Re: anamorphic widescreen
- From: Jan B <nospam@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:11:35 +0100
On Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:16:53 -0500, Robert Peirce
<bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
In article <WOWdna7WoryS8h_UnZ2dnUVZ_i2WnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,
"Richard Harison" <rh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I plead confusion!
When renting/buying a normal DVD one usually may choose between *full*
screen and *wide* screen versions.
One would assume that a widescreen version is closer to the OAR in which the
movie was shot. (1.85 2.35 etc.)
BUT....
I just got a DVD of a mid 70s movie which was labeled *anamorphic
widescreen*
I think I understand what anamorphic means generically, but is there a
difference between a widescreen DVD and an anamorphic widescreen movie? How
does it impact a 4:3 set vs. a 16:9 set?
I don't know if this is generally correct, but in one case I can say
that this is a widescreen recording compressed to fit into a 4:3 format.
It is expanded on playback. However, not all DVD players have the
capability to do this. I know at least one of my players does not, nor
does the default DVD player in my computer.
My DVD recorder records this way. I copy the recording to my computer
and re-write it in a fixed 16:9 format to a fresh DVD. Then I can play
it on any DVD player or on my computer.
1) The term "Anamorphic" comes from the film industry (where they use
special optics to achieve it). With electronic transferred video the
term has no obvious relevance because standard definition in digital
format use rectangular pixels for both 4:3 and 16:9.
The video format (the signal) is exactly the same for 4:3 and 16:9
video the only thing that differs is the knowledge of how to display
it to get the correct geometry.
2) Part of the confusion comes from the term "Widescreen" which has
been used to mean two different things;
a) A signal in 4:3 format with letterboxed content in 16:9 (1.78) or
1.85 or 2.35 or other OAR aspect ratio.
b) A signal in 16:9 format, The content might fill the screen or be
letterboxed to 2.35 or other OAR aspect ratio.
3) To describe both the signal type and aspect ratio of the content,
both information must be given.
I propose to use the terms
* 4:3 or 16:9 SIGNAL format.
* 16:9 or x.xx CONTENT format
When recording a signal, some recorders actually converts a real 16:9
SIGNAL format to a 4:3 signal format with letterboxed 16:9 content
format (that is scaling in vertical direction and filling up with
black bars) but in the normal case they record the signal as it is (as
it is the same for 4:3 and 16:9).
For recorders that don't convert the CONTENT format, the difference
between different recorders is if they also record the signal format
information. It is common for recorders to just ignore the signal
format flag.
I have been careful to choose recorders that records also the
information flag (which in Europe normally is signalled on pin 8 in
the SCART connector).
A problem arise when putting the recording on a DVD disc.
This is because the DVD-Video format (that can be played by standard
DVD-Players) can not toggle the information flag in the middle of a
recording.
What happens with the information flag varies between different models
and also what type of disc is used and if the recording should be
playable on standard DVD-Players or not.
.
- References:
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- From: Richard Harison
- Re: anamorphic widescreen
- From: Robert Peirce
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