[mjosef]

Its always a compromise...or stalemate.

[ooheadsoo]

I found this thread about why we are stuck with 16:9.
It is interesting.
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/amia-l/2004/08/msg00250.html

The one thing I find objectionable to those 2 posts is that today, I would argue most current programming are shot in widescreen, rather than 4:3.  If you have a 4:3 tv, you are getting the sides chopped off.

[Papajin]

Most DVD with widescreen format has 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and I just hate it!!!! I have a 16:9 plasma and hate the top and bottom bar on my TV every time when I'm watching these DVD.

I wonder why don't they standardize everything make HDTV with 2.35:1 ratio???

Get a projector and an anamorphic lens, and you can.

[jimdgoulding]

I don't know bros, I looked at two Michael Mann flicks very close together and on my analog TV (a top rated one just before digital came out) both at 2.40:1 enhanced (Manhunter and Collateral) and they were brilliant!  No complaints here.  And while I'm on the verge of digital, I gotta tell ya, I know I'll get an improvement in resolution, in color rendition, I'll be surprised if anything can match what I'm getting let alone beat it.  Don't know if this is moot, but 2.40:1 is good to me.

[Folsom]

I do not mind black bars. My father still has a 4:3 TV and watches a lot of movies on it. The widescreen looks better still, even on 4:3. The movies are all shot in some widescreen aspect ratio regardless of what it is. When they make the fullscreen versions, whatever they do, it makes the picture look like shit. I also buy knowing some day only widescreen stuff will be on the planet for that reason as well.

Watch fight club, that thing was shot in WIIIDDDEEEE, even on a widescreen TV it has some hefty black bars.

[fredgarvin]

If I'm not mistaken, Collateral was 'shot' with Digital gear and it looks absolutely beautiful. A hallmark of Mann's work has been excellent filmography and the new technology enhances it. I've heard the main reason "The Keep" has not been released on disk is Mann's unhappiness with the image.

[mjosef]

Mann did The Keep? I loved that movie when it first came out, still have it on VHS...never found it on dvd, so that might have been the reason.

[PeteG]

This is a cool little web site that explains things, you can go to their first page and read from the beginning of TV.
Widescreen VS Fullscreen

[fredgarvin]

Mann did The Keep? I loved that movie when it first came out, still have it on VHS...never found it on dvd, so that might have been the reason.

I have a vhs copy also, I would love to see it in widescreen dvd with corrected lighting etc. It's been rumored to be released for a couple of years but ..no luck.

[DeeCee]

Anybody remember a long time ago (when DVDs were first coming out) a grassroots website that wanted folks to eliminate the possibility of improper editing of film material by *ELIMINATING WIDESCREEN FORMAT* (unbelievable!)???

The funny part was that NOBODY could convince this person that widescreen was the theatrical presentation of the films in question...

His website was beautifully constructed and organized too...

Anybody know if the site still exists?

Go figure.

- DeeCee

[Folsom]

No but that is pretty funny! What an idiot! I say that knowing maybe he was not but I am betting 99 to 1 odds I think.

[nathanm]

What we actually need is a circular format.  Someone should produce the first movie in Round Format.  Show the entire image circle of the lenses.  Let's end the tyranny of rectangles!

 

[DeeCee]

Raaah, raaah!" - "Gabby" Johnson, Blazing Saddles

...

To DofS... Nope you were right he was an idiot, but he may have convinced others because of how neat his website was (I'd hire this guy in a minute for design [versus the sheer stupidity of the content]).

I also remember DIVX (not DiVX) war - the rental format that tanked... there was another idiot who was pro-DIVX too...

If I recall it turned out to be voted the one of the "worst technical pruducts" of all time by some organization.

Ahhhhh, memories!

(This should be a nice break form the bluray/HD DVD wars) 

- DeeCee