Widescreen or Fullscreen.

[Endangered Specie]

edit: for a personal story of conversion...

I was originally fullscreen, until I accidentely bought a wide screen only version of DVD (back when they were new)... I was pissed off originally, bc it was a 2.35x1 which meant the thickest black bars. But as I watched it, I realized so many things that I missed from the TV aired version, alot of visual gags, clues and extras that added a whole new dimension to the damn thing. Another plus was the captions (or CC) that I like to use bc I have a speech reckognition problem, now the captions didnt get in the way of the picture and were made to fit neatly into the bottom black box. :) Converted in 24 hours.

examples:


http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/anamorphic/aspectratios/widescreenorama.html
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/anamorphic/aspectratios/widescreenorama2.html

[Gothic Sponge]

1. Wide

[deadparrot]

2. Gotta love the wideness.

[sir_captain]

3. I think you meant foolscreen

I mean, seriously now, OAR (original aspect ratio) is obviously so superior it isn't even funny.

[telex54]

4. Widescreen, of course.

There shouldn't even be a choice.

[Endangered Specie]

5. Hard to imagine the day when almost all things were sold fullscreen...

Like VHS... which is why I think VHS died and DVD came alive... VHS are almost always full, DVD is usually wide or both. That is why I think DVD succeeded, bc it won over the hardcore movie watcher types bc of its relief from VHS pan and scan butchering... and therefore caught on with them almost immediately, and DVD hasnt changed back since.

[elperromagico]

6. Watching pan-and-scan is like reading half a novel.

You wouldn't want to do that, would you?

[Endangered Specie]

8. You mean like reader's digest?

[elperromagico]

10. Damn youse, Reader's Digest! Damn youse!!

Yes.

[Placebo]

7. Oh C'mon, No Contest: WIDESCREEN ALL THE WAY!

I wish TV broadcast in widescreen.

[elperromagico]

9. Your sig line image is widescreen too.

Nice composition, btw. ;)

[Placebo]

12. HeHe, I Try!

Thanks. :hi:

[DS1]

11. For AOTC? How about I drape a rag over the telly instead?

Widescreen for everything else :-)

[Chovexani]

13. People still watch movies in fullscreen?!

:wtf:

[qnr]

14. I prefer widescreen, but fullscreen still has its uses

For example, we recently got rid of our 27" television prior to our move, and are now using a 13" one. Still mostly widescreen, even with that though.

[Dover]

15. Will the prices ever go down for the new flat wide screen t.v.s?

I heard plasma screens are OUT, now....so I guess they will soon be more affordable. But who wants plasma?

And how do people rationalize buying these flat screens at prices at LEAST twice that of a regular box t.v.? They are not even supposed to be as stable (regarding longevity and being free of problems).

[sir_captain]

16. The prices have fallen incredibly dramatically

Around 500% over the last 5 years, I'd say. So to answer your question, yes, the price drops will continue.

But yes, CRTs still have a superior image if you don't mind lugging around 200 pound machines.

The future is front-projection. You can buy a $1000 projector which can throw an image twice as big as any plasma screen and with higher quality than anything you've ever seen to boot.

[Dover]

23. Are projections also high rez high def?

What's a good, affordable alternative to the projection?

[sir_captain]

24. Projectors come in all sorts of resolutions

but yes, almost all of them can handle HDTV just fine.

And if you want an affordable alternative to front-projection at the same visual quality, well, there isn't one. You'll have to stick with much more expensive, much smaller screens that don't weigh 2.5 pounds and aren't easy to carry around.

But if you really do want somethine else, I'd advise you to stick with Sony and Pioneer if you don't want to do all the research--they make generally high quality stuff.

[sir_captain]

17. It's important to realize that we're talking about OAR, not widescreen

OAR = Original Aspect Ratio. That is what we want: if the original film or tv show was shot in a 4:3 ratio "fullscreen" then it should be shown that way.

"Widescreen" is a bit of a misnomer, since it encompanses many different aspect ratios. HDTV uses a 16:9 ratio, or 1.85:1. Other film ratios include 1.66:1 and the ultra-wide 2.35:1.

The point is, things ought to be seen as they were originally intended--Citizen Kane should be seen 4:3, and 2001 should be seen in all its 2.35:1 glory!

[Seabiscuit]

18. Depends on your screen's dimensions.

With a full-screen TV, a full-screen version is definitely preferable, unless you're a purist filmography fanatic.

With a wide-screen TV, only a widescreen version does the job.

[sir_captain]

19. Strongly disagree

Films should be seen as they were originally intended, without the tops, bottoms, or either side chopped off. ALL films should be seen in their original aspect ratio. One would not lop off parts of a painting, or a sculpture, or a book, and films should be no different.

I suggest you check out those links to thedigitalbits that the OP posted--they might be enlightening.

[Seabiscuit]

20. I know all about it. I've been a videophile for 15 years.

And I still hate those tiny images and black bars top and bottom.

Give me widescreen TV, or give me fullscreen. Period.

[sir_captain]

21. Well, to each their own.

If you're really a videophile, you should invest in a 16:9 monitor of some sort.

[Seabiscuit]

22. I still love my Pioneer Elite, the top rated TV in 1991.

It's still working perfectly, and until it dies, I refuse to replace it with widescreen anything.

That's why.