Titanic aspect ratios (1 Viewer)

[David Lindon]

I've just bought a widescreen tv and I've never really paid any attention to aspect ratios before so I'm a little confused by this. I just tried to watch titanic and it appears 'letterboxed'. I've looked on the dvd case and it says letterbox version - 4:3, presented in aspect ratio 2.3:1.

I've checked on amazon and they have a 4 disc collectors edition which is shown in anamorphic 2.35:1. Now the 2 disc verions is also anamorphic and shown in 1.77:1. There also seems to be a widesreen version available too, so which one do I go for?

I assume letterbox versions are something to avoid now that I have a widescreen tv?

 

[Simon Massey]

Widescreen Advocate > What is Widescreen?

Everything you need to know.

 

[Nick Martin]

Titanic was never released in 1.77:1.

Look for any DVD that has "enhanced for widescreen (or 16x9) TVs" or "anamorphic widescreen" on the packaging.

If it looks like this on your screen:



Then it's set up correctly and you're good to go. Those black borders are supposed to be there, and they are supposed to appear that thickness on a widescreen television.

Otherwise, you will have to use a stretch mode on your television to make it appear that way if you have the non-anamorphic release.

 

[cafink]

There are two distinct DVD releases of TITANIC. The first was a single-disc release in non-anamorphic widescreen. The second was a multi-disc release in anamorphic widescreen.

 

[Michael Reuben]

That's true for Region 1, but I believe David is in the U.K., which is Region 2, where there were two different multi-disc releases in 2005: a 2-disc and a 4-disc. The "1.77:1" AR is what Amazon UK lists for the 2-disc version. I'm pretty sure it's a mistake and that both versions present the film at the OAR of 2.35:1.

BTW, I've moved this thread from Movies to Software, since it concerns DVD releases.

M.

 

[cafink]

Actually, region 1 also had two different multi-disc releases (a 3- and a 2-disc set), but discs one and two, which contain the film itself, are identical on both releases, so I didn't bother to differentiate between the two. It sounds like the same is true in the UK, but Amazon's error is unfortunate.

 

[WilliamMcK]

Quick question: Couldn't Titanic--or any other film shot in Super35--be shown in 1.77 and include the maximum amount of information? I'm not saying this is the WAY these movies should be presented, just asking hypothetically.

 

[Simon Howson]

Possibly, but more likely the entire exposed 4 perforation frame will be a 1.33:1 image, because it is the Academy Silent aperture.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Given that this is a digital effects-heavy feature, some scenes would transfer just fine at 1.77:1, but like Terminator 2, Cameron's effects crew composed effects shots at roughly 2:1, so zooming and cropping would be necessary in those shots to make them fit the 1.77:1 frame.

The pain that is Super 35!

 

[Simon Howson]

And all the underwater footage was shot in 2 perf Techiscope, so all of that would have to be pan and scanned.

 

[Nick Martin]

I suggest anyone here who wants to see what shots are expanded and/or cropped should track down an old copy of the Titanic full screen VHS tapes, as they will provide the examples you would want to see, as it's a good indicator of what Stephen JH is referring to regarding normal scenes being flexible for 1.77:1 conversion and hard-matted effects shots.

Independence Day is also another prime example, and the full screen version of that is on DVD unlike Titanic. In that film, every effects shot is ruined by the pan/scan process, but the remainder of the film gains huge vertical space, leaving on-screen location credits in the center of the frame, typical of Super-35 films modified for 4:3. Since in this case, we're talking about one widescreen ratio converted to another, it would obviously be less severe.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Personally I see no point in opening up old-style pre-DI (which are hardmatted to 1.78:1 in the transfer phase) Super 35 films. All the "extra space" one gains often seems like dead space to me as it throws off the compostition and center of attraction.

Best to leave em at 2.40.

 

[Nick Martin]

Oh absolutely. There's nothing to be gained in terms of useful information when you see more of the top and bottom, and anyone who has seen full screen versions of these Super-35 films will notice that immediately.

There's one shot in Independence Day, an effects shot, where it did reveal more information vertically: The first shot of the alien city destroyer above the White House during the arrival sequence, shows a large crowd gathering at the White House gates. That crowd is completely missing from the widescreen version. It's the one and only shot - and a minor one at that - where the space isn't 'dead' or useless.