Widescreen vs. Fullscreen

This discussion was posted at http://www.starwars.com/episode-ii/feature/20020925/index.html. I was just wondering what everyone prefers. I like the fullscreen better. I have a 19 inch tv, so I don't see as well with widescreen.

 

Widescreen. I pretty much don't by anything any more if it's not DVD and on a widescreen (cept DBZ but that was a TV show) we have a 32" TV, but it works well enough till i get a nice big one.

 

I'm a full-fledged, 100%, self-certified audio and videophile. I'm widescreen all the way. I've only a 27" and agree with you that you feel the crunch of the letterbox with small screens.

Another question you should ask yourself when dealing with this topic is:
"Self, how many times to I want to re-buy my movies?"

I've almost completely replaced my VHS collection (with the True Romance and Swingers releases this week) and don't want to do it again, even if they re-release everything on HD-DVD in 5 years. As you're aware, the FCC has put in place guidelines that all TV signals will be digital by 2007. As such, many (if not all) broadcasts will begin moving towards HD broadcasts with 16x9 aspects and DD5.1 audio. You're going to have to buy a TV sometime. When you do, it will probably be widescreen or at least big enough that the letterbox won't be an issue. Would you want to rebuy all those fullscreen releases so you can take advantage of the format then and avoid the black bars on the left and right of the screen? Again, it's just a matter of personal preference, sure. But it's also a question of forward-compatibility and thinking. The cost associated with re-buying movies is enough (in my case) to justify the planning for a widescreen TV downline. I can live with the letterbox crunch for the time being. These are my personal views and not to be taken for anything other than such.

I'll spare everyone from my rants, I could go on and on and on and on and on about this.

 

"Yes. I must agree with everything thing Brent said, with my name in place of Brents*

 

Widescreen defintily... with the full screen versions you loose up to 30% of what was seen in the theatrical release... The BEST example of this is empire strikes back...

Watch the scene where Vadar is sitting on the bridge of his ship talking to his commanders...on the full screen version you don;t even get the holo's of the other commanders at all...Much less get to see the one guy get hit by the asteriod.... granted it is a detail of the scene that is not really key to it but it is still details that are lost.

Widescreen...I have a 27" as well and don;t really feel like it is that bad except on a few films.

 

I don't know how many times I've heard the 30% loss argument Ed, and I know it's true but darnit I just don't like the black bars.

However, I can see Brent's point and totally agree with it. So I guess I'll just have to live with the bars until I can get a good T.V.

~:Joe:~

 

It all boils down to if you are willing to give up that 30% also in the Dustin Hoffman flick...The Graduate there is a seen where Hoffman(a very young Hoffman) is talking with an older lady who is seducing him...at one point she shows him her stockinged leg...in the full screen version you never see this...you hear her talking but never see her leg come onto the screen.....the scene is a fairly close in shot of hoffman's face....

Anyway my point is if you can take the loss of that 30% of the screen then by all means go fullscreen Some people prefer it. These days I can't stand it hehe

 

Yeah, I know of the scene to which you are referring. The Graduate, great flick! You are right, you do miss out on alot in some movies but other movies you really don't miss much. Another thing is the weird pan thing they do in some formatted movies, I don't like that much. Koo Koo Kachoo!


~:Joe:~

 

Every try watching Multiplicity on pan and scan? The screen shutters so much you think they'd filmed the whole movie on the set of Earthquake.

 

Haaahaaahaaa Yes I've seen that, pretty funny movie, but poor formatting. I was able to sit through it being one of the few Michael Keaton fans.

 

I think you guys might have actually converted me. I hate losing the fullscreen, but I also don't want to miss the little things that makes movies great. Plus the majority of the DVD's I own are widescreen any mainly by default, so I guess I will just have to sit closer to the tv .

 

Soon you will know the power of the Wide Side.

 

You actually get used to it and movies start to look wierd if they are full screen hehe

 

Annoying is what i would call it.

 

Ok I have to add my 2 cents to this discussion.

I used to be all for fullscreen. I hated the black bars on the screen. Well Billy showed me the light.

Now I shudder when I see fullscreen. Like last night I watched most of Moulin Rouge on HBO. I was cringing and groaning at it.

Fullscreen is death to epic films like SW,Moulin Rouge, LOTR, among others!

 

hey this is a family group..no cringing and groaning please hehe

 

I am one hundred percent Widescreen all the way, baby!
It drives my friends crazy!
"But the picture is so small!" they say.
It's not about size (size matters not)
It's all about scope.
Yes there are big black bars on the bottom of the screen, but its just a smaller window to a bigger picture.
I can'ts stand to watch a movie unless it is widescreen.
Imagine if 1/3 of the Sistine Chapel was missing. Yes, it would still be a great piece of art, but it would be incomplete with huge chunks of it missing! What if every third line in Shakespear's MacBeth was destroyed? Would it still be the masterpiece we know of today? You'd get the gist of the story, but little bits of its soul and power would be absent. You would be missing out on what should have been a massive experience. Watching full screen is like going through life with only one eye.(no offence to those people who may happen to have one eye)
With all TV channels mandated to be completely digital by the year 2007, it is only a matter of time before TVs will all be HDTV (and widescreen)
You cannot fight widescreen! It's coming wether you like it or not!

 

Ladies and Gentlemen......MELODRAMA!

 

Ha ha! Yeah, I suppose you're right!
Sorry guys, I did'nt mean to get all buck wild dramatic about it.
It's just one of those little things that don't matter to much that I feel strongly about.
But you guys understand what I meant and was trying to say, right?

 

hehe Yeah, I know what you mean, I just like to poke fun. (hey, any port in a storm right? hehe) Oh and no need to apologize especially if you feel strongly about it.

~:JoeY:~

 

Appology accepted Captain Needa.