The Mummy Returns(R4),not anamorphic?

[Sock_Monster]

On the back of the case it says Anamorphic,enhanced for widescreen TV's,so shouldn't it fill the screen,I don't have a problem with Toy Story or other "enhanced" stuff but I get bars top and bottom with The Mummy.Can anyone explain?

[ajm]

easy, the film is 2.35:1 not 1.85:1 therefore unless your tv is 2.35:1 you'll get black bars.

Toy story is 1.85:1.

A widescreen TV 16:9 is 1.78:1

[Paul490]

Yeah, with 2.35:1 films on a 4:3 TV, you'll get rather big black bars, while on a 16:9 TV they are much smaller.

On 1.85:1 material, you'll either get very, very small black bars or none at all.

On 1.78:1, you won't get any bars.

So your DVD is fine. :)

(Someone will inevitably reply and do a far better job ;).)

[StuBruise]

"Anamorphic" means that, if you were to look at the picture as it's encoded, it would fill a 4:3 telly; ie. it's been "stretched" vertically. Either your DVD player or your telly will unstretch it as it's being played so that it's in the correct ratio. The reason for doing this is because if it's not done (ie. it's encoded as you see it on screen) then the black bars at the top and bottom would be encoded too which is a waste of space (and also, zooming in on a non-anamorphic picture generally gives poorer quality than unstretching an anamorphic one).

There's a good guide to all this at http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/features/widescreen1.html :)

~~stu

[utero]

you'd still get black bars on a 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer if being played on a 4:3 screen,

[Ridcully]

You are getting confused as to what 'anamorphic' actually means. Black bars are connected to the aspect ratio. Anamorphic is related to the detail of picture (number of lines with picture)

Try this link for one of the best descriptions around http://www.dvdweb.co.uk/information/anamorphic.htm

[utero]

err great but regardless you'd still get the black bars of 2.35:1 framing when you're playing it anamorphic through a 4:3 tv

[ajm]

you also get black bars with 2.35:1 films on a widescreen tv.