Widescreen Question

[Neijii]

I have a 40" Sony XBR...my question is when I watch Blu Ray, shouldn't it fill up the entire screen?

The top and bottom are black, and it would be nice for the picture to take up the entire TV screen.

Anyone know if it's supposed to be like this?

[Adam]

That's normal. The aspect ratio of a movie isn't necessarily going to be the same as your TV. Your TV is probably 16:9 (1.78:1). Movies don't all have the same aspect ratio, and they can be different from that. If you have the box to the disc, it probably says somewhere on the box what the aspect ratio for the movie is. If you let us know which movie, we can also look it up for you.

Your TV (and maybe disc player) might have options that will modify the picture to fill the entire screen if you would prefer to not have the black bars. It would stretch things out, though, so the objects on the screen wouldn't look exactly as they did in the original movie.

[Neijii]

Yea..it has that option but some parts end up getting cut off...do you know if the PS3 would be the reason because I have the Hulk on Blu Ray playing right now and the black is bugging me lol.

It's 2.35:1

[Adam]

It's not the player, it's the movie.

Both the "Incredible Hulk" (2008) with Ed Norton and the "Hulk" (2003) have the same aspect ratio of 2.35:1. That will cause black bars on the top and bottom of the TV screen unless you stretch the image.

EDIT: If you were asking if it's the player causing parts of the movie to be cut off when you set it up to fill the screen, then...I can't answer that.

[Neijii]

I'm watching the 2008 one, which is prob one of my favorite movies lol...

That's annoying...wish it filled out the entire screen.

[Martiad3]

http://www.widescreen.org/

Have a read at this website. It explains things very well.

[itschris]

What you're talking about is rapidly becoming the next big thing in HT... Contant Image Hieght. I've been reading a lot about it lately how it's one of the fastest growing trends in projection systems. The typical set has a pj with an anamorphic lens and a screen with side masking. Unilike fixed panels like flat screens, the width of the movie changes in relation to the height as opposed to height to width which gives the bars on top and bottom.

[Halon451]

http://www.widescreen.org/

Have a read at this website. It explains things very well.

One of the best articles on aspect ratio formats I've seen thus far - thanks. :) I forwarded that link to my father, as I am done pulling my hair out trying to explain to him why he's getting "black bars" on his new HDTV during some shows and not in others... :p