How do you prefer your HD movies?

If you had the choice of a 16:9 cut of a movie that takes full advantage of 1920 x 1080 pixels or the original widescreen presentation with black bars at top and bottom (hence less resolution in actual picture) which would it be ?

OAR

As above. OAR every time.

OAR all the time. Its one of the reasons I refuse to watch movies on TV (with only very few exceptions)

OAR FTW

I'd love to see the extra capacity of 50 & 51 Gb HDM used for a second "vertically stretched" copy of the original presentation for anamorphic lens setups.

+ 1

OAR... accept no substitutes other than DAR (director-approved ratio, for those who haven't heard it before).

OAR - always.

OAR.

I've given up trying to explain to my friends that the top and bottom haven't been cut!!!

OAR.

I'll cop flack for this, but anyone that thinks "black bars" are a ripoff, or a waste of space, doesn't deserve to own a widescreen display

I would have said that but I am just too polite LOL

Depending on the movie I just hit the zoom button on the player and get fullscreen. It is very movie dependent whether or not the edges of the picture are important or not.

Don't give a Monkeys what the Director Intended I am the end user and with the zoom button I have choice fullscreen or black bars.

What happens with a 2.35:1 widescreen movie when you zoom it.
You must lose quite a bit of the picture information from the sides?

OAR

cheers

From memory you lose a total of about 35% of the width of the image.

grr, server lag = double post.

server lag.......... slag?

I'll tell you what. Go into an art gallery sometime with a hobby knife. When the security guards ask you why you are carrying a hobby knife into their gallery, tell them you are going to cut the top and bottom off the Mona Lisa to make it a 4:3 shape because you do not give a monkey's what Da Vinci intended. Let us know how that one flies.



I once did an article for a DVD review website about the relative merits of letterboxing various ratios into various-shaped displays. If I remember the rough calculations I did for the article, when fitting a 2.35:1 film onto a 16:9 display, you must either sacrifice about 34% of the picture or 24% of the potential resolution. Don't ask me why there is a discrepancy between the two (it might have been a mathematical error on my part).

And that is your right, if you chose to sacrifice some of the picture.

What gets me is people complaining and wanting all movies released in 16:9 format

Absolutely. What gets me is how those people fail to realise that they are trying to make a unilateral decision on the behalf of everyone who has paid good money for their player and TV.

When Paul Verhoeven's European films are released on BD, I want them in 1.66:1, no execeptions. The side bars are fair sacrifice for seeing the film the way they were composed. If people do not like the side bars, that is what the aspect ratio switch on their TV is for.

I've always liked the intro on the "Incredibles" DVD for explaining why the proper aspect ratio is important.

I want to see all of the movie, as it was intended, black bars are easily ignored but stuff you don't see will always be missed and detract from the experience!

Every time!

4.3 Zoomed from NTSC source.

No black bars.

No TV station watermarks (although that original 10HD one did creep in)

Hell, in some two-person dialogue scenes in 2.35:1 movies I don't even see the actors. :ph34r:

Try watching it on something other than your iPod...

You won't get far with a hobby knife, you also need a glass cutter, that would take the smirk off her face,
the smug git.

There have been so many OAR replies that we could start our own rowing club.

i use to love 16:9
but now i see...what ever the film is suppose to be...original presentation ie!

Try watching something like Ben Hur, screen ration of 2.7, watch that in full screen and you miss 1/2 the movie.

I did say it was film dependant some look O.K. with a bit of zoom others do not you lose out.
At least you do have a Choice it is up to you which way you watch. When I use zoom x1 on my player I do not lose very much off either end. I do not use zoom that often though.

I think I have the Interpretor with Nicole Kidman on DVD with an explanation of aspects and widescreen from the Director.

I always recall in the old days when I used to buy Widescreen presentations even on VHS and my mum used to think I was crazy, but I preferred that even on a CRT with Black Bars top and bottom. I recall Tombstone had a great intro explaining Widescreen presentations on VHS. Had a laugh when I hooked up my old VHS to my panel and saw it as a little thin line across the screen. The old VHS aren't much good on a 16:9 screen unless you change the aspect ratio