Dark Knight Aspect Ratio Poll

[rob007]

I believe studios should give customers the opportunity to purchase a 'blu ray package' containing a version of how the film was shown theatrically. So if a movie was shown in 2D, 3D or IMAX then there is an intent from the director that his film is viewed in that way all be it on a large screen.

Many movie fans are fortunate now to own affordable large tv's or projectors and can get better value from 3D or IMAX presentations in the home and would like the option to buy a copy of the film they enjoyed at the cinema.

There doesn't seem to be a problem these days being sold a 3 or 4 disc package with a blu ray, 3D blu ray, DVD & digital copy inside when many fans just want a single blu ray disc but have to purchase the other 'unwanted discs' as well.

So why not have a 2 disc pack with the widescreen version and the IMAX version included, if they have to flog us a 4 discer with the DVD & DVD copy i'd accept that to get both versions of Dark Knight Rises!

[DealsR4theDevil]

Shifting please

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[nateo200]

I dont understand the issue. Even though its going to be shifting for sure now but the studio should just have a option in set up like "Mask entire film to 2.4:1" and I'm pretty sure allot of TV's can do this as well. I know my Blu-ray player can mask to 2.39:1, 4:3 and 16:9 zoom....rather have it than not...to the complainers....go get some black electrical tape and enjoy the film...

[WJWS Channel 13:Amity]

Originally Posted by Taro

You think that 1.78:1 is the original aspect ratio of 15/70 IMAX film stock? It's 1.43:1.

Thank YOU!!!! Sick of seeing people who seem to think IMAX is a 16x9 format

[J.Seb]

Originally Posted by nateo200

I dont understand the issue. Even though its going to be shifting for sure now but the studio should just have a option in set up like "Mask entire film to 2.4:1" and I'm pretty sure allot of TV's can do this as well. I know my Blu-ray player can mask to 2.39:1, 4:3 and 16:9 zoom....rather have it than not...to the complainers....go get some black electrical tape and enjoy the film...

One would have thought that the people really concerned with the shifting aspect ratios would be the people with 2.35:1 screens?

[Loiselle]

My issue with it was this...

when I saw the film in a standard theater, it looked spectacular from beginning to end.

when I saw it in IMAX, the scenes shot for IMAX looked absolutely breathtaking. the clarity, the detail, the HUGENESS... amazing. But then you would go to the alternate aspect ratio shots, and it looked AWFUL on the same IMAX screen. I wish they would just shoot in one ratio and keep it for the entire film.

[J.Seb]

Originally Posted by Loiselle

when I saw it in IMAX, the scenes shot for IMAX looked absolutely breathtaking. the clarity, the detail, the HUGENESS... amazing. But then you would go to the alternate aspect ratio shots, and it looked AWFUL on the same IMAX screen. I wish they would just shoot in one ratio and keep it for the entire film.

Apparently Nolan wanted to shoot TDKR entirely on IMAX but the cameras were too noisy for the dialogues…

[Riddhi2011]

There were some examples I found on the net and some I recreated from my memory on the difference between Full IMAX and BD Cropped IMAX-

1. The Original IMAX Frame( though I believe this is 1.37:1 before cropping it to 1.44:1)-
Copy of TDKR Stadium demolition IMAX frame.jpg

And This is the same frame from the Blu Ray-
vlcsnap-2013-01-13-00h59m30s248.jpg

3. This is an IMAX frame I reconstituted from my memory(having attended a show of TDKR on the largest IMAX 3D screen in the world-Prasads, Hyderabad(the film was not in 3D)- The upper portion of the bldng was added from a similar photograph of the JP Morgan bldng, you can see it doesn't mix too well!
Copy of TDKR JP morgan bldng reconstituted Frame.JPG

2. And this is the same frame as it appears on the Blu Ray-
vlcsnap-2013-01-13-01h11m46s76.jpg
If you notice , you'll find that the building looks more imposing in the Full Frame shot than in the Bluray version were it is chopped off!
I would have loved if they presented the IMAX shots in Blu in Full Frame as a special feature like they did on TDK 2 Disc DVD edition.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by Riddhi2011

There were some examples I found on the net and some I recreated from my memory on the difference between Full IMAX and BD Cropped IMAX-

1. The Original IMAX Frame( though I believe this is 1.37:1 before cropping it to 1.44:1)-
Attachment 57719

And This is the same frame from the Blu Ray-
Attachment 57720

3. This is an IMAX frame I reconstituted from my memory(having attended a show of TDKR on the largest IMAX 3D screen in the world-Prasads, Hyderabad(the film was not in 3D)- The upper portion of the bldng was added from a similar photograph of the JP Morgan bldng, you can see it doesn't mix too well!
Attachment 57721

2. And this is the same frame as it appears on the Blu Ray-
Attachment 57722
If you notice , you'll find that the building looks more imposing in the Full Frame shot than in the Bluray version were it is chopped off!
I would have loved if they presented the IMAX shots in Blu in Full Frame as a special feature like they did on TDK 2 Disc DVD edition.

That's the problem with 2 ratio films. It would be even MORE distracting if it went from 2.39:1 to 1.44 to 1, and just wouldn't work on the small screen. 2.39:1 to 1.78:1 is one thing, because it expands vertically. This would actually shrink horizontally, and cause a jolt because we see (like we read) left to right. It wouldn't work.

[Riddhi2011]

Originally Posted by retablo

That's the problem with 2 ratio films. It would be even MORE distracting if it went from 2.39:1 to 1.44 to 1, and just wouldn't work on the small screen. 2.39:1 to 1.78:1 is one thing, because it expands vertically. This would actually shrink horizontally, and cause a jolt because we see (like we read) left to right. It wouldn't work.

There is an alternative as I suggested before- presenting the original IMAX framing as a Special feature, and having the cropped 1.78:1 movie on the other disc. In this way we could see the originall framing, like many of us saw in the IMAX theater. Like the TDK 2 Disc dvd had some of those scenes in 1.44:1 as a special feature.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Riddhi2011

There is an alternative as I suggested before- presenting the original IMAX framing as a Special feature, and having the cropped 1.78:1 movie on the other disc. In this way we could see the originall framing, like many of us saw in the IMAX theater. Like the TDK 2 Disc dvd had some of those scenes in 1.44:1 as a special feature.

That would've been a very nice touch, as the full-height footage would've looked seriously stunning in HD. But I guess they left it off the Blu-ray because it would've detracted from the shifting AR of the film itself, i.e. some genius would've compared the scenes and started wailing about how he was gypped and how the IMAX scenes in the film had less image blah blah.

I still say that a 1.66 crop would work for these home versions of IMAX in general, though. Shifting from 2.35 to 1.44 is too extreme because it just wouldn't work on our wider displays, but cropping IMAX to 1.78 loses just a bit too much of that vertigo-inducing sense of height. Going to 1.66 would give us thin borders at the sides of the image (or not at all for those who still rock a bit of overscan), but crucially we'd get more height in return. Heck, if people can put up with horizontal borders for the 2.35 shots then some slivers of black down the sides of the IMAX scenes shouldn't be too much to handle.

[Riddhi2011]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I still say that a 1.66 crop would work for these home versions of IMAX in general, though. Shifting from 2.35 to 1.44 is too extreme because it just wouldn't work on our wider displays, but cropping IMAX to 1.78 loses just a bit too much of that vertigo-inducing sense of height. Going to 1.66 would give us thin borders at the sides of the image (or not at all for those who still rock a bit of overscan), but crucially we'd get more height in return. Heck, if people can put up with horizontal borders for the 2.35 shots then some slivers of black down the sides of the IMAX scenes shouldn't be too much to handle.

Exactly! A 1.66:1 crop would be the ideal compromise, more image from the original frame and thin Black Bars on the side just like 'The Dark Knight Prologue' in Batman Begins Bluray, which I believe had a similar aspect ratio with thin Black bars at the sides!
I guess for purists like us who like not to lose any image info, we should avoid watching the IMAX version(15/70mm) in theatres, then we'd not know what we lost, and be surprised by the full 1.78:1 image that was cropped in scope format theatres, ha ha !

And aboutthe overscan, we still have our Sony Trinitron 21inch TV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and an overscan where we are only able to see the 16:10 safe area of a 16:9 movie( The edge information are cut off horizontally). 16:10 is slightly taller than 1.66:1, which I guess would be 16:9.5 .

[IndyMLVC]

I'm shocked. I just upgraded Dark Knight on Vudu and it DOESN'T have shifting aspect ratios in HDX. That's hot!

[Visionist]

I'm pretty sure the fact that Warner discs used to play the film straight-away rather than present us with a menu (wish they still did; it's a lot more immersive and just feels cooler somehow- TDKR has a menu which really annoys me) could be one reason a choice wasn't possible via seamless-branching. Another reason could be the ignorance of Joe-Public; "CIH? What's that? 1:85? What is this choice about?"

It'd be cool if Interstellar's IMAX scenes (over 80 minutes worth) were presented with black slivers down the sides for more vertical information. They'll probably just stick to the current method however. I haven't bought MI:GP because of no IMAX shifting aspect ratio, so there are fans of the method, we do exist...

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by Visionist

I'm pretty sure the fact that Warner discs used to play the film straight-away rather than present us with a menu (wish they still did; it's a lot more immersive and just feels cooler somehow- TDKR has a menu which really annoys me) could be one reason a choice wasn't possible via seamless-branching. Another reason could be the ignorance of Joe-Public; "CIH? What's that? 1:85? What is this choice about?"

It'd be cool if Interstellar's IMAX scenes (over 80 minutes worth) were presented with black slivers down the sides for more vertical information. They'll probably just stick to the current method however. I haven't bought MI:GP because of no IMAX shifting aspect ratio, so there are fans of the method, we do exist...

There is reason to hope for 1.44:1 or even 1.33:1 since the Dark Knight box set has the TDK and TDKR IMAX sequences in their full aspect ratio.

[Geoff D]

They'll be in 1.78 on the Blu-ray movie itself just like with teh batmanz although I agree with Visionist, I've said it myself about how they could add just a sliver of matting at the sides to preserve more of the height. Going full 1.44 on the home video version is out of the question because the image gets smaller, not bigger, thereby defeating the purpose of IMAX, but something like 1.70 would be ideal and most people wouldn't even notice anyway because of the overscan on their sets.

And before someone chimes in with 'flat screen displays don't have overscan', I know that. What I'm referring to is the fact that most displays ship with overscan turned on and most people don't even think to turn it off (if they even know what it is anyway).

[Visionist]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

There is reason to hope for 1.44:1 or even 1.33:1 since the Dark Knight box set has the TDK and TDKR IMAX sequences in their full aspect ratio.

I was under the impression that was merely a bonus feature on another disc? I was fleetingly tempted for this feature alone but this set is just too expensive for what it's worth and I love my standalone special packaging of all three...

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by Visionist

I was under the impression that was merely a bonus feature on another disc? I was fleetingly tempted for this feature alone but this set is just too expensive for what it's worth and I love my standalone special packaging of all three...

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-D.../65659/#Review

The Complete Dark Knight IMAX Sequences (Disc 6, HD, 36:56): The second film's six IMAX segments, newly remastered and presented in their entirety at their original IMAX aspect ratio. Video is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4, audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround. Sequences include "The Prologue," "Hong Kong," "The Armored Car Chase," "The Lamborghini Crash," "The Prewitt Building" and "The Dark Knight."

The Complete Dark Knight Rises IMAX Sequences (Disc 6, HD, 70:33): The third film's fifteen IMAX segments, presented in their entirety at their original IMAX aspect ratio. Video is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4, audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround. Sequences include "The Prologue," "Dive Bar Fight," "Gotham Exchange Heist/Return of the Batman," "Escape in The Bat," "Batman vs. Bane," "Reactor Breach," "Let the Games Begin," "Bane's Revolution," "The First Attempt," "Rise," "Kangaroo Court," "Back in the Game," "The Battle for Gotham City," "Stopping the Bomb" and "Rising from the Abyss."