TServo2049 said:

Remember, these movies were meant to be seen on a big cinema screen. You *would* be focusing on certain parts of the image. It doesn't justify pan and scan, but I get what you're saying.

Pan and scan is almost comparable to someone redirecting your film. It was'nt composed for 4:3 but I'm going to make a smaller film inside your film. On average it just doesnt work - although mathmatically you are still getting about 50% of a great film.

I agree widescreen seems to be much more powerful when it gets past a certain threshold (i.e. past the size of a laptop or small tv screen) so it feels like it fills up your whole line of vision and merges with natural perspective so the fourth wall disappears. I'm not sure I trust the vlc fit to screen function always works precisely sometimes if the start ratio is correct it seems more correct to just increase size by a percentage - and it either fits your screen or doesn't.