Best Buy Blu Ray - (black bars issues redux)

[JoFreeze]

I bought my first blu-ray Sahara yesterday and when playing it on my 37' westinghouse 1080p the display on the top and bottom where cut off like a normal widescreen dvd would display. Why is that? I thought blu-ray should fill up the whole screen

[jhong721]

I have the same issue when I watched Superman on my PS3.

[theknub]

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=4038

[hyperdine]

This is normal. It's because the movie is being shown in the original aspect ratio (as the director intended). It's not supposed to fill up your entire screen, even if you have a High Definition Television.

Movies that have an 1:78:1 or 1:85:1 aspect ratio will fill your screen. A movie like Superman Returns, which has a 2:40:1 aspect ratio will not fill your screen entirely. A movie like "Click", which has an aspect ratio of 1:85:1 would fill your entire screen.

[JoFreeze]

Why is it that when at best buy at display for the blu ray players the screen is always filled and looks nice and then on my ps3 it doesn't seem to look like that for me

[theknub]

it depends on a lot of factors like connectors, t.v., resolution capability, and any other number of things. give us more information regarding your setup and how it is configured and we'll give you a hand.

[JoFreeze]

well i'm using an hdmi cord with the ps3 to a 37in westinghouse 1080p lcd screen and watching sahara and the top and bottom are cut off, it doesn't look like the whole screen at best buy

[theknub]

i totally misread your first post. im not sure what you saw at best buy, but what you are dealing with is original aspect ratio. there are quite a few threads on here regarding this. check 'em out and post back if u have any questions.

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by JoFreeze

well i'm using an hdmi cord with the ps3 to a 37in westinghouse 1080p lcd screen and watching sahara and the top and bottom are cut off, it doesn't look like the whole screen at best buy

The top and bottom are not cut off, either there is just no image in the movie negative on that area, or it is masked-off on purpose just showing you the picture the director of the movie photographed, composed for, and exactly intended you to see.


For more info about this, look at these couple of threads, which all interbreed about the same subject, (the Search function is your friend):

How Do I Get the Full Screen??

? regarding hdmi and a 1080i tv (black bars on widescreen)

16:9 FullFrame or 2.39:1 letterbox formatting for Scope films on Blu-ray Discs?

Aspect Ratio List?



In summary: It's normal for 2.39 wide and 1.37 wide movies to have black bars when you play them on 1.78 wide (16:9) widescreen TV

(Or it is normal for 2.39 wide and 1.85 wide movies to have black bars when you play them on 1.33 wide (4:3) standard TV)


The movies or demos you saw on the store on the 16:9 displays were all 1.78 wide, or the store was using a zoom or stretch mode that was cropping out parts of the original image in some movies to make the screen look full.


Maybe I should make this answer a permanent sticky, we get this question almost everyday

[Deciazulado]

Oh, and please JoFreeze, don't create multiple threads asking basically the same or similar questions. Thank you.


Threads merged.

[hpman247]

I didn't realize this was still a problem for people. I personally, prefer ultra-widescreen over straight 16:9. I feel like there is more to see and love it.

[GoldenRedux]

Originally Posted by hpman247

I didn't realize this was still a problem for people. I personally, prefer ultra-widescreen over straight 16:9. I feel like there is more to see and love it.

I agree. Of course, if a program or film was shot at 16:9, then that's what I want to see it in, but, when I see TNT-HD showing LotR in 16:9, it irks me to no end!

[dvdguru]

Store demos are almost always cropped to fill the screen just so they can avoid the questions posted here. The black bars are good and you're seeing the movie in the correct aspect ratio. It just means that the film is wider than your screen and personally I prefer 2.35:1 over 1.85:1 anyway.

[phranctoast]

I agree. Of course, if a program or film was shot at 16:9, then that's what I want to see it in, but, when I see TNT-HD showing LotR in 16:9, it irks me to no end

Its all good if you're unaware of the issue and you don think your missing anything.
I wouldnt mind if all movies were shot in 16:9 so I could vie them all as if they were a HD TV show. Now I wish I has 2:40:1 TV.

[hpman247]

Originally Posted by GoldenRedux

I agree. Of course, if a program or film was shot at 16:9, then that's what I want to see it in, but, when I see TNT-HD showing LotR in 16:9, it irks me to no end!

I refused to watch it in 16:9. It's still on my Dish 622, but I won't watch it b/c of that. And I agree with the 16:9 if it wa filmed in that statement.

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by phranctoast

Now I wish I has 2:40:1 TV.

Deci Approved

[Polyh3dron]

Originally Posted by JoFreeze

I bought my first blu-ray Sahara yesterday and when playing it on my 37' westinghouse 1080p the display on the top and bottom where cut off like a normal widescreen dvd would display. Why is that? I thought blu-ray should fill up the whole screen

In film today, movies will have one of two aspect ratios: 1.85:1, or Flat as it's more commonly called will usually be cropped to 1.78:1 for full-screen viewing on an HDTV. Other films are filmed in 2.39:1 like the ones you are talking about which is known as Scope.

When a film is done in scope the screen is wider when it is shown in the theatre, but to keep the film in its original state without cutting anything off, it needs to be letterboxed(the black bars). The alternative would be to do a Pan-and-Scan where you're not seeing the whole picture. It's the same thing with DVD where they have the full-screen and widescreen versions of films.

[Polyh3dron]

Originally Posted by JoFreeze

I bought my first blu-ray Sahara yesterday and when playing it on my 37' westinghouse 1080p the display on the top and bottom where cut off like a normal widescreen dvd would display. Why is that? I thought blu-ray should fill up the whole screen

If you watch Ultraviolet or Corpse Bride on BD they will fill the screen because they are filmed in the Flat aspect ratio.

[dvdirv]

What amazes me about this thread is that there are actually purchasers of newer high-definition technology that do NOT understand aspect ratio.

Sure, I could understand this confusion in the early days of DVDs, but in 2006 we shouldn't have this confusion. Blu-ray (or HD-DVD) buyers should be enlightened enough to understand the need for black bars in 2.35/2.40 titles.

What's next, fullscreen high-definition discs?

[angeli662]

If you want to see the BD movies on its full AR you have to have a CIH set up like I have.
A front Projector like my Sony VPLVW100 (Ruby)
A video scaler (DVDO VP30 or 50)
A amamorphic lens Panamorphic PSO120u, IscoIII or prismasonic H1200 etc..
a 2.35.1 screen like my fro Carada.
and there you have a full 1080p displaying at 2.35.1 ARhttp://homepage.mac.com/angeli662