Please educate me on DVDs

[Coolie]

I FINALLY got a DVD player for my entertainment center. I went to Best Buy to get a few DVD's, and all of the ones I wanted were in wide-screen format. What's the deal? Am I forced to see the black edge on the top and bottom of my screen if I want to watch Pulp Fiction on DVD? Can I find the movies I want in regular format, or is wide-screen my only choice?

 

[Deeko]

Get an HDTV

 

[Hoeboy]

some movies offer widescreen and 4:3 on one disc. others offer different disc for different format. check the disc. also check your tv remote. if it's a recent high end tv it may have the format option.

 

[Blayze]

most DVDs are Widescreen. You will get used to it in time, unless you are like my parents.

Do they really have TVs that let you change Widescreen to Pan and Scan?

 

[axelfox]

WIDE SCREEN IS PHAT



if your tv is big enuf.

 

[DanJ]

I can only watch DVDs in widescreen....you realize you lose a lot by watchin in "full screen" or as I like to call it, the "pan and scam" version.

That's why movie theater screens aren't using a 4:3 ratio.

 

[Blayze]

I used to hate Widescreen, but since I got my DVD in December I have gotten used to it.
I actually don't care either way now.

I just wished my TV was bigger. 27 inch is cool, but something bigger would rock

 

[Sugadaddy]

Get used to it, pan & scan sucks and the DVDs that have it are very rare these days. (and I've never heard of a TV that cut off the sides of the image from a widescreen movie, pan&scan has to be written to the DVD)

Here's a comparison, would you go to a museum and want to look at paintings that have one half cut off? It's the same thing with movies... The 1.85:1 widescreen movies don't look bad on a normal TV, and while 2.35:1 (the ratio for most new movies) may look small at first, you get used to it.

 

[Blayze]

I had a software DVD decoder that said it would convert to Pan and Scan, but it did it very poorly.

I forget what it was, been so long.

 

[LukFilm]

I just got Karate Kid on DVD and I was pissed that it wasn't wide-screen... I missed a lot, I could see how it was cut out.

 

[Blayze]

the only DVD I have thats not wide screen or has an option to be widescreen is Christmas Vacation.

Karate Kid is only Pan and Scan? wax on wax off

 

[gygheyzeus]

just give wide screen a chance. I actually prefer it now.

 

[Hoeboy]

i actually prefer they stick to the old widescreen on one side and 4:3 on the other side. the big hit and starship troopers have it.

 

[Blayze]

yeah it would be nice if they would do that.
I have a couple dvds that are widescreen on one side and full on the other.

why did they stop doing this?

 

[Hoeboy]

well here are my guesses:

1) recent movies have a lot more extras and take up too much space to be fitted twice on one disc(1 per side).

2) some marketing scheme to release a widescreen version and 4:3 version to make more $$$

3) trying to eventually fade out the 4:3 aspect ratio.

 

[Sugadaddy]

<< I had a software DVD decoder that said it would convert to Pan and Scan, but it did it very poorly.

I forget what it was, been so long. >>



The reason it looked crappy is because it was only cutting off a portion of the screen on each side. (I know PowerDVD can do this, you can even manually move what part of the screen you look at) Pan &amp; scan like you see on some older DVDs has to be coded to the DVD so the player knows where and when to zoom in. Not all scenes take place right in the middle of the screen...