~*~ Re: Harry Potter DVD's In Full Screen Or Wide Screen Format ? ~*~

[Tim]

Pan and Scan is an industry term.  Basically, when they cut a movie 
to fit in Fullscreen for your TV, they stay focused on the main 
action of a scene and cut the excess (which is usually the edges).  A 
classic example of this is the movie "How the West was Won".  It was 
filmed in Cinerama.  In a wagon train scene, in the original run at 
the theaters, two characters where talking on the sides of the 
screen, with a beautiful panorama between them.  When it was cut for 
video, the panorama was cut out so it looks like they are right next 
to each other when talking.  So, you're missing some things that the 
film-makers had originally wanted in the picture, even if it was 
background stuff, when you buy a Fullscreen version.  However, 
everyone has their own preference.  I don't mind the black bars at 
the top and bottom of the screen.  In fact, on some of the films I 
have, subtext is in the bottom black bar as opposed to on top of the 
action, so it's easier to read.  I know Star Wars I did this.  After 
a while you don't even notice the bars anymore... of course, a 37" TV 
also helps.

Tim

--- In HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com, "~SpellBound Gryffindor~" 
<spellbound_hogwarts_gryffindor at y...> wrote:
> 
> ~*~ SpellBound answered:
> 
> ~*~*~*~ Thank you so much for responding Tim and Dina! :~D ~*~*~*~
> 
> I just purchased the Full Screen version of "Harry Potter and the
> Prisoner Of Azkaban"... my other HP movie DVD's are also Full 
Screen.
> I order most of my DVD's, CD's, Books and more from 
http://Amazon.Com
> 
> Now that I have heard your replies I am planning on buying the Wide
> Screen DVD versions *also* of all HP movies. I cannot purchace them
> this month, but I plan to in the very near future. I want all the HP
> movie DVD's in both formats/versions ~ Full Screen and Wide Screen.
> {I only have Comcast Limited Basic Cable on my TV... no HBO etc.}
> 
> Somehow, the Wide Screen DVD movies I have glimpsed seemed too 
skinny
> horizontally and distorted by 'stretchiness', and the top and 
bottom 
> of the picture was cut off {by black bars}... including the tops of
> peoples heads. But, that was long ago...it has been a very long time
> since I viewed a Wide Screen movie on TV to completion. Something
> tells me I should buy *both* DVD formats of the HP movies. The Wide
> Screen version has more sweeping landscape scenes and more to view 
on
> the  left and right hand side of the long skinny {lol} picture.
> 
> {Tim... what is Pan and Scan? I thought Wide Screen was *panoramic*
> due to the picture's horizontal length}
>   
> 
> *** I am interested in everyone's comments on this topic! :~D ***
> 
> 
> ~*~*~*~*~*~ SpellBound ~*~*~*~*~*~
> 
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> 
> http://profiles.yahoo.com/SpellBound_Hogwarts_Gryffindor
> 
>  
> 
>                                                                     
 
>               
> ~*~ Tim said:
>  
> Widescreen over Pan and Scan Fullscreen anyday!!!  You miss some of
> the details in the Fullscreen version.  Just my opinion.
>  
> 
> Dina replied: 
> 
> Aye, I'll also agree on preferring widescreen.  After all, that's 
how
> we see the movie in theaters (or at least most).
>  
>  
> ~*~ SpellBound asked {excerpt}:
>  
> Does the Black Bars cutting off the top and bottom of the picture on
> the Wide Screen format bother you? Does the Wide Screen picture look
> too 'stretched out' to you? The Full Screen format fills the
> whole TV screen and does not have the black bars. But, please 
tell...
> 
> 
> ~*~ Dina replied:
>  
> As to 'stretched', the black bars don't bother me at all.  If you 
have
> a decent sized TV (at least ~20"), I'd rather have 'smaller' details
> than miss out on background details.  I *think* an example was in 
the
> Dursley's kitchen and one of the TVs was cut off in 'fullscreen', so
> you couldn't see what they were watching--I know there was some past
> discussion on the TV show and its significance [from an FYI POV] in
> possible time estimates. I could be wrong on this since I've never 
> seen an *official* fullscreen release.
>  
> If you're truly a 'completionist' and can afford it, just wait for
> them to go on sale/used to have both versions--I waited for HBO to 
air
> the HP movies and recorded fullscreen to video tape.  Heck, you can
> probably rent the widescreens to see if you like them before buying.
>  
> Dina
>  
>  
> Mirrormere @ 
http://avia.silverbloom.net/mirror/                     
>   ^-large archive for LOTR FPS or RPS, HP & Oz fanfic
> LOTR RPS @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LOTR_RPS
> My bunniqula blog @ http://archive.nu/bunniblog/