# Widescreen vs Full screen



## mocciat (Oct 17, 2006)

Why when I buy a widescreen dvd it does not fill the screen on my 16:9 plasma but when I buy a fullscreen version it does?

Am I missing part of the picture when viewing a fullscreen version like you dowhen you watch it on a 4:3 tv.

I thought widescreen would fill a 16:9 with no black bars above and below but it does not.

Confused, please inpart your knowledge.


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## southtexan (Sep 19, 2006)

I think there are 3 versions of video format: standard (4:3), wide (16:9), and cinematic or enhanced (21:9 or 2.35:1). You have to read on the back of the DVD and it's always written in real small letters. Hope this helps.


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## southtexan (Sep 19, 2006)

I usually look for the enhanced as it seems more like being at the movie theatre. Except for an IMAX, which is amazing...


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## mocciat (Oct 17, 2006)

not sure I am following


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## mocciat (Oct 17, 2006)

Got the answer over at AVSForum, here it is:

Anyways, the term "fullscreen" is pretty much reserved for movies with an Aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (4x3, the standard old fashioned "square" tv). Most movies are not filmed that way and have to be cut up and a pan 'n' scan version created which is where 99.999999% of your "fullscreen" movies are made. these movies are called "standard format", "fullscreen" or 1.33:1 on the back of DVD's. Easy enough to recognize. However being that most films are filmed in much wider aspect ratios anything above 4x3 (1.33:1) is considered widescreen. Disney will creates there animated movies mostly at 1.66:1, which is just slightly wider than 4x3. That will give bars on the side of a 16x9 tv like "fullscreen" movies, but on a 4x3 set there will be very slight bars on top and bottom (maybe none though depending on overscan). The most common ratios for widescreen movies are 1.78:1, 1.85:1, 2.35:1 and 2.40:1. There are several different others but these are the most common. 1.78:1 is exactly 16x9. Movies filmed in that aspect ratio will "fill" your widescreen tv from top to bottom, side to side. It is the standard format for HDTV. 1.85:1 is a hair wider than 1.78:1 and will show tiny black bars on top and bottom if you have a perfectly calibrated set. However with overscan on your tv you most likely will not even see the bars. Those 2 aspect ratios make up about 1/3 of all widescreen movies. 2.35:1 and 2.40:1 pretty much take up the rest along with a smattering of 1.66:1 and 4x3. the 2..xx:1 aspect ratios are around 21x9 (estimated) instead of 16x9. Being that that is much wider than a 16x9 tv you have black bars on top as the movie is fit in what we call OAR (original aspect ratio) so that there is no zooming, cropping or squeezing to fit the film onto the screen. Basically it comes down to this. There is several different versions of widescreen, there will be black bars on everything you watch except films marked as 1.85:1 or 1.78:1 (or hdtv).


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

Full screen is for 4:3 sets, will be stretched to fit on 16:9 set or pillar boxed
Anamorphic wide screen(Panavision) will have bars on top and bottom(2.35:1)
Some movies(standard U.S. wide screen) will be enhanced for wide screen TVs and fill the screen or have small bars on top/bottom.(1.85:1)

The Panavision logo incorporates three aspect ratios into its design—1.33 (TV, standard "Academy" ratio) on the inside, 1.85 (standard U.S. widescreen) in the middle, and 2.35/2.40 (modern 35mm anamorphic) on the outside. (see jpeg below)

Panavision enhanced fo 16:9 from Return of the Jedi below


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## mocciat (Oct 17, 2006)

machavez00 said:


> Full screen is for 4:3 sets, will be stretched to fit on 16:9 set or pillar boxed
> Anamorphic wide screen(Panavision) will have bars on top and bottom(2.35:1)
> Some movies(standard U.S. wide screen) will be enhanced for wide screen TVs and fill the screen or have small bars on top/bottom.(1.85:1)
> 
> ...


What about 1.78?


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## mocciat (Oct 17, 2006)

machavez00 said:


> Full screen is for 4:3 sets, will be stretched to fit on 16:9 set or pillar boxed
> Anamorphic wide screen(Panavision) will have bars on top and bottom(2.35:1)
> Some movies(standard U.S. wide screen) will be enhanced for wide screen TVs and fill the screen or have small bars on top/bottom.(1.85:1)
> 
> ...


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

mocciat said:


> What about 1.78?


1.78:1 is 16:9 The aspect ratios in the logo are the two theater and the original tv.


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## paulman182 (Aug 4, 2006)

mocciat said:


> machavez00 said:
> 
> 
> > Ok I'm confused again...I have spiderman that is 1.85:1 and on my 50 inch panasonic plasma it has the bars at the top and bottom but on my 23inch LG LCD it fills the screen.
> ...


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

mocciat said:


> machavez00 said:
> 
> 
> > Full screen is for 4:3 sets, will be stretched to fit on 16:9 set or pillar boxed
> ...


Check the palyer settings. The DVD player may be set to and pan and scan or zoom fit. I shot a video with my mini dv camera using "widescreen squeeze", the digital equivalent of anamorphic widescreen. When I played the resulting dvd in the living room (HD set) it filled the screen as expected. I then played it on the dvd player in the bedroom (4:3 SD set). To my surprise it also filled the screen, no black bars on the top and bottom. The video looked stretched vertically. I checked the setting on the dvd player and it was set to "pan and scan." Any widescreen media will be stretched to fit the screen. Perhaps this the reason you are seeing this on that set.


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## jrjcd (Apr 23, 2002)

ok...i'm thouroughly wonked out...lol


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