The Michael J. Fox Database :: Widescreen vs Pan & Scan

The following are examples of what happens to films when cropped for pan & scan viewing. The numbers to the right of the examples are the original aspect ratios in which the movies were filmed. 2:35:1 is the widest, while 1:85:1 is the narrowest that most films are being shot today. Virtually no film is being shot in 1:33:1 (the same size as a non-widescreen television set) anymore.

Casualties of War (2:35:1)

Mars Attacks! (2:35:1)

Stuart Little 2 (1:85:1)

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WHAT IS PAN & SCAN?
Pan & Scan is formatting a film to fit the standard television screen. On the back of VHS and some DVD boxes you will see the phrase "This film has been modified to fit your screen." This means that the film is in Pan & Scan format, also known as Full Frame. When you view this DVD or VHS, the picture will fill your screen.

FILLING MY SCREEN IS GOOD, RIGHT?
Not necessarily. It is only good if the film was originally shot in that format. If the film has been modified, filling the screen is NOT a good thing.

WHY IS FULL FRAME/PAN & SCAN BAD?
When a film is modified to fill the television screen, this means that up to 50% of the film is being 'hidden' to the viewer, depending on which format the film was shot. In other words, you are only seeing half of the movie. The cropping isn't as severe with less wide formats, but most films are not shot at 1:33:1 (the same shape as a standard television screen) anymore, which means any film modified for television is missing something.

WHAT'S WITH THOSE BLACK BARS AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM? DOESN'T THAT MEAN THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE DISC OR MY PLAYER?
The black bars simply mean that you are viewing the entire picture. There is nothing wrong with your player, disc or television set.

BUT I HATE THOSE BLACK BARS!
If you want to see the entire film, get used to them. They can be distracting at first, but once you've watched a few movies with the black bars, you start to not even notice them. Another thing to keep in mind is that within the next 10 years, all televisions sold will be 'widescreen.' After that, the black bars on most films will not be visible because the television will be the correct shape. Some television programs are already being shot in the widescreen format. (Angel, Firefly, ER, etc.)

I DON'T CARE. I WANT FULL FRAME.
if you want to be deprived of up to half of the picture, and disrespect the director's vision, that's your choice. But please, don't ask the dvd producers to stop making widescreen DVD's because of your preference. Some DVD players can force any disc to play in full frame. Don't force it on the rest of us who want to see the movie as it was intended to be seen.