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BrianO · 06-10-2006, 06:57 PM

In DVD movie terminology, "Widescreen" means any movie made with an aspect ratio wider than the old Academy Standard of 1.37:1. So, although 1.85:1 is no longer considered to be widescreen in the movie business, it is still widescreen in the DVD world. The term "Widescreen" is used to distinguish these DVD's from "Fullscreen" which means that the image has an aspect ratio of 4:3 so that it fills the screen on a conventional 4:3 TV. Fullscreen DVD's are either cropped widescreen movies or older movies that were made using the 1.37:1 Academy standard ratio.

Any movie with an aspect ratio greater than 1.78:1 (16:9) will be shown in a letterboxed* form (bars at the top and bottom of the screen) on a 16:9 widescreen TV. On many TV's a 1.85:1 movie will fill the screen without bars due to overscan. On other TV's the 1.85:1 movies will show very thin, barely notceable black bars.

Besides 1.85:1, the most common aspect ratios are 2.35:1, 2.39:1 and 2.40:1. The 2.39:1 and 2.40:1 movies are all movies filmed with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, but shown in theatres with with projector apertures that have been reduced in height to eliminate flashing at the top and/or bottom of the screen whenever a splice is encountered in the print of the film.

DVD's of CinemaScope movies made from 1953 to 1957 can have an aspect ratio of 2.55:1 rather than the newer 2.35:1 standard introduced in 1955 to accomodate optical mono soundtracks for exhibition in theatres that could not afford the stereophonic sound systems required to show the 2.55:1 movies.

Ultra Panavison (or Ultra Panavision 70) is Panvision's name for MGM's Camera 65. It was developed by Panavision to meet specifications provided to them by MGM. It used a 65 mm negative but a 70mm print with the extra width of the print being used to accomodate an extra 2 channels in the soundtrack. Only a few movies were made using this process. In addition to "Mutiny on the Bounty", MGM also filmed "Ben Hur" using this system and 70 mm prints had an aspect ratio of 2.76:1. 35mm CinemaScope compatible prints were also made with smaller aspect ratios. "Raintree County" was also filmed in Camera 65 but no 70 mm prints were made for exhibition; only 35mm CinemaScope prints were made.

* The term "letterboxed" refers to both movies that stored anamorphically and those stored in a non-anamorphic form.

06-10-2006, 06:57 PM	#38
BrianO Sony KD34XS955 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Pointe-Claire QC Posts: 2,326	In DVD movie terminology, "Widescreen" means any movie made with an aspect ratio wider than the old Academy Standard of 1.37:1. So, although 1.85:1 is no longer considered to be widescreen in the movie business, it is still widescreen in the DVD world. The term "Widescreen" is used to distinguish these DVD's from "Fullscreen" which means that the image has an aspect ratio of 4:3 so that it fills the screen on a conventional 4:3 TV. Fullscreen DVD's are either cropped widescreen movies or older movies that were made using the 1.37:1 Academy standard ratio. Any movie with an aspect ratio greater than 1.78:1 (16:9) will be shown in a letterboxed* form (bars at the top and bottom of the screen) on a 16:9 widescreen TV. On many TV's a 1.85:1 movie will fill the screen without bars due to overscan. On other TV's the 1.85:1 movies will show very thin, barely notceable black bars. Besides 1.85:1, the most common aspect ratios are 2.35:1, 2.39:1 and 2.40:1. The 2.39:1 and 2.40:1 movies are all movies filmed with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, but shown in theatres with with projector apertures that have been reduced in height to eliminate flashing at the top and/or bottom of the screen whenever a splice is encountered in the print of the film. DVD's of CinemaScope movies made from 1953 to 1957 can have an aspect ratio of 2.55:1 rather than the newer 2.35:1 standard introduced in 1955 to accomodate optical mono soundtracks for exhibition in theatres that could not afford the stereophonic sound systems required to show the 2.55:1 movies. Ultra Panavison (or Ultra Panavision 70) is Panvision's name for MGM's Camera 65. It was developed by Panavision to meet specifications provided to them by MGM. It used a 65 mm negative but a 70mm print with the extra width of the print being used to accomodate an extra 2 channels in the soundtrack. Only a few movies were made using this process. In addition to "Mutiny on the Bounty", MGM also filmed "Ben Hur" using this system and 70 mm prints had an aspect ratio of 2.76:1. 35mm CinemaScope compatible prints were also made with smaller aspect ratios. "Raintree County" was also filmed in Camera 65 but no 70 mm prints were made for exhibition; only 35mm CinemaScope prints were made. * The term "letterboxed" refers to both movies that stored anamorphically and those stored in a non-anamorphic form. Last edited by BrianO; 06-10-2006 at 06:59 PM.