Oh no...my co-worker is a J6P! (1 Viewer)

[Jim A. Banville]

"If they had insisted on making TV's 16:9 when they first made TV's, then we would have far less problems."
Movies were first 4:3, as were TV's. Movies went to widescreen to make them appear "special" or "better" than TV's squarish picture.
"I know not everyone can afford a WIDESCREEN TV, but the argument you should tell your friend is:
Films are 16:9 so they can't fill a 4:3 TV. You see the black bars, but you see the entire picture and don't miss anything that was in the original film. If you don't like the black bars, don't go for Pan & Scan, save up for a 16:9 TV set."
Explain to them that unless they get some "virtual aspect" TV that bends and morphs into different aspect ratio's, they will be forced to watch some form of black bars FOREVER. MANY films are wider aspect than 16:9, thus they will STILL get black bars on a 16:9 TV, albeit smaller bars than on a 4:3 TV. And unless they like the VAST majority of "TV" programming either chopped off at the top and bottom, or distorted by streching it, they will have to see black bars on the sides of 4:3 material on a 16:9 TV.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

quote...
"Films are 16:9 so they can't fill a 4:3 T.V."
No, films are 2.35:1, 1.85:1, 1.33:1, 1.78:1(16x9), and a whole lot of other ratios.
And the argumaent to tell people to get a 16x9 set to watch widescreen dvd's is just nonsense. A widescreen set is not nessasary to view and enjoy dvd's in their proper ratios. It would be NICE to have one, but my Sony VVEGA with the 16x9 option on it, is just beautiful.
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To the men and women of the N.Y. police and fire department
God bless you.
To the victims and their families
God keep you.
To the dirtbags who caused all this
God help you!!!

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

IMHO, if people don't get it after watching the widescreen.org examples page, they never will. May as well give up.
As for 16:9 TV vs non 16:9 - it's not necessarily about what format the TV has, it just has to be big enough so that the action on screen becomes involving.
Size of a movie image is very important, and it has to be big enough.
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/Kimmo

 

[Mick B]

I've recently had some measure of success at work with a Joe and a Jane 6P.
Last week Jane asked me about DVD since she knew I had one. Must be the tatoo on my forehead. As I explained about DVDs Joe started listening into our conversation. We quickly got to the widescreen subject with the black bar question and I used the Shrek DVD as I think it is a very good example. I told them that when Shrek blows up the frog into a balloon and releases it, you can only see the frogs bugged eyed expression in the widescreen version because it starts at the extreme edge of the picture and rotates away. In the full screen version you only see the frog split in half and by the time the frog rotates into view you have missed that great expression on its face. And since Shrek contains both versions they will be able to judge for theirselves.
Both people seemed impressed with the explanation and Jane went out and bought the Shrek DVD the next day and will buy the player in a couple of weeks. Joe will follow shortly I think.
Mick

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

Actually, I also had success at work the other day, come to think of it. This guy isn't really a J6P but he just hadn't thought about what black bars or the lack of them meant. He immediately got it when I showed him the examples page and thanked me for enlightening him on the topic.
Felt a kind of warm and fuzzy feeling, one more who gets it.
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/Kimmo