Question about the Blu-Ray format
Now I have yet to make the switch to Blu-Ray, although I'm planning to do so in the near future. I have one question about the format that I think you guys will probably be able to answer for me.
Are all Blu-Ray discs anamorphic? |
Pretty much. I'm not sure how anamorphic applies to 4:3 material (ie, is the Casablanca hddvd considered anamorphic? (are the pillars encoded into the picture or added by the machine)) but all the widescreen blurays thus far have been anamorphic (at least, all the ones I've encountered, and I haven't heard otherwise). Of course, this is me going off the definition of Anamorphic = Bars added by the machine.
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Blu-Ray discs don't need to be anamorphic, if I understand it correctly. The player "knows" how to display them properly, and because it is a full high definition image, there isn't any loss of detail in using a non-anamorphic image the way there was on DVD.
Technically the answer is no, but the answer is yes. |
The term "anamorphic" does not really apply, but I think what you're really asking is, "Are all Blu-ray discs optimized for a 16:9 display?" and the answer is yes.
To get into more detail, I believe BD content is always encoded at 1920x1080 with black pixels filling the unused space depending on the actual aspect ratio of the movie. |
99% of Blu-ray discs are 1080p...some are 1080i (Sharkwater for example and some random documentarys). Anamorphic no longer applies.
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Welcome to the boards, Bob.
Check out the search feature on the board for individual items your interested in :) |
There are people who wish the BD format supported anamorphic enhancement, so that they could get full-height 2.35:1 for their constant-image-height projection displays.
But it doesn't. |
What others have said here is all correct. I will just add one point of clarification. The term "anamorphic" refers to the way that widescreen material is stored in a 'squeezed' format on DVD to take advantage of the full pixel grid, and then unsqueezed during playback. Since High Definition is natively 16:9 in shape, no squeezing is needed. Therefore, all Blu-rays are optimized for 16:9 displays, but technically not "anamorphic".
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The pillaring on 2.35:1 BRs is annoying but that's the one and only way to experience the movie as originally intended... someone have a talk with those silly film-makers! ;)
16:9 BR discs always fill all or virtually all of a 16:9 hdtv screen. Anamorphic SD discs also stretch to fill most - or all - of the screen depending on ratio and look smashing on my player. 4:3 material on BR and SD discs is pillared on the sides of said 16:9 screen. See reasoning in paragraph #1. Non-anamorphic widescreen SD disks are pure evil on BR players and 16:9 tvs. Pillared all around and teasing you with potential widescreen goodness. Sell sell sell! |
Originally Posted by RichC2
(ie, is the Casablanca hddvd considered anamorphic? (are the pillars encoded into the picture or added by the machine))
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Something worth mentioning - for regular DVD, both my PS3 and my Toshiba D2 (HD DVD) via component are incapable of displaying 4:3 material correctly - its stretched to fill the 16:9 screen. I would have to use the TV's settings to correctly display this material, but actually just use my Malata 996 (multi-region DVD player).
I think they display 4:3 DVDs correctly via HDMI though - if I'm wrong, someone will put me right fairly quickly! |
One odd thing I haven't been able to figure out:
I have two HDTVs. In my main home theater, the PS3 (over HDMI) will display 4x3 DVDs fine, but non-anamorphic, standard definition extras on Blu-ray discs are always horizontally stretched. The button on my remote for stretching/unstretching material is disabled. My HD DVD players haven't had this problem on this TV, and the PS3 doesn't stretch 4x3 SD Blu-ray extras on my other HDTV. No idea why this is. |
Originally Posted by DVD Guy ATL
The pillaring on 2.35:1 BRs is annoying but that's the one and only way to experience the movie as originally intended...
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Originally Posted by Adam Tyner
One odd thing I haven't been able to figure out:
I have two HDTVs. In my main home theater, the PS3 (over HDMI) will display 4x3 DVDs fine, but non-anamorphic, standard definition extras on Blu-ray discs are always horizontally stretched. The button on my remote for stretching/unstretching material is disabled. My HD DVD players haven't had this problem on this TV, and the PS3 doesn't stretch 4x3 SD Blu-ray extras on my other HDTV. No idea why this is. |
if i were to buy a dvd from the united kingdom on blu ray how would I know if it works on my PS3? What companies make region free blu rays and which dont. HMV has there will be blood for pre order, would that work on my ps3?
edit: I stopped being lazy and checked amazon.co.uk website and its region is PAL. |
Originally Posted by acubfaninmd
if i were to buy a dvd from the united kingdom on blu ray how would I know if it works on my PS3? What companies make region free blu rays and which dont. HMV has there will be blood for pre order, would that work on my ps3?
edit: I stopped being lazy and checked amazon.co.uk website and its region is PAL. Blu-ray does have region coding. North America is Region A and the UK is Region B. Whether a studio will actually region code the disc is hit-or-miss, however. We won't know until the disc comes out and someone can confirm. This is a good site that tracks region coding information: http://bluray.liesinc.net/ |
Originally Posted by The Bus
"Pillaring" on 2.35:1 BDs? Why would 2.35:1 BDs be pillared?
2.35:1 aspect ratio doesn't completely fill a 16:9 screen, thus the bars at the top and bottom of the screen. (It's a "super" widescreen ratio, in other words.) |
Originally Posted by Adam Tyner
One odd thing I haven't been able to figure out:
I have two HDTVs. In my main home theater, the PS3 (over HDMI) will display 4x3 DVDs fine, but non-anamorphic, standard definition extras on Blu-ray discs are always horizontally stretched. The button on my remote for stretching/unstretching material is disabled. My HD DVD players haven't had this problem on this TV, and the PS3 doesn't stretch 4x3 SD Blu-ray extras on my other HDTV. No idea why this is. The extras on the DVDs play fine because the PS3 and your HD DVD players are upscaling them and preserving the proper aspect ratio. For BDs, however, the PS3 does not upscale SD extras. Now that DTS-HD MA decoding is here, upscaling of SD extras on BDs is the last "big" feature I want Sony to add to the PS3. It's annoying for me having to switch to 4:3 mode and back, and even more annoying for you since you can't correct it at all on that one TV. |
Originally Posted by DVD Guy ATL
I'm referring to the horizontal black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. Perhaps "pillar" only refers to vertical bars and there is a better term here.
Vertical black bars are pillarboxing. Bars on all four sides is windowboxing. |
Originally Posted by Josh Z
Horizontal black bars are letterboxing (because the image looks like you're viewing it through a letter slot).
Vertical black bars are pillarboxing. Bars on all four sides is windowboxing. |
Originally Posted by acubfaninmd
edit: I stopped being lazy and checked amazon.co.uk website and its region is PAL.
Standard DVDs have different regions, as well as incompatible video formats (NTSC and PAL). Blu-ray has no conflicts with respect to video formats, but does have region coding (A, B or C), which may or may not be implemented on a given disc. HD DVD has neither. |
Originally Posted by Mr. Salty
Blu-ray has no conflicts with respect to video formats, but does have region coding (A, B or C), which may or may not be implemented on a given disc. HD DVD has neither.
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Originally Posted by Josh Z
There's no such thing as PAL in Blu-ray. Amazon has simply copied the DVD specs.
Blu-ray does have region coding. North America is Region A and the UK is Region B. Whether a studio will actually region code the disc is hit-or-miss, however. We won't know until the disc comes out and someone can confirm. This is a good site that tracks region coding information: http://bluray.liesinc.net/ Thats what i thought, didnt think PAL was blu ray. dont need to import it now that it is being released in June |
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