2006-08-29 03:30:09 · 5 answers · asked by jeanne g 4 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Home Theater
Movies on DVD and VHS are often available in two screen formats: full screen and wide screen. The full screen is where a movie is modified to fit a television screen. If you have watched a video release, you have probably seen the message: “This film has been modified from its original version.”
The wide screen version maintains the same size and shape of the original theatrical version. The reason for the different versions is aspect ratio. Motion picture screens have a different aspect ratio then a television screen.
The aspect ratio (a ratio of width to height) of a television screen is 1.33:1. This means the screen is 1.33 times wide as it is tall. The most common aspect ratio for movie screens is 1.85:1 to 2.35:1. While a television screen is almost square a movie screen is rectangle.
Therefore, a video release must fit the rectangle movie screen onto the square television screen. The wide screen version displays an image with black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. Some people find this disturbing. Movie buffs and die hard artists prefer the wide screen because it captures the essence of the filmmakers’ vision.
The full screen actually removes the far left and right side of the movie image in order to fit the movie within the television screen aspect ratio. So the full screen, although appearing to be the whole movie, is actually missing information.
Knowing the difference can help you choose the format you prefer. Remember that the wide screen version contains the aspect ratio of the original theatrical release and that the full screen version is where only the middle part of the original theatrical is used to fill the television screen.
2006-08-29 03:37:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Wide-screen has the black bars on bottom and top of the screen and you can see more of the picture horizonally.
Full-screen has no black bars but the picture is cut off, and you see less.
If you have a nice wide-screen TV, go for wide-screen DVDs, if not stick with the full, it's not much of a big deal by the way.
I prefer the wide, then again thats me.
2006-08-29 03:39:18 · answer #2 · answered by Rex 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most DVDs now produced are "widescreen" or "anamorphic widescren"; this means the picture is optimized for a widescreen (16:9) TV. Your DVD player's set up menu has an option in which you can select how these movies are to be displayed if you don't have a widescreen TV, If you select "full screen", the player will crop the sides and enlarge the picture to fill the screen. If you select "letterbox" the player will output a widescreen format with black bars on top and bottom.
2006-08-29 07:55:36 · answer #3 · answered by gp4rts 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wide-screen is the movie shown in the same format or aspect ratio as shown in your local movie theater. Full screen is the movie that has been cut or cropped to fit inside your television screen, it is not the same format or aspect ratio as your movie theater. It will fill your television screen, but on wide angle shots you you miss some action or portion of what the director intended you to see.
2016-03-17 04:06:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
With full screen they have actually cut the edges off the picture to help is fit your television screen. Wide-screen---you are seeing the whole picture like they shot it and like you saw it in the theater.
2006-08-29 03:37:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
widescreen gives u the whole picture like to fit the movie theater screen even tho it has the black bars fullscreen cuts off the sides but fills the whole screen
personally i like widescreen cuz it shows the wholes picture
2006-08-29 03:37:50 · answer #6 · answered by jenhockey24 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋