The Truth About Widescreen DVDs

Nowadays the big thing is HD widescreen televisions. Crystal clear picture (where available), audio and video through one single cable with HDMI, and the works. Yes, HD technology is a wonderful invention, indeed. But wait - If I get a widescreen television and a widescreen dvd/blu-ray... Why is there still a black bar on the top and bottom? Is my brand new HD television broke? Is my dvd/blu-ray defective? What's the deal?

The truth of the matter is that the term "widescreen" is not necessarily a universal term with televisions and films. When relating to televisions, widescreen is a universal term - All widescreen televisions are 16x9 (or 1.77:1). With films there is a completely different story. There are two main (keyword being main) aspect ratios for the average film, 1.85:1, or "Academy Flat", and 2.35:1, or "Super35". Think of the number 1.85 (or 2.35) as the size of the width, and 1 being the height. The width is 1.85 (or 2.35) times the width, thus making it rectangular instead of square.

"But if widescreen televisions are 1.77:1 ... Why don't they make widescreen films in that aspect ratio instead of 1.85:1 (or 2.35:1)," you may ask? Well the simple truth of the matter is... Director's have been filming aspect ratios of 1.85:1 and 2:35:1 for many more years than widescreen televisions have been in existence. These wide aspect ratios (mainly 2.35:1) began with a technology called CinemaScope, which used anamorphic lenses to record an aspect twice as wide as the standard 1.33:1 aspect ratio. You can find information about CinemaScope on Wikipedia.

Many people think that the top and bottom of the picture are cropped off, but in reality it is the other way around. The width is expanded to see more picture. There is no way to present this on a standard television without the illusion of the top and bottom being cropped off. The next time you go to a movie theater or cinema of any kind, look at the aspect ratio of the screen you are watching the film on - Does it look square or rectangular?

Back to the original question - The reason filmmakers usually don't present films in 1.77:1 aspect ratio is simply a creative preference. The director of the film may like a very wide canvas to paint on... or he may like more of a narrow canvas. There is no "better" aspect ratio, just a "preferred" aspect ratio. Legendary filmmakers alike use all sorts of different aspect ratios depending on how they feel about the project and how they want it to be captured.

"So if a director shoots a film and presents it in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio... Why do they say it is enhanced for widescreen televisions on the dvd," you may ask? What this means is that the film has been enhanced so that when you watch it on a widescreen television the image isn't stretched vertically. The editor of the film ads black space on the top and the bottom to fill in the the remaining room to match the aspect ratio of 1.77:1, or 16x9. This is why when you watch a film presented in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio the black bars will be thicker than if you watch a film that is presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. If they were to present the film without enhancing it for a widescreen television, the film would be vertically stretched and may be unpleasant to watch for an extended period of time, given its strange appearance. The same goes for full screen formated films - the aspect ratio would be stretched horizontally, rather than vertically, or there will be black pillars on the left and right side of the screen to fill in the remaining space. However, nowadays nearly all dvd players (and also televisions) have aspect ratio options.

If all you really want to know is which version is better to buy, full screen or widescreen, the answer is obvious. If a film was originally shot to be viewed as a widescreen presentation, then you should buy widescreen out of respect to the creator. The reason to do this is because if you don't like the black bars, you can always use the "zoom" feature on your dvd or blu-ray player to fill the screen to your liking. Full screen formated dvds and blu-rays go through a process called "pan and scan" which (if the film is actually widescreen) is basically a forced zoom from the original to fill a standard 1.33:1 television.

Now... to create a television with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio!