as much of the picture as possible.

...no?

The fullscreen is not the open matte version. It is a cropped version of the widescreen picture. Am I wrong Amused...? (i'm not positive i am right).

Terminator 3 is shot using Super 35 lenses. This is a special case in which the 4:3 version contains more information above and below the center of the shot then the widescreen version (but still less on the sides). Example w/ pic

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: Confused
This again?

Ooriginal Aspect Ratio is the ONLY thing I buy.

I want to see everything exactly as the director intended, and not have something cropped to what a pan&scam technician (aka Monkey) decided I should see.

It's also worth noting that OAR != widescreen.

Many older films were originally shot in 4:3 ratios.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Albis
"Open Matte" is not the same thing as fullscreen. Most full screen movies are based of a widescreen image with the left and right sides cropped off.

Open Matte is filmed in 4:3 and meant to be that way.

WRONG.

Most open matte movies are cropped to 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 and released to theaters.

Again, Terminator 3 is a good example.

 

[Yzzim]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: Yzzim

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: Yzzim

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Yzzim
doesn't widescreen cut off the top of the picture? Maybe not in all movies but in some?

Some movies are filmed in "open matte" meaning they are filmed in 4:3 with the intention of cutting the top and bottom off. When you watch the widescreen version, you are seeing the directors original intent. When you see the fullscreen or "open matte" version, you are seeing more than the director intended.

A good recent example is Terminator 3

Thanks for the explanation.

Didn't think directors really cared about how much of the picture you see...you would think the more you can see the better...?

If you are an artist, and paint a picture, would you want someone to crop it how they see fit?

Is Widescreen >>>> Fullscreen cropping though? I'm talking about the "open matte" version Amused was explaining.

He said that you're seeing more than the director intended, I'm assuming that means more of the picture.

If I painted a picture I would probably want the viewer to see as much of the picture as possible.

...no?

The fullscreen is not the open matte version. It is a cropped version of the widescreen picture. Am I wrong Amused...? (i'm not positive i am right).

In a small % of movies, it is the open matte version you see when you buy fullscreen on DVD. But this is a SMALL % of movies. Like I said, terminator 3 is a good recent example.

And no, you do not want to see more of the picture. It isn't framed correctly anymore. Cinematography is an art. When you remove the matting, you are altering the art from the intent of the creator.

good point! didn't realize there was so much involved in widescreen vs full screen pictures.

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: chuckywang
Widescreen all the time. Fullscreen cuts off the sides.

 

[pyonir]

Nice...thanks for the info Amused and MrChad. Learn something new every day.

 

[mwtgg]

Originally posted by: Confused
This again?

Ooriginal Aspect Ratio is the ONLY thing I buy.

Note that OAR does not mean Widescreen. (Edit thanks to MrChad, I forgot to mention that this time)

I want to see everything exactly as the director intended, be it 1.33, 1.85, 2.35 or another aspect ratio, and not have something cropped to what a pan&scam technician (aka Monkey) decided I should see.

Bingo. I only get OAR.

 

[dc5]

i just realized i made a silly mistake on buying fullscreen dvds.

1) i'm betting that i'll have a widescreen display in the feature.

2) i'm missing part of the movie due to cropping.

the only reason why i bought fullscreen movies was because the picture was larger on fullscreen tvs. from now on, i'm buying widescreen or OAR.

 

[Falloutboy]

widescreen all the way. hell I can't even tv shows get on my nerves if thier not in widescreen. main reason I download almost all my tv

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: chuckywang
Widescreen all the time. Fullscreen cuts off the sides.

And people.

 

[Kelemvor]

Unless you have a tiny (under 25" or so) TV, you are an idiot for buying Fullscreen (except in extremely rare instances (T3) where it's filmed in some wacky format.... The black bars aren't that big on decent sized TVs. If things are too small, then sit closer. I'd much rather be able to see the movie as the Director Intended it and how it is shown in Theaters than to only see part of each shot.

It still boggle smy mind how people think that Widescreen/letterbox it's chopping off the top and bottom of the screen. THey don't seem to realize that movie theater screens are rectangles (not squares) and that widescreen just makes it look the same.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior

It still boggle smy mind how people think that Widescreen/letterbox it's chopping off the top and bottom of the screen. THey don't seem to realize that movie theater screens are rectangles (not squares) and that widescreen just makes it look the same.

Basic geometry is an alien thing to many people.

 

[daniel1113]

Also, *most* quality DVD players or TVs can crop a widescreen DVD to fill a 4:3 display, if you so choose.

Always buy OAR if you can. There is no logical reason not to.

 

[Beau]

Originally posted by: daniel1113
Also, *most* quality DVD players or TVs can crop a widescreen DVD to fill a 4:3 display, if you so choose.

Always buy OAR if you can. There is no logical reason not to.

 

[StageLeft]

WS, but I hardly ever buy DVDs.

 

[scttgrd]

Always widescreen.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: pyonir
I don't have any widescreen displays either, but i want to see the entire picture the movie was originally filmed in.

That's cause you straight dope, son.

 

[Apex]

Widescreen. I don't own a 4:3 display other than my computer monitors.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: aphex
Do you enjoy missing ~1/3 of your movie?

... or more! There are literally hundreds of "widescreen" formats available. Although most are either 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 (Panavision), there are some films that are even wider. Take Ben-Hur, for example. It was filmed using Ultra Panavision 70, which has an aspect ratio of 2.76:1! If they made a Pan/Scan version of the movie to fit a 4:3 display, you would lose more than half of the original film!

 

[Linux23]

Pan N' Scan is where it's at. I would never purchase a Widescreen movie. blah.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: Linux23
Pan N' Scan is where it's at. I would never purchase a Widescreen movie. blah.

:shocked:

 

[mpitts]

I've been buying widescreen movies for ten years. I certainly am not going to change now.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: mpitts
I've been buying widescreen movies for ten years. I certainly am not going to change now.

I'll pay you 10 million dollars to buy and watch only fullscreen movies from now on.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: mpitts
I've been buying widescreen movies for ten years. I certainly am not going to change now.

I'll pay you 10 million dollars to buy and watch only fullscreen movies from now on.

Stay strong, man! Don't give in to evil

 

[anxi80]

Topic Title: Fullscreen or Widescreen DVDs
Topic Summary: Which one do you buy?

its not one or the other because i buy o.a.r.