Bloody Aspect Ratios!

Mr Cable · 07-01-2008, 20:03

I have had a quick look at this elsewhere, but I simply can't get me head around it.

My TV is Widescreen - ergo 16:9. The Blu-Ray movies I have now bought state 16:9 on the back of them.

Now Hollywood movies aren't made in 16:9 I get that; but that's what that old Anamorphic Conversion gumph is for (isn't it)?

Anyhoo, can some please explain to me in simple terms, Why do I still get Borders on me Blu-Ray movies when they're in a 16:9 format on a 16:9 TV?

Thank you all in advance!

meltcity · 07-01-2008, 23:45

There are two common aspect ratios used in cinema: 1.85:1 and 2.35:1.

The aspect ratio of widescreen TVs is 16:9, aka 1.77:1 which is very close to the 1.85:1 cinematic aspect ratio. The black bars on a 1.85:1 ratio film are so small that on most TVs they won't even be visible. 2.35:1 is wider so you get black bars on 25% of the picture.

All HD-DVD/Blu-ray movies are 16:9 native as the packaging indicates, but part of the frame may be black depending on the aspect ratio of the film.

DigiRich · 07-01-2008, 23:58

Most films are in the even wider format of 2.35:1 so will give you black bars on the top and bottom, these are put on the recording so the picture is actually less than the vertical resolution stated. On the other hand your system might not be set up right, make sure your TV is in wide mode and so is the blu-ray player, that is if they can be in any other mode. 16:9 was created as a compromise between this and 4:3 (some suggest it was the limit of how wide a CRT could be made) and later they made TV programme in this format.

bobcar · 08-01-2008, 01:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Cable

I have had a quick look at this elsewhere, but I simply can't get me head around it.

My TV is Widescreen - ergo 16:9. The Blu-Ray movies I have now bought state 16:9 on the back of them.

Now Hollywood movies aren't made in 16:9 I get that; but that's what that old Anamorphic Conversion gumph is for (isn't it)?

Anyhoo, can some please explain to me in simple terms, Why do I still get Borders on me Blu-Ray movies when they're in a 16:9 format on a 16:9 TV?

Thank you all in advance!

That "old anamorphic conversion gumph" just means that a 16:9 frame is squashed into a 4:3 one. Basically if its an anamorphic image then the TV will expand the 4:3 frame out to fill 16:9 and since it was squashed to start with then it is now the correct aspect.

Prior to anamorphic images (for TV, cinema used special lenses) the technique that was used was to "letterbox" the image by only using the middle lines, this had the effect of
lowering the resolution and reducing the image quality. This method is still used to produce a 2.35:1 image onto a 16:9 frame, there is no corresponding "2.35:1 anamorphic" in common (any?) use - on blu-ray it would give precious little advantage anyway.

The others have explained why you get black bars - if you have a fixed ratio screen and the image is a different ratio then you either have to crop /distort the image or you have black bars, any other outcome is impossible. Now when someone invents a stretchy plasma

.

07-01-2008, 20:03	#1
Mr Cable Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 2,868	Bloody Aspect Ratios! I have had a quick look at this elsewhere, but I simply can't get me head around it. My TV is Widescreen - ergo 16:9. The Blu-Ray movies I have now bought state 16:9 on the back of them. Now Hollywood movies aren't made in 16:9 I get that; but that's what that old Anamorphic Conversion gumph is for (isn't it)? Anyhoo, can some please explain to me in simple terms, Why do I still get Borders on me Blu-Ray movies when they're in a 16:9 format on a 16:9 TV? Thank you all in advance!

08-01-2008, 01:42	#4
bobcar Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 14,718	Quote: Originally Posted by Mr Cable I have had a quick look at this elsewhere, but I simply can't get me head around it. My TV is Widescreen - ergo 16:9. The Blu-Ray movies I have now bought state 16:9 on the back of them. Now Hollywood movies aren't made in 16:9 I get that; but that's what that old Anamorphic Conversion gumph is for (isn't it)? Anyhoo, can some please explain to me in simple terms, Why do I still get Borders on me Blu-Ray movies when they're in a 16:9 format on a 16:9 TV? Thank you all in advance! That "old anamorphic conversion gumph" just means that a 16:9 frame is squashed into a 4:3 one. Basically if its an anamorphic image then the TV will expand the 4:3 frame out to fill 16:9 and since it was squashed to start with then it is now the correct aspect. Prior to anamorphic images (for TV, cinema used special lenses) the technique that was used was to "letterbox" the image by only using the middle lines, this had the effect of lowering the resolution and reducing the image quality. This method is still used to produce a 2.35:1 image onto a 16:9 frame, there is no corresponding "2.35:1 anamorphic" in common (any?) use - on blu-ray it would give precious little advantage anyway. The others have explained why you get black bars - if you have a fixed ratio screen and the image is a different ratio then you either have to crop /distort the image or you have black bars, any other outcome is impossible. Now when someone invents a stretchy plasma.

07-01-2008, 23:45	#2
meltcity Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 1,770	There are two common aspect ratios used in cinema: 1.85:1 and 2.35:1. The aspect ratio of widescreen TVs is 16:9, aka 1.77:1 which is very close to the 1.85:1 cinematic aspect ratio. The black bars on a 1.85:1 ratio film are so small that on most TVs they won't even be visible. 2.35:1 is wider so you get black bars on 25% of the picture. All HD-DVD/Blu-ray movies are 16:9 native as the packaging indicates, but part of the frame may be black depending on the aspect ratio of the film.

07-01-2008, 23:58	#3
DigiRich Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bristol or Southampton Posts: 1,151	Most films are in the even wider format of 2.35:1 so will give you black bars on the top and bottom, these are put on the recording so the picture is actually less than the vertical resolution stated. On the other hand your system might not be set up right, make sure your TV is in wide mode and so is the blu-ray player, that is if they can be in any other mode. 16:9 was created as a compromise between this and 4:3 (some suggest it was the limit of how wide a CRT could be made) and later they made TV programme in this format.

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Bloody Aspect Ratios!