Why? ! WHY? !

First it was new TV going widescreen... but as if that was bad enough, they had to start making computer monitors in widescreen as well. Now, as if things couldn't get any worse, now every single movie played on cable TV is being shown in widescreen format now, thus cutting out 25% of the picture.

WHY? ! Why are we being forced to live in a widescreen driven world now? Let me tell you when it comes time if I end up having to get a new TV set or a new laptop, I won't be able to get one because they'll all be in widescreen!

I guess people latch onto the newest craze and ride with it for awhile.

Understanding Widescreen & Pan-and-Scan

In the fall of 2002, prior to purchasing the Muppets, Disney decided to release the two Muppet films of they held the distribution rights for - Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island. They had the original widescreen transfers (intended by the director) set to go, but opted to amputate the sides of the picture to accommodate those who don't like the black bars. Many believe that these black bars "cut into" an image, but that is not so.* The entire image is being shrunk in order that the entire panoramic image is seen. There is no picture information where the black bars reside.

Here is the Muppet Central article written about the matter. ​

*Exceptions (you are not entirely off)
There is a current trend in television to remask older episodes of programs to widescreen proportions to match later episodes shot in widescreen. I am against this practice as well. I prefer to see my entertainment in the proportions that it is shot. If this means black bars on the top and bottom to accommodate widescreen or black bars on the sides to accommodate classic television episodes (on widescreen monitors) so be it.

*Also (something interesting)
The Back to the Future trilogy was released on DVD a few years ago. It was shot originally on widescreen, but some of the DVD transfers took already cropped scenes (ones to fit the "full frame" television format) and masked them even more in transfer to widescreen format instead of just getting the original source. They were recalled and exchanged later, but this is why I never purchased a copy.

I guess they're getting ready for Feb. 2009 when all TV converts to Digital, and everybody might have to get a High-Def TV or get a converter box. I don't know if that's why, but it sounds good doesn't it?

Daniel

But that's almost whole 'nother year away (counting from 2008)! Plus, not everyone is going to want to convert, considering digital media cuts out things sometimes, anyway.

I'd much rather do it now, than to wait until it happens and then panic when I can't get a new TV or convertor box. But that's just me.

Daniel

D'Snowth said:

WHY? ! Why are we being forced to live in a widescreen driven world now? Let me tell you when it comes time if I end up having to get a new TV set or a new laptop, I won't be able to get one because they'll all be in widescreen!

Click to expand...

You know earlier today I was trying to buy a dvd and they only had the full screen copies left I was complaining why do they bother still making full screen movies!

As frogboy4 pointed out (and I find myself explaining to people at work at least once a week) the full screen version is actually the one that cuts stuff out. The easiest way to explain it is that movies are filmed to be shown on a theater screen which is a rectangle while tv screens are square all widescreen format does is creates a rectangle inside the square to project the entire picture on. The black bars are simply to fill in the rest of the screen otherwise it would be full of static snow. The new widescreen tv's are rectangle and thus will eliminate this problem. Most widescreen dvds now are formated to tell if the tv is widescreen or not and fill the entire widescreen with no bars (don't ask me how it knows I only know what it does not how)

Now I will agree that reformatting old tv episodes that were filmed to be shown on the square and thus get the top and bottom cut is stupid. But I think the reason that's done is because full screen movies shown on a widescreen tv tend to get the picture streached.

wwfpooh said:

But that's almost whole 'nother year away (counting from 2008)! Plus, not everyone is going to want to convert, considering digital media cuts out things sometimes, anyway.

Click to expand...

It's where things are headed, but I like the idea of fightin' The Man! You go for it. And while you’re at it, ask The Man why absolutely everything now has to be sealed in annoying plastic wrap!

Studios, directors and tech-savvy alpha consumers have chosen widescreen televisions and the wider format. It's funny that most wide monitors are now in-between the widescreen and full frame proportions. That's just wonky. I am typing this on one of them right now.

Technology changes and improves, but sometimes in a cold way. It also stimulates the marketplace. Way of the world and American capitalism. Also, with hi-definition technology moving in, I think it is a good thing that these things are happening at the same time rather than a drawn-out process that would hose consumers even more.

People do naturally see in a panoramic view that suits a widescreen aspect better than the non-peripheral antiquated television monitor. I just know several years from now the kids are going to complain about bars on the sides of the screen in Muppet Show episodes without understanding they are preserving the image and aspect ratio - not inhibiting it.

But not everyone has a widescreen. Heck, many of us probably still have the clunky full-screen TVs.

And just so you guys know, when my new sitcom goes into production, I am absolutely going to REFUSE to film in widescreen, because I don't WANT it to look like a badly cropped movie, I WANT it to look and feel like the kind of TV show baby-boomers might have grown up with!