Why don't more studios use anamorphic widescreen for extras?!?

[chris_clem]

Well this ones pretty self explanatory. I can understand minor releases not taking the time, effort and money that it might take for the extras to be encoded in 16 X 9 but even higher profile releases (Last Samurai, Matrix, etc)are guilty of this as well. They have produced (most) DVDs in anamorphic widescreen and most of the menus are encoded similarlly, why hasn't that last extra step been taken?

As an aside: Must the LOTR box sets be the ONLY dvds that does everything right?

 

[John*C]

I asked myself that same question, in the introduction the studios name was anamorphic, yet the rest of The Beach Boys: Nashville Sounds was in 1.33:1 AKA 4:3~P & S! I stretched it on my HDTV and Lorrie Morgan first to perform looked great to *me* but not to a videophile like most of you are.

BTW why does the spell checker say there is something wrong about word 'anamorphic', but offer no other spelling
option?

 

[Mark_vdH]

I agree. Even when there's no more resolution to be won (if the source is VHS or LD for instance), it's still better to present widescreen extras anamorphicly. I hate it when subtitles are cut of, or when I have to switch to 16:9 zoom mode over and over.

 

[Jay Pennington]

Well, most behind-the-scenes stuff is still shot on video in glorious 4x3. Older stuff (film and video), too. There would be no point in converting such material to anamorphic.

Now, in a few years' time, when every videographer everywhere is shooting in HD 16x9, then will be the time to complain about this.

 

[David Prior]

OAR doesn't refer only to widescreen.

 

[Matt Rexer]

I hate what Anchor Bay does: they anamorphically enhance their 4x3 special features. I still can't figure out why they do this. It's essentially cutting resolution out of the image for no reason. Plus, for us lowly 4x3 owners, it results in a windowboxed rectangle of video in the middle of your screen.