Full screen vs. Wide screen on DVDs?

[steve911]

A/V Gurus:

What's the difference between full screen and wide screen editions in DVD's? Looking to purchase some new DVDs for the home collection and I'm confused by this.

BTW, I have a 40" Sony LCD Bravia TV.

Thanks,
Steve

[on-ramp]

full screen is 6x9, same as your HDTV.

movies widescreen is 1:3.5 aspect ratio. this is where you get the 2 black bars around the screen on your hdtv.

i could be wrong, though.

[Flatbutt1]

allegedly the widescreen ratio preserves the original "visual aspects" intended by the director. It isn't forced to fit the screen you're viewing on.

[onlycafe]

my preference,
wide screen good.
full screen no good.
as they say on tcm, "picture the last supper, wide screen, all twelve disciples,
full screen , you lose the two on either end. "
'nuff said.

[84porsche]

I have purchased all my dvds in widescreen for when I eventually buy a widescreen tv. Who knew hd dvds would come out, oh well.

[Drew001]

From this site:
Widescreen:


Fullscreen:


More good info here.

[slodave]

Heh, Mad Max, cool frame grab. Yeah, widescreen is better. You get more of the scene.

[campbellcj]

No contest for me -- I'd rather watch the 'whole movie' -- even with black bars.

You will often still get (small) black bars by the way even on a 16:9 display. Many movies are shot in other than 16:9 aspect ratio.

[on2wheels52]

I have a truck driver customer who comes in weekly for used dvd's ($3). He says most drivers hate widescreen because you lose so much picture on the 13 & 15" sets they have.
Jim

[TerryH]

Fullscreen is made 4:3 ratio TVs, the old standard TVs, ie: more square

Widescreen is made for 16:9 ratio TVs, ie: more retangular

If you want to see modern movies the way the director intended, then you always want the widescreen version. There are a few different ratios for widescreen which may mean you still have black bars on top of your widescreen picture. But they are all considered widescreen format.

[FrayAdjacent911]

the presence of the black bars also depends on your TV. 'widescreen' has several aspect ratios associated with it... but if the aspect ratio matches that of your TV, (I'm pretty sure...) you won't get black bars, but a WHOLE screen picture.