[sebadooo]

I just bought the 2005 HBO series ''Unscripted.'' The case says aspect ratio 16:9, not letterbox or anything like that. My bluray player is set to play DVDs in their natural ratio whatever that may be. Even oldies like Uncle Buck play in widescreen with no unnatural cropping if the case says 1:85 or 16x9.


So I put in Unscripted, and the menu is 16x9, no stretching, no cropping. I select an episode and the 4:3 begins. The actual shows are 16:9...inside a 4:3 box. What gives? I own a ton of DVDs and this is the first I've seen of this on my widescreen HDTV.


I have my BD player set to 16:9, not 16:9 FULL, meaning that 4:3 content shows as just that, not stretched. And widescreen material of any aspect ratio is shown as intended, HD or not. This way I always get the intended product.


What usually happens with non HD DVDs that are 16:9 is the menu is 16:9, then the FBI warnings are 4:3, then the movie is 16:9 . With Unscripted, menu 16:9 (truly, not stretched ), then everything proceeding is 4:3 (with main content widescreen stuck inside 4:3 box). WTF?

 

[Lee Stewart]

That is the way that content is presented.


Nothing wrong with your equipment:

http://www.amazon.com/Unscripted-Kri...rBy=addOneStar

 

[wmcclain]



Quote:
Originally Posted by sebadooo /forum/post/18173919


WTF?

It may be a package labeling problem; I don't recall seeing "16:9" applied to 4:3 letterboxed contents, but they often say "widescreen" or give the actual decimal aspect ratio.


At one time 4:3 letterboxed DVDs were quite common. I have an old essay here: Anamorphic vs 4:3 letterboxed DVDs .


-Bill

 

[sebadooo]

I too thought it might just be a labelling error until I remembered that the menu screen is widescreen. Seems like a production error. Oh well, no reason to get all upset over a brilliant show that I only paid $6 for. Thanks

 

[Lee Stewart]



Quote:
Originally Posted by wmcclain /forum/post/18174387


It may be a package labeling problem; I don't recall seeing "16:9" applied to 4:3 letterboxed contents, but they often say "widescreen" or give the actual decimal aspect ratio.


At one time 4:3 letterboxed DVDs were quite common. I have an old essay here: Anamorphic vs 4:3 letterboxed DVDs .


-Bill

What he is seeing is a 4x3 pillarboxed frame with a 16x9 letterboxed image within the frame. What you see with some commericals when watching an HD channel.

 

[Josh Z]

Unfortunately, Unscripted and other similar HBO series around the same time (like K-Street and The Comeback) were shot on SD video in letterbox format. The DVDs are non-anamorphic letterbox because that's as much resolution as is found in the source.


The packaging should clarify this, I agree.