I am wondering if I am the only one out here to notice that Willy Wonka Widescreen and Excalibur Widescreen are not? My son has Wonka full screen and we it in and the widescreen version, and there is absolutely no difference. Does anyone know what is going on? Also, I noticed that although Excalibur claims to be widescreen, it is not either. I would like to know if anyone else has discovered this problem or if I am just unlucky. Or perhaps someone has heard about this. I would like to contact Warner Bros. Home Video, but can't find a way. I would appreciate hearing from anyone else who might be experiencing this situation.

Thanks

Do you have your DVD player set up correctly?

You probably have it set for a widescreen (16x9) TV. Change the DVD player's setting to 4x3 letterbox for a regular TV.

Jean Paul

The only version of "Excalibur" on DVD is widescreen. I'm going with the theory that you own a standard (4:3) TV, but have your DVD player set to output to a widescreen (16:9). This is dsiplaying the picture vertically stretched, which fills your screen. I can't believe you don't notice the distortion, though.

I have Wonka Widesceen, and it is Widescreen.

I think he's concerned about the fact that the full screen versions of these two films simply open up the top and bottom mattes, exposing even more picture top to bottom, while chopping off little to none from the sides. When he hears the word "widescreen" he, understandably, thinks that it is tantamount to more picture evident on the sides. This isn't always the case, filmbuff13, but rest assured, yes, Warner is on the level (with this issue at least) and widescreen doesn't always mean you'll see more on the sides than the full screen version, but it should always represent what was seen in theaters, unlike the full screen version (as long as the film wasn't made before the advent of widescreen use, but that's a whole other can of worms). Perhaps someone less tired than me can explain to you why what I've said is so...

I appreciate all the responses I have received about my question. First of all, yes, my DVD player is set up correctly. Second, I have both a Toshiba Widescreen TV, 16:9, and a Sony 25". The pictures of both of these DVD's take up the full screen on the 25" set. On the Sony, I am used to getting the bars across the top and bottom with my widescreen DVD's, but I don't with either Wonka or Excalibur. On the widescreen TV, the heads of the actors are somewhat cutoff in Excalibur, and the faces seem elongeated on Wonka. Maybe there is something wrong with my Toshiba, but it is set up correctly and so is the DVD player. Any other suggestions?
Thanks

Which DVD players are you using for the Toshiba 16:9 and the Sony 4:3?

Jean Paul

As this seems to be an issue with your Player and TV setup, I have changed the title for clarity and moved it to the Home Theater Hardware forum, where you are more likely to get help on the topic.

I get the black bars on my tv like I would expect with my Widescreen version of Willy Wonka. However, I noticed this about my copy of Willy Wonka Widescreen: I compared the picture on my DVD of Willy Wonka Widescreen with the picture of the Willy Wonka Standard and the picture on the Widescreen version actually gets cut off at the top and bottom, and the width of the picture is shifted slightly to the left on the scene where Willy is standing in front of the Wonka factory at night. I assumed, probably incorrectly, that the picture even on a standard tv would show more picture on the sides without losing any of the picture from the top and bottom. If I had a Widescreen TV would I see more picture on the sides, and the full height of the picture with out the cut off? This has been a problem that myself and a friend of mine have wondered about. He sees the same problem with his DVD version of Top Gun.

My perception of Widescreen means that I should see a theatrical ratio picture on my standard tv complete with black bars. In this picture,should be the original theatrical presentation of the movie. This is probably wrong, and if someone can explain it to me that would be great!! Thanks for the help!!

If you aren't getting black bars on the 25" Sony and it's a standard 4:3 TV, then something is set up wrong, probably the DVD player. Are you using a separate DVD player for each TV, or are you running one to both sets?

I assure you, you should be getting black bars with "Excalibur," and with "Wonka," too, if it's the widescreen version.

The top and bottom of the picture that you are seeing on the full-frame version of "Wonka" was never intended to be seen. It would have been covered by a matte in the theater so you couldn't see it. The widescreen version if the correct framing.

Please check one of the FAQ threads that covers widescreen for information about "open matte" transfers.