One reason we may lose the "widescreen" format
debate is that we keep using our enemies'
propaganda terms. In particular, we must stop
using the term "fullscreen" to say "cut down"
(or "mutilated?").
A proper "full screen" DVD would be one that
shows all (or nearly all) of what you would see
on a full movie screen. The term "fullscreen"
was adopted by videotape vendors to soft-pedal
the way they mutilated films by "formatting them
to fit your screen" (itself a euphemism for
"cutting off 1/3 or more to fit your screen,"
which is all they really do).
This is killing us. The proverbial gum-chewing
rental clerk keeps asking us, "what's your beef?
This is the fullscreen version!" Phooey! It's
the "mutilated version" and we have to talk
about it that way.
I propose that we adopt this approach:
"widescreen" shall mean (in DVD terms) "close to
original aspect ratio for theatrical presentation,
enhanced for 16x9 display." For people with
cheap TV's, their players will reduce this to...
"letterbox," which shall mean "resembles
widescreen on 4x3 displays, but loses 25% of the
vertical resolution to black bars." Note that a
"letterbox" DVD will be one that is *not*
"enhanced for 16x9 display," therefore not
"widescreen." Very wide movies (more than 1.8:1)
may technically get letterboxed before encoding
in 16x9 mode, but if they use all the vertical
resolution they can we'll call them "widescreen."
"Cut down" shall mean "panned & scanned to show
a narrow slice of the movie." The phrase
"mutilated to fit old TV screens" may also be
used where space permits.
We shall NOT USE the term "fullscreen" because
it confuses people (will they see the full
image? or will they see part of the image
filling a little screen?). When other people use
the term, we shall ask them which sense they
intend, then rephrase their comment using proper
terms.
(For example, your mother in law says: "I rented
The Great Waldo Pepper. I love Robert Redford,
but I can't understand this movie. He keeps
talking to people I can't see!"
(You say, "Sorry, Mom, that's the cutdown version,
they cut off half the picture when they made the
disc."
(She says "What's wrong? The box says "fullscreen"
on it!"
(You reply, "Oh, Mom. They're just trying to
fool you. "Fullscreen" is their code word for
"mutilated to fit old TV screens. It's like when
they put "silky soft" on polyester sheets!")
debate is that we keep using our enemies'
propaganda terms. In particular, we must stop
using the term "fullscreen" to say "cut down"
(or "mutilated?").
A proper "full screen" DVD would be one that
shows all (or nearly all) of what you would see
on a full movie screen. The term "fullscreen"
was adopted by videotape vendors to soft-pedal
the way they mutilated films by "formatting them
to fit your screen" (itself a euphemism for
"cutting off 1/3 or more to fit your screen,"
which is all they really do).
This is killing us. The proverbial gum-chewing
rental clerk keeps asking us, "what's your beef?
This is the fullscreen version!" Phooey! It's
the "mutilated version" and we have to talk
about it that way.
I propose that we adopt this approach:
"widescreen" shall mean (in DVD terms) "close to
original aspect ratio for theatrical presentation,
enhanced for 16x9 display." For people with
cheap TV's, their players will reduce this to...
"letterbox," which shall mean "resembles
widescreen on 4x3 displays, but loses 25% of the
vertical resolution to black bars." Note that a
"letterbox" DVD will be one that is *not*
"enhanced for 16x9 display," therefore not
"widescreen." Very wide movies (more than 1.8:1)
may technically get letterboxed before encoding
in 16x9 mode, but if they use all the vertical
resolution they can we'll call them "widescreen."
"Cut down" shall mean "panned & scanned to show
a narrow slice of the movie." The phrase
"mutilated to fit old TV screens" may also be
used where space permits.
We shall NOT USE the term "fullscreen" because
it confuses people (will they see the full
image? or will they see part of the image
filling a little screen?). When other people use
the term, we shall ask them which sense they
intend, then rephrase their comment using proper
terms.
(For example, your mother in law says: "I rented
The Great Waldo Pepper. I love Robert Redford,
but I can't understand this movie. He keeps
talking to people I can't see!"
(You say, "Sorry, Mom, that's the cutdown version,
they cut off half the picture when they made the
disc."
(She says "What's wrong? The box says "fullscreen"
on it!"
(You reply, "Oh, Mom. They're just trying to
fool you. "Fullscreen" is their code word for
"mutilated to fit old TV screens. It's like when
they put "silky soft" on polyester sheets!")