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Another Trilogy DVD Screw Up? — Page 2

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I should be able to change the size ratio of my TV then, like a computer monitor, so this cropping dosen't occur. I used to be able to do this with the old TV we had back home, a 1976 PAL-M wooden boxed relic with that channel selector you had to twist. I used to bang the top very hard and I would be able to control the "size" of the image by banging on it. God knows what was happening inside
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
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But 16x9 means a 1.78:1 ratio. Such an aspect ratio would fill a widescreen TV top to bottom and side-to-side. The SW films are 2:35:1, which means they are horizontally narrower than a widescreen tv, and thus would (and indeed, have) black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. Whatever the reasoning for this croping, it was not intended for completely filling a 16:9 frame, because the DVD transfer doesn't do this.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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That's exactly what I said a few posts ago...
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
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EVERY single TV does it, and the video engineers at the studio take it into account.

your not missing anything, except what the video engineers didn't actually want you to see.

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

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I agree with the comments on different TVs. However, that may vary with brand and age of the TV as well as how much control you have over the screen settings. My comments were primarily about same equipment and same format. Different releases seemed to be fairly consistant.

I view DVDs as simple computer programs that control how a video file is played. Having a DVD player does not mean you can play every DVD. ...unlike other formats. Excluding advances like new recording speeds and differences in broadcast standards (NTSC, PAL, SECAM), if you owned a VHS VCR, you could play all VHS tapes. ...the same for LaserDisc, 8mm, SuperVHS, Beta or CED. Most people have heard about issues with The Matrix DVD (original edition, not the new collection). I have two players, one recorder, and one DVD+/-RW on my PC. Urusei Yatsura OVA box set will not play properly on my JVC player or my PC, but they will play correctly on my Sony player and Panasonic recorder. On my PC, the disc will simply show me a list of video files and I chose which one to view - no menus, no subtitles - just the raw video file with audio. Other DVDs start as they should.

...and somehow the software on my PC got upgraded (or a driver did) and it's not acting up anymore. One of my Law & Order DVDs wouldn't play either and I was trying to confirm which one. That OVA box set just worked too. Now, it's just my JVC player.

Anyway... Is it possible that firmware in each player might be interpretating a DVD's programming a little differently causing slight differences in how the player displays the image? I realize there is a basic standard in place for the DVD format, but because of patents and some of the technologies that may go into a player, could there be some minor variations in each player?

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Loads of DVDs are slightly reframed from the theatrical or previous home video versions, but it doesn't alter the aspect ratio. 2.40:1 is still 2.40:1. Sure there's less information present than in previous releases (I compared it when this thread showed up on Millienniumfalcon.com, and even posted a couple of pics), but it's almost certainly intentional and the ratio hasn't changed (although the image is slightly cropped). There's a good featurette on this sort of thing on the Seven DVD. It goes into detail about how shots are reframed and how scenes are colour corrected according to the director's wishes.

It's all about the framing and what the director wants you to see. Lucas could well have changed his mind (and I think the composition of the cramped shot looks better). The prequels (well Eps II and II anyway) were shot at 1.78:1 but composed for 2.40:1. There are many more things to worry about than this, such as the incorrectly coloured lightsabers and audio glitches. Those are undeniable mistakes (no matter how much Lucasfilm try to deny them). If you watch the Empire of Dreams documentary there are many shots where the lightsabers look perfect, yet they're wrong in the films. I'll be interested to see when and if a 'corrected' boxed set is quietly rolled out at a later date. They can't very well fix it after they claimed the faults with the existing set were intentional, at least not without opening themselves up to a lot of flack...
"Whatever! I digitally put Jabba the Hutt back into the original Star Wars movie! I'll do what I want!"