How Various DVD Aspect Ratios Will Appear on Your TV Screen

Many people are confused about widescreen DVDs. You may wonder why one widescreen DVD might fill your TV, while another does not. The term "widescreen" only means that a movie is filmed in a shape that is wider than the ratio of the original Academy Standard (more below). How a movie will fit on your TV will vary by what shape TV you own and what aspect ratio the movie was filmed in.

If you look at the back of most DVD movie cases, there is usually some information printed on the back that tells you technical information about the movie. One of the things usually listed is the movie's aspect ratio.

Movies can be filmed in a variety of aspect ratios. Most film directors choose between three common ratios. A ratio is the width-to height proportion of the screen. The most common aspect ratios for movies are as follows:

1.33:1

(Commonly known as 4:3) This ratio is known as the Academy Standard. It's also the shape of traditional (non-widescreen) TVs. Movies that are filmed in this ratio will fill the screen of a traditional TV and leave blank spaces on the left and right sides of a widescreen TV. Though once the golden standard of film, few theatrical movies since the mid-1950s have been produced in this shape. In recent memory, the commercial film The Blair Witch Project used this aspect ratio.

1.85:1

This aspect ratio has been growing in popularity among filmmakers in recent years. Movies produced this way will leave moderately sized black bars at the top and bottom of a traditional TV screen, and will fill the entire area of a widescreen TV. Even though the aspect ratio of a widescreen TV is actually 1.78:1, these films still fit the entire screen due to a television's overscan. Expect a great majority of films to use this aspect ratio as widescreen TVs become more common among home viewers. Some examples of movies in this aspect ratio are Office Space, The Ladykillers, and Van Helsing.

2.35:1 (2.4:1)

Commonly known as cinema scope or scope, this ratio is the most common widescreen aspect ratio for the majority of blockbuster hits and epic films since the middle of the twentieth century. Movies produced in this aspect ratio will leave gigantic black bars on the top and bottom of a traditional TV screen, and will leave small black bars on the top and bottom of a widescreen TV. The big film directors, such as George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, prefer this ratio. Some examples of movies in this aspect ratio are Star Wars, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings.

Other Ratios & The "Full Screen" Editions

There are many other aspect ratios a director could choose from to make a movie. However, they are not used as frequently in commercial films. An example would be the 1.66:1 ratio, which is often used in cartoons, such as Disney's Aladdin, Hercules, and Home On the Range.

Many DVD movies are sometimes available for purchase in more than one ratio. One is usually the ratio it was produced in, and the other is a cropped 4:3 version called "full screen". Traditional TV owners are inclined to purchase the "full screen" editions of DVDs to avoid seeing black bars at the top and bottom of their television screen. Keep in mind that the "full screen" editions do not contain the entire image of the original film, and that an upgrade to a widescreen TV in the future will make many of those "full screen" editions seem a little disappointing.

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