NON-ANAMORPHIC MESS

[Mandy]

My dvd collection consist of all widescreen content, with the exception of old movies and Television shows. Recently I bought a widescreen TV and I was both pleasantly surprised and shocked. Some DVD's look great, however,within my widescreen collection, there is quite a thorn. That thorn is in the form of non-anamorphic widescreen movies. Some of the DVD's in my collection are non-anamorphic. This means that now, instead of black areas on top and bottom, now I get black areas all around. Of course, zooming is an option, but that degrades the picture. Also, some movies with subtitles lose the subtitles when I zoom it. It is awful. Some of my favorite movies such as "THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 now look horrible because now it looks like I am looking at the movie threw a rectangular tunnel.
Is there any hope of "THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123" coming out in glorious anamorphic widescreen? I will have to buy it again if it does.

[MovieAddict]

we are moving to a new house soon and i was going to buy HD wide screen flatscreen for that house, now I will have to go back and look at how many dvds in my collection are non anamorphic wide screen. you got me worried now.

[Future Man]

Since I went widescreen I basically refuse to watch my non-anamorphic discs with the possible exception of 1:66 films which seem to fare a bit better. Upgrading to anamorphic re-releases accounts for most of my double-dips.

[HGervais]

Funny but I had a friend call me the other day. He used to bust my balls with my complaining about non-anamorphic DVDs and then he finally got a widescreen TV and he sees exactly what I was bitching about. There really isn't a good solution outside of watching those old non-16x9 DVD on a spare 4x3 TV. The thing which really is bugging me these days are interlaced transfer as opposed to progressive transfers.
All I can say is something I've always said, as consumers we have a degree of responsibility in doing the research and refusing to purchase material we know to be inferior while letting the producer & the seller of the content know why they aren't getting our money. I could probably give you a list of 75 to 100 titles I would buy if only for the lack anamorphic transfers.

[Steve T Power]

Like everything else, it's a crapshoot. My non-anamorphic copy of the The Thing looks fine, my non-anamorphic copy of True Lies looks like 90 year old ass.

[The Omen]

My non-anamorphic Funhouse looks fine. I don't have the border thing around the entire pic, just the top and bottom. Some N-As have to be watched with full on borders? Wtf?

[Future Man]

My non-anamorphic Funhouse looks fine. I don't have the border thing around the entire pic, just the top and bottom. Some N-As have to be watched with full on borders? Wtf?

I think you may be setting your screen to wide or some other setting which blows up the picture and degrades the resolution. If it's non anamorphic and you have your screen set to (I believe) full or normal, you will get the box within a box picture. I could have that backwards but I'm pretty sure about this.

[Dunnyman]

Like everything else, it's a crapshoot. My non-anamorphic copy of the The Thing looks fine, my non-anamorphic copy of True Lies looks like 90 year old ass.

Looking at a lot of 90 year old ass these days?

[mavrach]

I always had the feeling I was going to upgrade to HD, so I never bought non-animorphic. This payed off bigtime when I did get the TV. There are a couple non-animorphics that crept through.

Your choices are

- Zoom and deal with the slight loss of border and slight/huge loss of quality. If I must, if the movie's not eye candy, or if it's just one I don't like that much, I'll watch them like this.

- Upgrade to animorphic. Definitely do this wherever you can.

- Wait - I've been holding out on Raising Arizona for years because of this.

[Mitchell Hattaway]

Like everything else, it's a crapshoot. My non-anamorphic copy of the The Thing looks fine, my non-anamorphic copy of True Lies looks like 90 year old ass.

Looking at a lot of 90 year old ass these days?

He must've picked up a new hobby while Sarah was pregnant.

[J.M. Vargas]

Some of my widescreen non-anamorphic treasured DVD's (like Criterion "Silence of the Lambs" and "Robocop") will have to continue looking like 90-year old ass on my 47" 1080p HDTV because it'll be a cold day in hell before I get rid of them.

[buffys]

oh crap, I can't believe I didn't know this. I'm afraid to even check my dvds.

[mavrach]

oh crap, I can't believe I didn't know this. I'm afraid to even check my dvds.

In general you should have mostly animorphic just from what's out there, so I don't think this would be that tragic for you. Older discs are less likley to be animorphic, and anything in standard size won't be. But always check the back to make sure it's animporphic (or 16:9 enhanced).

[Dark Knight]

Like everything else, it's a crapshoot. My non-anamorphic copy of the The Thing looks fine, my non-anamorphic copy of True Lies looks like 90 year old ass.

Looking at a lot of 90 year old ass these days?

You know, when you buy those bargain three pack magazines at the adult bookstore. Sometimes between the copy of "Hustler", and "Barely Eighteen", you get issue 6 of "90 Year-Old ASS" magazine. That's why it just isn't such a bargain sometimes.

[hoytereden]

Some of my widescreen non-anamorphic treasured DVD's (like Criterion "Silence of the Lambs" and "Robocop") will have to continue looking like 90-year old ass on my 47" 1080p HDTV because it'll be a cold day in hell before I get rid of them.

I own both of those and, as Harold suggests, I watch them on a 4:3 set. I've double dipped on a few; notably early Disney releases, like Mulan, Pocahontas, and Pixar's A Bug's Life with a recent upgrade on Carpenter's The Thing. Yea! I was one of those guys who said "Who cares!" back when a 4:3 CRT was my set but since the widescreen purchase I'm one who does care.

[calvert87]

I did care back before the new TV, but not enough to totally worry about it. My list of movies that I wish they would reissue anamorphic in my collection is kind of small.
Ladyhawke - who knew Warner put anything out non-anamorphic?
The Big Easy
Raising Arizona - A travesty that truly needs to be rectified, but it looks better than most I've seen
Streets of Fire - I don't think this one will be given a new transfer anytime soon
Sid and Nancy - criterion, I could buy the bare bones, but it would only be for the transfer

That's all I can think of for now.

[B5Erik]

I've made an attempt to buy only Anamorhic Widescreen DVD's for about 6 years now. There are a few titles that I bought because an Anamorphic release is nowhere in sight (The Abyss, for example), but 98% of my widescreen titles were Anamporphic.

If the DVD wasn't Anamorphic I usually passed - even if I really wanted the movie. (MGM had a LOT of non-anamorphic widescreen releases prior to the Sony deal, but now with Fox they seem to be re-releasing a lot of them WITHOUT remastering them. Bummer.)

[J.M. Vargas]

Streets of Fire - I don't think this one will be given a new transfer anytime soon

Actually Universal just re-released "SOF" as an HD-DVD title (check amazon) but no mention of a DVD re-release anywhere. From all the reviews I've read the transfer is OK (not the prettiest but also not the worst) so somewhere Universal has a master used for the HD-DVD that could be put to work on a DVD version. Good luck!

[Steve T Power]

Streets of Fire - I don't think this one will be given a new transfer anytime soon

Actually Universal just re-released "SOF" as an HD-DVD title (check amazon) but no mention of a DVD re-release anywhere. From all the reviews I've read the transfer is OK (not the prettiest but also not the worst) so somewhere Universal has a master used for the HD-DVD that could be put to work on a DVD version. Good luck!

DAMN THEM!

Give me a nice SE of Streets of Fire!

[The Omen]

My non-anamorphic Funhouse looks fine. I don't have the border thing around the entire pic, just the top and bottom. Some N-As have to be watched with full on borders? Wtf?

I think you may be setting your screen to wide or some other setting which blows up the picture and degrades the resolution. If it's non anamorphic and you have your screen set to (I believe) full or normal, you will get the box within a box picture. I could have that backwards but I'm pretty sure about this.

I'll check now. Alright. My tv display is set to 16:9 (not zoomed)and it's letterboxed, but not framed. If I switch it to 4:3, then I get the big picture frame. I don't notice any difference in quality though. Am I supposed to be watching non anamorphic dvds in 4:3 mode? Because that's news to me.

[Future Man]

My non-anamorphic Funhouse looks fine. I don't have the border thing around the entire pic, just the top and bottom. Some N-As have to be watched with full on borders? Wtf?

I think you may be setting your screen to wide or some other setting which blows up the picture and degrades the resolution. If it's non anamorphic and you have your screen set to (I believe) full or normal, you will get the box within a box picture. I could have that backwards but I'm pretty sure about this.

I'll check now. Alright. My tv display is set to 16:9 (not zoomed)and it's letterboxed, but not framed. If I switch it to 4:3, then I get the big picture frame. I don't notice any difference in quality though. Am I supposed to be watching non anamorphic dvds in 4:3 mode? Because that's news to me.

I don't get it. Maybe your TV does something that others do not. Can someone else chime in?

[mkiker2089]

My non-anamorphic Funhouse looks fine. I don't have the border thing around the entire pic, just the top and bottom. Some N-As have to be watched with full on borders? Wtf?

I think you may be setting your screen to wide or some other setting which blows up the picture and degrades the resolution. If it's non anamorphic and you have your screen set to (I believe) full or normal, you will get the box within a box picture. I could have that backwards but I'm pretty sure about this.

I'll check now. Alright. My tv display is set to 16:9 (not zoomed)and it's letterboxed, but not framed. If I switch it to 4:3, then I get the big picture frame. I don't notice any difference in quality though. Am I supposed to be watching non anamorphic dvds in 4:3 mode? Because that's news to me.

I don't get it. Maybe your TV does something that others do not. Can someone else chime in?

I think it's not his TV but his DVDs. Many anamorphic dvds aren't labeled as such so it's confusing to know which are and which aren't. If it automatically fills up the 16*9 screen then it's anamorphic, if it doesn't then it's not.

Beyond that then your TV is automatically stretching them. My brother leaves his on 16*9 because his TV does a good job by minimally stretching, leaving small bars, and using the standard definition overscan to help fill up the widescreen. The Omen's TV could be in a similar state. If so, and it looks good, go for it. Some TV's do this better than others from what I've been told.

[The Butcher]

My non-anamorphic Funhouse looks fine. I don't have the border thing around the entire pic, just the top and bottom. Some N-As have to be watched with full on borders? Wtf?

I think you may be setting your screen to wide or some other setting which blows up the picture and degrades the resolution. If it's non anamorphic and you have your screen set to (I believe) full or normal, you will get the box within a box picture. I could have that backwards but I'm pretty sure about this.

I'll check now. Alright. My tv display is set to 16:9 (not zoomed)and it's letterboxed, but not framed. If I switch it to 4:3, then I get the big picture frame. I don't notice any difference in quality though. Am I supposed to be watching non anamorphic dvds in 4:3 mode? Because that's news to me.

yes, you should watch non-anamorphic DVDs on 4:3 setting. unless you have a super fancy TV or something like that.

[mkiker2089]

I found the answer. Funhouse IS ANAMORPHIC even though the box doesn't label it as such. Universal was the worst offender about not labeling their movies properly. Trust me Omen, when you have a disc that really isn't anamorphic you'll know it. Put in a TV on DVD show (one that's 4*3) and see if the TV frames it as such. When you put in an honest to god non-anamorphic movie it will frame the same way, letterboxed and window boxed because the TV gets the picture as 4*3 and doesn't know any better.

If all you're movies are anamorphic, you are one lucky man. In all honesty most movies are now and those that weren't have been double dipped to correct the issue. I seem to recall a round of double dips a few years ago that addressed just that with no other changes.

As far as watching NA's 4*3, Butcher and I disagree. Many TVs have different zoom levels so you can often cut down if not completely remove the side bars. You'll have to try it and see. I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that it depends on how well the TV can enlarge the image. Some just zoom in so you have half the resolution where others double the lines or some other technical term and look pretty decent zoomed to a small degree.

[mkiker2089]

One more thing, Omen, I'm told the trailer on the disc is non-anamorphic. Play part of the movie, then play the trailer. See what the TV does when you watch one compared to the other.

[Steve T Power]

I use the EZ View function on my DVD player itself rather than messing with TV settings - it usually does a spiffy job with non-anamorphic discs.

[The Omen]

I found the answer. Funhouse IS ANAMORPHIC even though the box doesn't label it as such. Universal was the worst offender about not labeling their movies properly. Trust me Omen, when you have a disc that really isn't anamorphic you'll know it. Put in a TV on DVD show (one that's 4*3) and see if the TV frames it as such. When you put in an honest to god non-anamorphic movie it will frame the same way, letterboxed and window boxed because the TV gets the picture as 4*3 and doesn't know any better.

Well, now it appears I have an even bigger dilemma-I don't think it's being played in anamorphic. It's 2:35:1 all the way. It doesn't fill up even half my screen. Just the middle strip, which I believe is 2:35.1 non anamorphic. I have the Goodtimes release, which the review on this very site states is anamorphic.

I am at a loss. I'll check it out more thoroughly tonight.

[Future Man]

But an anamorphic disc does include a 'strip' at top and bottom if the film was shot wider than (I believe) 1:85:1. Happens all the time.

[The Omen]

But an anamorphic disc does include a 'strip' at top and bottom if the film was shot wider than (I believe) 1:85:1. Happens all the time.

Yes, but when 2:35:1 is anamorphic, the strip is significantly less then 1/3 of the screen on top and bottom.

[Erick Harper]

But an anamorphic disc does include a 'strip' at top and bottom if the film was shot wider than (I believe) 1:85:1. Happens all the time.

Yes, but when 2:35:1 is anamorphic, the strip is significantly less then 1/3 of the screen on top and bottom.

Anyone else reminded of the dialogue in My Cousin Vinny about magic grits? It's simple geometry, folks - if its length is 2.35 x its height, and you run it out to the edges of your TV screen, no matter what shape or size, the picture will fill the same size & shape chunk of your screen, anamorphic or no. I mean, it's got to be that way, right?

[The Omen]

But an anamorphic disc does include a 'strip' at top and bottom if the film was shot wider than (I believe) 1:85:1. Happens all the time.

Yes, but when 2:35:1 is anamorphic, the strip is significantly less then 1/3 of the screen on top and bottom.

Anyone else reminded of the dialogue in My Cousin Vinny about magic grits? It's simple geometry, folks - if its length is 2.35 x its height, and you run it out to the edges of your TV screen, no matter what shape or size, the picture will fill the same size & shape chunk of your screen, anamorphic or no. I mean, it's got to be that way, right?

No, because when it's anamorphic, it's enhanced to fit the screen.

I still have no idea why anyone would be getting the picture frame effect from non anamorphic dvds though.

[The Butcher]

I still have no idea why anyone would be getting the picture frame effect from non anamorphic dvds though.

becuase when you're watching a non-animorphic movie, you (should) set the TV to 4:3, so that gives you the black bars on the sides, then when you watch the 'widescreen' movie, it has bars above and below, hence the picture frame look. and yes some TVs zoom better then others, mine does it fine when I'm watching a widescreen movie on cable (those rare occurences), but it just looks 'off' when I try it with a non-animorphic DVD.


BTW, I just saw an collection that had True Lies and listed it as being animorphic widescreen. doesn't look any different from the regular release (except it's in a thin pck), but definetly says animorphic.

[mkiker2089]

But an anamorphic disc does include a 'strip' at top and bottom if the film was shot wider than (I believe) 1:85:1. Happens all the time.

Yes, but when 2:35:1 is anamorphic, the strip is significantly less then 1/3 of the screen on top and bottom.

Anyone else reminded of the dialogue in My Cousin Vinny about magic grits? It's simple geometry, folks - if its length is 2.35 x its height, and you run it out to the edges of your TV screen, no matter what shape or size, the picture will fill the same size & shape chunk of your screen, anamorphic or no. I mean, it's got to be that way, right?

Partly correct. The movie will be the same shape no matter what, but the TV to movie ratio will change dramatically.

[mkiker2089]

I still have no idea why anyone would be getting the picture frame effect from non anamorphic dvds though.

Think of it like this, you watch a 4*3 movie and it's square so you get the side bars. You watch a 4*3 movie with letterboxes and it's still square. The black bars are in a sense part of the movie. It's like the difference between subtitles that the player makes that float at the bottom of the screen no matter what and subtitles on the movie that change as you zoom etc..

[Erick Harper]

But an anamorphic disc does include a 'strip' at top and bottom if the film was shot wider than (I believe) 1:85:1. Happens all the time.

Yes, but when 2:35:1 is anamorphic, the strip is significantly less then 1/3 of the screen on top and bottom.

Anyone else reminded of the dialogue in My Cousin Vinny about magic grits? It's simple geometry, folks - if its length is 2.35 x its height, and you run it out to the edges of your TV screen, no matter what shape or size, the picture will fill the same size & shape chunk of your screen, anamorphic or no. I mean, it's got to be that way, right?

Partly correct. The movie will be the same shape no matter what, but the TV to movie ratio will change dramatically.

That's why I included the bit about running it out to the edge of the screen. If you take a non-anamoprhic picture and use whatever settings you've got available to not windowbox it, i.e. run it out to the edges, and you do the same with an anamorphic picture, and the aspect ratio is still 2.35:1, it's going to cover the same amount of screen, period. Right?

[The Omen]

I guess my dvd player automatically stretches it then. Yay.

[Mandy]

Let's see if I make this clear for those who are confused about this.
If your TV is 16X9 widescreen:
-1:85 anomorphic, will fill your screen.
-2:35 anamorphic, you will have black areas on top and bottom of your screen (This is normal).

-1:85 and 2:35 NON-ANAMORPHIC, you will have black areas on the sides and the top and bottom of yours screen (unfortunately, this is normal too).

When a dvd is labled FULLSCREEN, it is only fullscreen in a standard 4:3 TV. It will have black areas on the sides of a widescreen TV. Of course, most, if not all 16X9 TV'S have a way of stretching and zooming the picture. But then this will distort the picture.
My uncle bought a 16X9 TV, and yet he still buys FULLSCREEN dvd and yet he wonders why the movies look lousy on his TV and great on mine? I have a 16X9 TV and only watch anamorphic widescreen, when I can.

[J.M. Vargas]

Reviving this long-dormant thread for those of you that have upgraded to widescreen TV's in the past two years to share your tales of woe and misery about once-pristine-on-tube-TV letterboxed and/or interlaced DVD's looking like 90 year-old ass (thanks to Steve Power for coming up with that one! ) on brand new HDTV sets. Me? Other than my "Ranma 1/2" DVD's looking really bad (interlacing issues keep cropping when fast-moving images appear) I'm lucky my 47" 1080p LCD is a champ. The non-anamorphic Anchor Bay DVD of Argento's "Phenomena" looked good-enough to make me not upgrade to the newer anamorphic one.

[Dan Mancini]

But an anamorphic disc does include a 'strip' at top and bottom if the film was shot wider than (I believe) 1:85:1. Happens all the time.

Yes, but when 2:35:1 is anamorphic, the strip is significantly less then 1/3 of the screen on top and bottom.

Anyone else reminded of the dialogue in My Cousin Vinny about magic grits? It's simple geometry, folks - if its length is 2.35 x its height, and you run it out to the edges of your TV screen, no matter what shape or size, the picture will fill the same size & shape chunk of your screen, anamorphic or no. I mean, it's got to be that way, right?

Partly correct. The movie will be the same shape no matter what, but the TV to movie ratio will change dramatically.

That's why I included the bit about running it out to the edge of the screen. If you take a non-anamoprhic picture and use whatever settings you've got available to not windowbox it, i.e. run it out to the edges, and you do the same with an anamorphic picture, and the aspect ratio is still 2.35:1, it's going to cover the same amount of screen, period. Right?

Depends on the display, but not usually, no. Most zoom functions will cut off the edges to one extent or another, plus the resolution often sucks ass. The stretch functions will, well, just stretch the image horizontally so that there are larger than normal black bars above and below the image. Personally, I just avoid non-anamorphic discs like the plague. Last time I checked, it's 2009, not 1999 -- no anamorphic enhancement, Danny no watch.

[mavrach]

I'm sad that in August of 2007 I made a post that I was holding out on an animorphic Raising Arizona and still am.

[the5thghostbuster]

While I don't own an HD-TV (once I manage to get out of Teacher's Ed and GET a full time job, that is step one. Well, after a car. And car insurance), I have watched many a DVD on my parents and am frustrated by the occasionally non-animorphic. Makes me angery that GROSSE POINT BLANK is still non-animorphic and has no special edition.

[GuyIncognito]

Makes me angery that GROSSE POINT BLANK is still non-animorphic and has no special edition.

I had always heard that Grosse Point Blank was non-anamorphic, but I rented the DVD last week and it appeared to be anamorphic. It filled up the screen on my 16x9 TV, and didn't appear to be stretched. Putting my TV in 4x3 mode gave me a "full-frame", non-widescreen image with no black bars at the top and bottom of the screen.

Maybe the DVD I got was a different edition? (I'm in Canada).

[Steve T Power]

I think mine is as well...

*double checking*



yep.

[the5thghostbuster]

Makes me angery that GROSSE POINT BLANK is still non-animorphic and has no special edition.

I had always heard that Grosse Point Blank was non-anamorphic, but I rented the DVD last week and it appeared to be anamorphic. It filled up the screen on my 16x9 TV, and didn't appear to be stretched. Putting my TV in 4x3 mode gave me a "full-frame", non-widescreen image with no black bars at the top and bottom of the screen.

Maybe the DVD I got was a different edition? (I'm in Canada).

Just double checked mine as well (I also be a Canadian), and mine is not anamorphic. I wonder: did Buena Vista re-release the DVD in anamorphic at some point? My copy is one of the first DVDs I bought way back around 200-2001, so, I'm not sure if some quiet re-release has happened since.

[HGervais]

Just double checked mine as well (I also be a Canadian), and mine is not anamorphic. I wonder: did Buena Vista re-release the DVD in anamorphic at some point? My copy is one of the first DVDs I bought way back around 200-2001, so, I'm not sure if some quiet re-release has happened since.

To the best of my knowledge Disney has never re-released the DVD and this is the company which re-issued the first Scream movie three times, all in letterbox.

[the5thghostbuster]

Just double checked mine as well (I also be a Canadian), and mine is not anamorphic. I wonder: did Buena Vista re-release the DVD in anamorphic at some point? My copy is one of the first DVDs I bought way back around 200-2001, so, I'm not sure if some quiet re-release has happened since.

To the best of my knowledge Disney has never re-released the DVD and this is the company which re-issued the first Scream movie three times, all in letterbox.

Well, there goes that idea. Anybody have any info?

[Steve T Power]

Just re0checked mine on the bigger set, turns out the smaller set automagically compensates for non-anamorphic (flat panel 32" LCD), while the biggie set does not. So no, my disc is not magically anamorphic either. My bad.

[the5thghostbuster]

Just re0checked mine on the bigger set, turns out the smaller set automagically compensates for non-anamorphic (flat panel 32" LCD), while the biggie set does not. So no, my disc is not magically anamorphic either. My bad.

NP man. just glad someone could figure it out

[Duane Dibbley]

If anyone is still confused, you should check out this article. It has lots of pretty pictures.