Couple of newbie questions (1 Viewer)

[Paul_III]

I rented two DVD's from Blockbuster last night, both said "Widescreen" but only one of them was anamorphic, the other I had to watch in "Zoom" mode which distorts the picture tremendously. How can I tell if a DVD is anamorphic BEFORE I choose to rent and/or buy it?

Also, am I being overly paranoid about burn-in, I refuse to allow any movies to be played on my TV with black bars. It's a Pioneer Elite HD710, and it's also the most expensive TV I've ever owned, so I'm trying to take good care of it.

 

[Roger Li]

Anamorphic DVDs will say that they are either "Anamorphic," or "enhanced for widescreen," or "enhanced for 16:9," or something similar.

As to your second point, I think you are being overly paranoid. 2.35:1 Anamorphic movies will have black bars on your TV. MANY movies are filmed in that aspect ration, so by not viewing them you will severely limit your movie selection. Read the thread on burn-in (in the display devices area) to alleviate some of your fears.

 

[Paul_III]

Thanks Roger, I'll check it out!

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Also, being anamorphic (enhanced for widescreen, enhanced for 16x9) has NOTHING to do with whether a film will have bars on a widescreen display. The aspect ratio is the only factor in figuring bars/no bars. Briefly, any film wider than 1.78:1 will have black bars, anamorphic or not, on a widescreen set. This is how it should be, as it preserves the intended aspect ratio.

Indeed, Roger is correct - calibrate your set and vary your viewing habits and don't worry about the black bars.