Quick black bars question

[atoal]

well this is my first post here on the forums but i have been visiting them since early October or so. my question is, i just bought The Prestige on blu-ray and when i got to play it on my ps3 it still has the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. I have the ps3 running to a 42" plasma in 1080i with component cables. my understanding was all bluray movies wouldnt have the black bars on them. I have watched many movies in HD on digital cable and none of them ever have the black bars on there. I am wondering if there is a setting I am suppose to change on the ps3 (i have all 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i already selected in display settings) i looked all over the menus of both the ps3 and the prestige and found nothing for it. also the bonus features said on the back cover that they were also in 1080p, and when i watch them they do not have the black bars, its just the movie.

can anyone help me out?

[Guinness7]

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=5528
This explains about the picture ratio

[Heresy]

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=5528

[DavePS3]

There's about 14 different aspect ratios. Your Plasma is basically in 1.85:1 which is what true HD is in (HD video not film). So you will see this depending on the movie's original aspect ratio.

[Ralph P.]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

There's about 14 different aspect ratios. Your Plasma is basically in 1.85:1 which is what true HD is in (HD video not film). So you will see this depending on the movie's original aspect ratio.

Greetings,

Actually Dave the aspect ratio of his 16:9 display is 1.78:1. 1.85:1 is an aspect ratio ratio used in film and is sometime referred to as the Academy Standard. HD Video uses an aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1 although it is probably somewhere between the two.

To the OP, the reason for the letterbox bars is due to the fact that the program material utilizes an aspect which is wider than that of your display. Letterboxing is necessary to maintain the image without distortion horizontally or vertically.

Films like The Prestige that are transferred to video are done so using a process that maintains the films original aspect ratio.

In this case the black bars are normal...

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by Ralph P.

1.85:1 is an aspect ratio ratio used in film and is sometime referred to as the Academy Standard.

Actually the Academy Standard ratio is 1.375

Academy Silent = 1.33
Academy Sound = 1.375
Academy Flat Widescreen USA = 1.85
European Widescreen = 1.66
"Disney" 60's and 70's Widescreen = 1.75




etc

[ProvenFlipper]

Everytime I see a post related to aspect ratios or resolution, I know Deci is going to come in and drop some knowledge.

[Knight-Errant]

Say it with me: "Black bars are a GOOD thing"

[STEELCHEST]

If you want BD's without black bars, 3 that I have seen are; Crank, Click, and Goodfella's, and they're more.

you can go to site's like HDdigest.com and look at the aspect ratio.

[FinweElensar]

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=5528

[funnymanbing]

I still can't believe that with years of DVD people still don't understand what OAR is and don't comprehend aspect ratios.

[Knight-Errant]

Originally Posted by funnymanbing

I still can't believe that with years of DVD people still don't understand what OAR is and don't comprehend aspect ratios.

I know.

[Ralph P.]

Greetings,

Hence my use of "sometimes". The Academy Standard of 1.37 is not in use anymore. There are varying names for OARs ie; Scope, Panavision, Cinerama, Vistavision. These get thrown around but in general apply to OAR's 2.0 and higher. Those under 2.0 are sometimes thrown into a basket and labeled Standard.

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

Actually the Academy Standard ratio is 1.375

Academy Silent = 1.33
Academy Sound = 1.375
Academy Flat Widescreen USA = 1.85
European Widescreen = 1.66
"Disney" 60's and 70's Widescreen = 1.75




etc

[Ralph P.]

Originally Posted by funnymanbing

I still can't believe that with years of DVD people still don't understand what OAR is and don't comprehend aspect ratios.

Greetings,

I think that even though many have had DVD players for several years now more and more people are now purchasing widescreen displays. With 4:3 displays ALL widescreen video was letterboxed. Going with a widescreen display leads many to believe that there will be no more letterboxing necessary. That of course leads to threads like these.

Don't worry they will catch on....

[Deciazulado]

What we need is Cinemascope/Panavision shaped LCDs. Then all movies* would fill the screen height and look tall and big and the width would be what changes with the format, just like in the theaters. Some people might object to the side bars but having all the image be as tall as the screen is less objectionable to people as the images are not shrunk and people will not have as much tendency to think something is being covered and they're being shortchanged. Also you could have some Picture in Picture having two 4:3 screens side by side, or one main big 16:9 on the left and two smaller 4:3s or three smaller 16:9s on top of each other on the rigtht side. etc etc.



*well 2.55 and 2.75 movies might still get very slim black bars but those movies are very very few