1.78:1 vs. 1.85:1 (1 Viewer)

[Karynak]

Which projection screen would be better? I enjoy 2.35:1 material, but I do not want to spring for the anamorphic lens. I can deal with the black bars but I am unsure of the picture difference between 1.78:1 and 1.85:1. Any suggestions?

 

[Allan Jayne]

The difference itself between 1.78:1 and 1.85:1 is very slight. Those who bother to correct for it do so using height and width controls on the TV or projector.
The official aspect ratio of wide screen TV is 1.78:1.
Very few movies are actually shot as 1.78:1 but many were and are shot at 1.85:1.
Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Matt Weldy]

I have posted this same subject a couple of times and get no good response. What will the projectors do. Is is easier to manipulate to a 1.78:1 or to a 1.85:1. In other words would it be better to make the picuture bigger or smaller.

 

[David Norman]

I'm not sure exactly what your getting at, but in reality it probably doesn't matter a lot.
Almost all HDTV is/will be 1.78, most HT projectors are 1.78 so that would seem to be a down/dirty best answer if you are looking for a set that will be used primarily for TV viewing.
Even assuming you are interested in Movie Only, the true difference in the screen size for 1.78/1.85 is virtually nil. At a 50 inch screen height you are talking about 3.5 inches in width. From the typical/usual optimum viewing distance calculators, the Field of Vision difference will be almost indistinguishable. Translated an approximately 50 inch height screen is 102in diagonal for 1.78 and 104 inch at 1.85 looking at Carada's website.
If you decide have a letterbox/pillarbox presentation or eliminate 1/2-1 inch borders from the top/bottom or sides by using the zoom in/out on any 16:9 projector I think it's likely a wash in terms of picture quality. The choice of overscan variations among projectors likely would make a sinficantly bigger impact than the 1.78/1.85 decision.
If you decide to go to a constant height setup with a 2.35:1 ratio screen then it beomes much more of an issue. I personally find I notice the lateral dark borders much less watching 4:3 material on a 16:9 set than I noticed the top/bottom borders watching widescreen material on a 4.3 set and I am a pretty big OAR advocate so it never bothered me to watch letterbox material at all.

 

[boxfresh151]

Is this for a film projector or a video projector? I am guessing it will be a dlp, or lcd, video projector so then go with 16:9. If you are really rolling in money and are putting in a film projector then go with 2.35:1.
I would recommend a Stewart.
WELCOME TO STEWART FILMSCREEN

 

[genedjr]

As noted very few films (DVD or Blu-Ray) are shot in 1.78:1 aspect ratio - so really 1.85:1 is defacto HDTV.

Personally - I want what the director and editor wanted. I don't care if that is 1:1 or 2.40:1 - I want to see what they created and what got all the fuss up at the theater.

For years I have bought nothing but widescreen additions (DVD). And when I see an 'upgrade' I replace DVD's as a can.

...gene

 

[Blackscreen]

1.85:1 is a theater standard. 2k digital theater projectors are 2160 x 1080 instead of 1920 x 1080, like tv's and home theater projectors. Because 1.85:1 is the standard for 2k and 4k, virtually no movies are made in 1.78:1. Some are cropped to 1.78 for their blu ray release. The difference is too small for most people to notice, unless it is pointed out. Teen Wolf on Netflix is an example of one that is not cropped and it had tiny black bars at the top and bottom.As far as I know, the only home theater projector that is 1.85:1 is the first Sony 4k home projector. It uses the same 4k Lcos panels as their digital theater devices and is also capable of displaying the digital theater color space, even though it is not possible to get that content to watch at home. On a 100" screen, the difference between 1.78 and 1.85:1 is less than 1". One is a little wider, the other taller. The black velvet border on most screens is enough to hide the difference when needed. In real terms, it doesn't matter which you get as you can watch tv and movies on either, with no noticeable issues.If you have to say one is better, go with 1.78 if you watch more tv and 1.85 if you mainly watch movies. IMO, if you like movies, go with 2.40:1 as well over half of all movies (some say 70%) are in that format. I don't care if there is space at the sides when watching the news but I appreciate a nice wide image when watching an epic blockbuster. I will never understand why they made a different standard for HDTV, given how close the format is to 2k. They went to the trouble of moving everyone to widescreen but someone thought it would be good to make it a tiny bit narrower than movies. Nobody likes black bars or having their movies cropped. They made it so people have to do one of those things on every movie...

 

[GeorgeAB]

Which projection screen would be better? I enjoy 2.35:1 material, but I do not want to spring for the anamorphic lens. I can deal with the black bars but I am unsure of the picture difference between 1.78:1 and 1.85:1. Any suggestions?

You would do well to read this earlier thread: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/topic/329877-who-is-doing-a-235-screen-how-why/ . With the right projector, you can have a constant image height 2.35:1 screen without the substantial cost of an anamorphic lens setup. I have a CinemaScope setup in my show room using the zoom and lens shift method.

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