How can I find out which dvds are in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio?
 

This fits my entire screen and I would like to know which I can buy for this?

Any Warner DVD's that say "Matted" in the aspect ratio info box. (of course, some are 2.35:1 like Harry Potter)

Don't let the screen force your choices. A lot of 2.35:1 films would be missed if you went 1.78:1-only.

Q: How can I find out which dvds are in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio?

A: Basically: none - except for TV programs (made-for-TV movies, sitcoms, documentaries, concerts, sports broadcasts, etc.), which may - or may not -
be "native" 1.78:1.

1.78:1 is NOT (yet) an accepted/established FILM format EXCEPT for (some) made-for-TV programs - more so in Europe than in the USA, which appears to be seriously lagging in the 'widescreen TV' department.

That said, you may/will find some widescreen movies (1.85:1 to 2.35:1 and anything in-between) that - for their release on DVD - have been cropped down to 1.78:1 "to fit your widescreen TV" - it's a new (and detestable) form of panning'n scamming.

Also, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if movie directors/DPs included a 1.78:1 "safe zone" when filming for widescreen (1.85:1 or 1.40:1) theatrical presentation...

. . . :o . . .

Quite untrue. First, many features shot on digital video have a 1.78:1 OAR and are presented as such on DVD. Second, many, many 1.85:1 films have gotten 1.78:1 (usually slightly unmatted) DVD transfers. See the Godfather boxset as a well-known example. Also, films that were originally 1.66:1 have gotten 1.78:1 transfers from studios that refuse to do 1.66:1 anamorphic transfers (esp. Warner (Horror of Dracula) and MGM (number James Bond titles)). 1.78:1 transfers are very common.

DJ

djtoell: while you posted your reply, I was still adding to mine...

Frankly, I doubt that "many" features are being shot on digital video. Also, except for a very few, very rare venues with digital projection equipment, these would be transferred to film for theatrical presentation, and as I understand it American cinemas are equipped to project at 1.85:1 or 2.35(40):1, regardless of the AR of the movie to be projected... so: cropping again...

If, as you say, 1.78:1 transfers are very common that is a bad thing - imnsho, of course. In fact, I know of two Belgian/Benelux DVDs of 2.35:1 movies that were transferred with AR 1.78:1 - is that good/acceptable? I ask you!

At least most French DVDs of (e.g. Chabrol, Truffaut, Buñuel) 1.66:1 movies are indeed transferred anamorphically (resulting in narrow vertical black bands to the left and right of the image, when these are viewed on a correctly adjusted widescreen TV). Why can they do it, why can't WB or MGM? I ask you again!...

...sigh...

. . . :o . . .

Then, frankly, you need to get out more. There are a lot of people shooting many feature films on digital video.

Quote:

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Also, except for a very few, very rare venues with digital projection equipment, these would be transferred to film for theatrical presentation, and as I understand it American cinemas are equipped to project at 1.85:1 or 2.35(40):1, regardless of the AR of the movie to be projected... so: cropping again...

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First, many of these features get shown at their 1.78:1 OAR on the festival circuit and then appear in that AR on DVD. But, even for the ones shown at 1.85:1, so what? The thread starter asked for DVDs with 1.78:1 transfers, not films shown 1.78:1 theatrically.

Quote:

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If, as you say, 1.78:1 transfers are very common that is a bad thing - imnsho, of course. In fact, I know of two Belgian/Benelux DVDs of 2.35:1 movies that were transferred with AR 1.78:1 - is that good/acceptable? I ask you!

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No, it's not acceptable to me. And it's also not the topic of this thread.

DJ

"...And it's also not the topic of this thread."

I stand corrected then.

...blush...

. . . :o . . .

Shrek is 1.78:1

It should be mentioned that, due to set overscan, 1.85:1 films will fill a 16X9 viewing area... Unless your set overscan is a rediculos 2% (not likely, most sets run 5% after a good calibration and generally higher than that out of the box) then 1.85:1 films are going to fill your screen area.

1.85:1 movies are rarely cropped to 1.78:1. Usually the mattes are lifted to expose a sliver of extra picture on the top and bottom to fill out the 1.78:1 frame.

The compositional difference between 1.78:1 and 1.85:1 is negligible (in video terms, it's a couple of scan lines on each end). Most of these transfers are supervised by the films' directors or cinematographers. If they feel that getting a precise 1.85:1 ratio is important to the movie, they transfer it that way.

Though the back of the case claims 1.85:1, A.I. is actually presented on R1 DVD with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1.

Most early Warner Bros. releases of movies that had a theatrical AR of 1.85:1 are 1.78:1 on DVD. Exapmles are the four Batman movies, Under Siege, Under Siege 2 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Doesn't Natural born killers dc look more like 1:90:1 instead of 1:85:1?

To help put this in perspective, let's say you have a 60" widescreen set. The width of your screen would be 52.3 " and the height would be 29.4". If you had no overscan at all, a 1.85:1 image would have a height of 28.3". This would result in about 1/2" less information on both the top and the bottom.

As previously stated, most widescreen TVs have enough overscan that you won't be able to tell the difference between 1.78:1 and 1.85:1. If you want to fill your screen, it is almost guaranteed that any 1.85:1 movies will do the job.

I have the early malata dvd player that has x-y scaling and such, but it ruins the picture (makes thin heads, etc. ) when I fill the screen using its features.

If you're trying to fill your screen with a 2.35:1 movie, you'll get thin heads. With 1.85:1 films, they should nicely fill your screen unless you use your Malata to zoom out to compensate for overscan. And even then, you should only have very small black bars at the top and bottom.