What is the point of widescreen TV's?
Discussion
Mrs Fish said:
You've set your tv to letterbox mode, you will need to set it to 16:9 or widescreen on the options menu.
Ah, done
But my complaint still stands for DVD's
You can still adjust the sizing on your TV for DVD's, you will only be left with a small area of black space then.
Ok,
Most films are shot using 2 types of 'anamorphic' (i.e. 'proper' widescreen) lenses, either 1.85:1 or 2.35:1.
You tend to find that different directors prefer one over the other - Speilberg likes the former, witness Private Ryan, Jurassic Park, etc.*
This format is the closest to the widescreen TV standard so best 'fills' the area of your screen.
Unfortunately, most productions are the more severe aspect (2.35:1) and hence, you still get 'cropped' tops and bottom, even though in fact, you are seeing everything the director saw in the cutting room originally.
Think of a widescreen TV as a best fit solution to the problem of variously shaped rectangular blocks and whenyou do that, it's always better than an old 4:3 job.
Fortunately, the vast majority of current digital productions (like tonight's essential Footballers' Wives [I assume everybody has their timers set?
]) are in fully formed 16:9 proper so the set should automatically detect and switch accordingly.
Oddly, some channels like Sky Sports News insist on a regular, square 4:3 signal but that will change like Sky News did recently.
In other words, chill, crack open a coldie and send Herr Fishto the curry house for some quality Madras - it is Thursday 'lob a naan at the commies on QT' night, after all!
* Kubrick was typically maverick on this, however: the awkward sod was not averse to using 4:3 lenses, right up until his death.
Most films are shot using 2 types of 'anamorphic' (i.e. 'proper' widescreen) lenses, either 1.85:1 or 2.35:1.
You tend to find that different directors prefer one over the other - Speilberg likes the former, witness Private Ryan, Jurassic Park, etc.*
This format is the closest to the widescreen TV standard so best 'fills' the area of your screen.
Unfortunately, most productions are the more severe aspect (2.35:1) and hence, you still get 'cropped' tops and bottom, even though in fact, you are seeing everything the director saw in the cutting room originally.
Think of a widescreen TV as a best fit solution to the problem of variously shaped rectangular blocks and whenyou do that, it's always better than an old 4:3 job.
Fortunately, the vast majority of current digital productions (like tonight's essential Footballers' Wives [I assume everybody has their timers set?
]) are in fully formed 16:9 proper so the set should automatically detect and switch accordingly. Oddly, some channels like Sky Sports News insist on a regular, square 4:3 signal but that will change like Sky News did recently.
In other words, chill, crack open a coldie and send Herr Fishto the curry house for some quality Madras - it is Thursday 'lob a naan at the commies on QT' night, after all!
* Kubrick was typically maverick on this, however: the awkward sod was not averse to using 4:3 lenses, right up until his death.
You do realise its not the TV thats not wide enough its a cinema screen thats too wide?
Basicaly cinema screens are 'cinemascope' wide to give them an advantage over home TV and get people into the theaters. Same with surround sound etc, its just that thesedays a decent home cinema easily surpasses the 'movie' experience.
Basicaly cinema screens are 'cinemascope' wide to give them an advantage over home TV and get people into the theaters. Same with surround sound etc, its just that thesedays a decent home cinema easily surpasses the 'movie' experience.
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