Anamorphic Widescreen: Which Standard DVDs Get the Best Picture on My HDTV?

Despite a growing number of high definition televisions (HDTVs) penetrating consumer's homes, standard definition DVDs are still being sold and rented in record numbers. A growing quantity of these DVDs is showing movies and television episodes in the modern widescreen formats. While DVDs are expected to still work on older boxy-screen TVs, they are also expected to look their best on the new widescreen HDTVs. Although many earlier DVDs struggled with this, an "anamorphic widescreen" technique optimizes the data on the DVD for best viewing on an HDTV. Here, I will help explain how this works and why it is important to look for an "anormorphic widescreen" or "enhanced for 16:9 televisions" notation on the back of DVDs.

Despite the advancement in new forms of entertainment media, including high-definition disc players, the traditional DVD saw another record year in 2006. This continued its upward sales trend since the late 1990s. In 2006, consumers spent over $24 billion in DVD sales and rentals (Digital Entertainment Group), a 6% increase over the prior year (sales outpaced rentals 2 to 1). Folks are continuing to accumulate DVDs, despite having a widescreen high definition televisions at home (see 10 Things I Should Know About HDTV). It is important to understand that the anamorphic widescreen DVDs are those optimized for the widescreen televisions. Because high-definition discs such as HD DVDs and Blu-ray disc are already optimized for HDTVs, the use of an anamorphic methods are much less relevant.

The issue at hand arises with the playing of DVD content on 4:3 traditional aspect ratio televisions as well as 16:9 widescreen televisions (see Pain in the Aspect Ratio for a description of aspect ratios and associated black bars). All content burned on the DVD is originally stored in a 4:3 aspect ratio before it is decoded by the DVD player and displayed on the TV. When a program is stored on a DVD in a widescreen format, we have a mismatch between the 4:3 image stored on the DVD and the widescreen image of the program. We'll use a television program shown in 16:9 widescreen for an example. We'll look at how two different types of DVDs handle the delivery of the image: the Letterbox Widescreen DVD vs. Anamorphic Widescreen DVD.

Letterbox Widescreen DVD
The non-anamorphic letterbox DVDs that have a widescreen video will store the image on the DVD with the black bars at the top and bottom - as shown below. The black pixels at the top and bottom are part of the image and take up stored memory on the DVD.
When this image is projected on a traditional 4:3 aspect ratio television, the presentation looks identical to the way it was stored on the DVD. The black bars are part of the image.

When this letterbox image on the DVD is placed on a widescreen TV with the 16:9 aspect ratio, something bad happens. Since the black bars are part of the image, the total height is interpreted to include the black bars at the top and bottom - and this image is placed in the middle of the screen. To maintain an undistorted image, black bars are not added to the left and right - as shown below. Yuck. To make things look a little better, this image may be zoomed to fit the screen. Once this is done, however, the zoomed image is of lesser quality. A lower resolution image is actually blown up to fit the screen. This is not desirable.

Anamorphic Widescreen DVD
With the introduction of anamorphic DVDs, widescreen videos can look better on widescreen televisions. This is not new technology. For years, DVD players have been able to interpret videos using the anamorphic widescreen technology. Here is how it works.

The image stored on the Anamorphic DVD is still in the 4:3 ratio (it has to be - all DVDs are just made that way), but the widescreen image is stretched to the top and bottom. This is what it looks like.


When this image is sent to a television with the 4:3 aspect ratio, the anamorphic status is interpreted and the image height is shrunk to create black bars at the top and bottom. These black bars are not part of the image, but are more like "voids" on the TV. This maintains an undistorted image. Not surprisingly, it looks like this:

The real magic comes in when this video is played on a widescreen television with 16:9 aspect ratio. There is no loss of resolution in the height and the television takes all of the information on the DVD and just stretches it to fit the screen. This maintains the highest quality possible on a DVD. Here is what it looks like:

Conclusion
While the Anamorphic Widescreen DVD is the way to go if you have a widescreen TV, you may not be getting rid of all black bars. The aspect ratio mismatch between the 16:9 screen and the wider theatrical aspect ratios (such as the popular 1.85:1 and 2.35:1) still exists. Without zooming or distorting the image, the HDTV will have to live with black bars (although the black bars will not be as big as on a 4:3 TV). The anamorphic methodology will make sure that you maintain the highest resolution for images you see on your widescreen television. So before you buy your next DVD, take a look at the back of the DVD and watch for the "anamorphic" or "enhanced for 16x9 televisions" label. After all, you don't want the capabilities of your HDTV to go to waste. Give the DVD the best chance of looking good on your widescreen TV.

Pain in the Aspect Ratio! Why Do I Still Have Black Bars On My HDTV?

The consumer electronics manufacturers and motion picture industry have teamed up to bring you a point of confusion regarding aspect ratios and the simple task of watching TV. Black bars and stretched images due to mismatched aspect ratios give unexpected results for new TV buyers. Laced with many new benefits, the High Definition Television (HDTV) standards brought us three new features: (1) higher resolution pictures that provide greater detail, (2) surround sound output that can be directed to multiple speakers, and (3) a new aspect ratio for the screen. It is the "strange but true" topic of the aspect ratio that has brought confusion and is addressed here.

First of all, the aspect ratio is not the size of one’s buttocks in relation to one’s overall height (in the sense that Jennifer Lopez would have a higher aspect ratio than Paris Hilton), but rather the relationship of your TV’s width to its height. The standard aspect ratio that has been used on TVs since their inception has now changed with the new HDTV standards. Original TVs had a 4:3 aspect ratio, which means for every 4 inches wide, they are 3 inches tall. This gives the appearance of a rectangle that is almost as tall as it is wide – close to a square. This ratio may also be written with reference to a single unit of height, or 1.33:1 (4 divided by 3 = 1.33). In contrast, the new HDTV standard uses a 16:9 aspect ratio or 16 inches of width for every 9 inches of height. This ratio, also known as 1.78:1, is much broader and is referenced as a widescreen format.

The reason for the move to the wider screen is to provide a much more theater-like experience. Back in the 1950s, the motion picture studios were fearful of television’s ability to erode the attendance at movie theaters (Sound familiar? Now HDTVs are further eroding theater attendence). In response, the studios changed the aspect ratio on movies from 4:3 to a much wider stance. This allowed movie-goers to feel much more immersed. It is not until recently that a wider aspect ratio has been brought to the home. Now, thanks to HDTV, we have the widescreen 16:9 format. Peculiar enough, however, is the fact that the 16:9 ratio is unlike anything produced by movie studios. Hmmm. Will this cause problems?

According to a Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) study released in April 2007, about 28% of U.S. households have HDTVs (see TVweek.com). Despite this growing number, only a small percentage of channels available on cable and satellite provide HD programs. A clear majority of the programming is still in standard definition with the original 4:3 aspect ratio. Most television content providers are showing less than 20 HD channels, often amounting to less than 10% of its programming. So if we must live with it, how do we display a 4:3 program on a 16:9 television? There are three basic ways to do this. The first method is to zoom the picture and crop the top and bottom. Be careful, though, because close ups can give Clint Eastwood a flattop. The second method is to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the picture to fill the screen. This is what makes Brad Pitt look like Jack Black (see post on non-HD content on HDTVs). Lastly, you can maintain the full image and 4:3 aspect ratio by showing black bars at the side. This is called a pillarbox effect. For those concerned about preserving the original image without distortion, pillarboxing is the best alternative.

So it would appear that we have this aspect ratio thing understood. Now I can go out and spend $5,000 on a 50-inch HDTV for my bathroom. Since I usually watch movies from my bathtub (I call it my “pruning” time), I’ll also plan to hook up a DVD player to it. This will allow me to show widescreen movies on my widescreen TV: a perfect match. I will purchase G.I. Jane, featuring the best bald-headed chick since Ripley in Aliens 3, and pop it into the player. To my surprise, I will not have escaped the annoying black bars. The bars have merely rotated ninety degrees and pushed themselves to the top and bottom. What the…? Does this TV need to go back to the manufacturer? Not so fast.

The movie G.I. Jane is presented in a 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio. The motion picture industry now has a few different standards, many of which are even wider than 16:9. The 1.85:1 ratio is another popular ratio for movies, but much closer to our TV’s 16:9 ratio. When you display a video with an aspect ratio wider than 16:9, you get black bars at the top and bottom, giving a letterbox display. So let's review. We have a 1.33:1 standard aspect ratio (aka 4:3), a 1.78:1 HDTV widescreen ratio (aka 16:9) and several theatrical aspect ratios such as 1.85:1 and 2.35:1. Whew!

Now here’s the bad news. When you have a 16:9 widescreen TV and display a standard definition program in 4:3, the black bars on the side mean that 25% of the screen you recently purchased goes unused. When you watch a movie filmed in the 2.35:1 ratio, the black bars are at the top and bottom, but again 25% of the screen is always black. The 1.85:1 ratio is the closest to 16:9 and translates into a mere 4% loss. Those other numbers are pretty big, though. This is like buying a car that can only use three tires on most roads? It’s the price we all pay for the variety of aspect ratios out there. Now you know why I consider this topic a “pain in the aspect ratio!”

Despite all of this complexity surrounding aspect ratios, the HDTV standards do bring many benefits to those who upgrade their equipment. In the near future, high definition 16:9 programs will be prevalent among the viewing options. We will eventually be much happier as we use 100% of our television screen and Brad Pitt will look like…well…Brad Pitt. Then the only worry we have left is watching our dessert consumption so we don’t increase our own body’s aspect ratio. The last thing we want is to develop a personal widescreen format. A pillarbox shirt is not slimming.

[Note: This is a revised version of the original post, 5/3/07]

HD Ignorance Is Not Bliss! What Are Ten Things I Should Know About HDTV?

I have written many HDTV posts but have failed to provide an overview of oft misunderstood terms and high-definition subjects. In order to help shed light on these concepts, here are ten things that everyone should know about HDTV:

1. There are three major benefits that the HDTV format brings. Besides a lighter wallet and a slight headache, your HDTV setup should give you these main features: First, you’ll experience high resolution that provides great picture detail. The screen and content will have at least 720 lines of resolution. This is superior to standard or enhanced definition (DVD quality), which only has 480 lines of resolution. Second, you’ll have a widescreen format similar to a theater experience. HDTV content is presented in a 16:9 aspect ratio. This is wider than your older, boxier televisions. Lastly, HDTV uses 5.1 surround sound output. The sound content will be divided among five speakers plus a sub-woofer. These speakers include the left, center, and right channel as well as two addtional speakers at the back of the room.
   
   
2. Not all flat panels are HDTVs and not all HDTVs are flat panels. If you're a little confused by that statement, keep in mind that two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do. Flat panel televisions are those ultra-thin televisions that are typically no thicker than four inches. The plasma and LCD technologies currently dominate the flat panel market. While most flat panels are high definition, there are still some available as an inferior enhanced definition television (EDTV). Additionally, there are many HDTVs that are not flat panels. Microdisplays are not as thin as flat panels but at 10” to 18” in depth, they are much shallower than the old picture tubes. These microdisplays include DLPs, LCD Projections, and LCoS televisions. For more information on these HDTV types, read High Def Alphabet Soup.
   
   
3. Not all features are created equal, so be careful when comparing. Michael Jordan and I both have vertical leaps of 42 (inches for Jordan and centimenters for me). That comparison is similar to ones made on HDTVs. First, not all HD is the same. There are three popular high definition resolutions, all improvements over the 480-line enhanced definition resolution that DVDs provide. The 720p resolution is a progressive scan that renews all of its 720 lines each refresh. The 1080i resolution, similar in quality to 720p, uses an older interlaced scan that refreshes only half of its 1080 lines at a time. The 1080p resolution (also called Full HD) has a superior 1080-line progressive scan resolution that delivers more than twice the number of pixels as 720p. Due to its enhanced resolution, 1080p Full HD commands a premium price tag in the retail marketplace. Additionally, be careful when reading manufacturer specifications on contrast ratios. A dynamic contrast ratio looks at the brightest vs. darkest points over time, but the static contrast ratio evaluates this difference at a snapshot in time. Although manufacturers may not explicitly state which ratio is being referenced, very high dynamic contrast ratios are easier to achieve than static ones. An outstanding static contrast ratio is 1,500:1, while it is not unusual to see a dynamic contrast ratio over 10,000:1. This may help you decipher misleading figures and help compare apples to apples (or PCs to PCs, for those who prefer virus infested equipment).
   
   
4. When selecting a type of HDTV, don’t rely on old reputations. Did accusations of fuel tank explosions unfairly ruin the reputation of the Ford Pinto? Okay, so maybe that's a bad example. A better example of old reputations, however, has plagued the plasma television. Plasma was the first flat panel to hit the market and originally had issues with burn-in and longevity. Today, most high quality plasmas use techniques to avoid burn-in and have life expectancies similar to LCDs. Additionally, projection DLP televisions have had problems with “rainbows” appearing during quick movements. This problem has been addressed on newer models through the use of higher speed color wheels. Yesterday’s information can become today’s myth. Recent research is your best bet. Again, for more information on the various HDTV types and their respective advantages, refer to High Def Alphabet Soup.
   
   
5. The pricey Full HD 1080p resolution isn’t always the best bet. When I gave a friend a coat hanger to help retrieve keys from a locked car, I cautioned him not to break a window. He told me that wouldn't be an issue because all of the windows were rolled down. Lesson: although we try to help, it sometimes just doesn't matter. A person with 20/20 vision that views a 50” television at 10 feet away will likely be unable to see a difference between 720p and 1080p. Viewing a 60” television, however, increases the size enough that a 1080p resolution will likely be distinguishable. Viewing distance and television size play an important role in determining if there is any benefit to a Full HD 1080p screen. Keep in mind that an investment in Full HD is an investment in the future. Currently there are no HD television broadcasts in 1080p so the only way to benefit from this higher resolution is through specially marked HD-DVD players, Blu-Ray players or games for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. For a more detailed explanation of screen sizing considerations, as well as a lookup table for viewing distances and recommended screen resolutions, take a look at Size Matters.
   
   
6. The type of cable connection used is important, but it doesn’t have to be costly. When I bought my car, I paid an extra $500 for helium-filled tires. Lighter weight and better fuel economy sounded like a good idea but my spare tire flew away when I let go of the string. Lesson: don't fall for helium tires - and don't fall for expensive cables. There are three good choices for HD video signals. The three-wire component video cable transfers an analog signal, while HDMI and DVI cables transfer digital signals. The only difference between the two digital cables is that HDMI also carries 6-speaker sound signals in the same single cable. While individual circumstances determine whether component or HDMI/DVI provides better picture quality (you should give each a try), HDMI/DVI are the only cables to support Full HD 1080p resolution. Additionally, the analog component cabling is susceptible to signal quality deterioration due to quality of the cable, length of the run, or splitting. For the digital cables, however, The TV either receives the signal or it does not. Any qualified HDMI/DVI cable will provide optimal, lossless picture quality, regardless of price. There is no need spend a lot here, especially if you have moderate runs of cable.
   
   
7. Placing an HDTV in your home does not mean that everything you watch will have crystal clear detail. HDTV has tremendous capabilities, but it can't provide a quality picture from a poor source any more than a Porsche can perform with water in its fuel tank. Due to the increased size and pixel count of most HDTVs, a standard definition signal will look poor and all imperfections will become very visible. To get an HD signal from your satellite or cable provider you need to subscribe to their HD service. Keep in mind that not all channels will be in HD and those HD channels may not play HD programs all of the time. Depending on your location, you can also get local channels in HD over-the-air (i.e. from an antenna). Although standard DVDs are not in HD, they can look pretty darn good using an upconverting DVD player that translates the image to near-HD. The HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players, however, are your best bet for true HD movies on disc. For gaming, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have HD output, but Nintendo’s Wii does not. Remember that component, HDMI, or DVI cables are needed to carry that HD signal (you won’t get it from a composite or s-video cable) and HDMI and DVI are required for 1080p. Without an HD source or HD cabling, you're just putting water in the fuel tank. For more, read Hi Def Jam.
   
   
8. A widescreen television will not eliminate all black bars. Although this is what I have termed a "pain in the aspect," it's important to understand why black bars appear. The aspect ratio of HDTV is 16:9, which means that for every 16 units wide, the screen is 9 units high. If you have an HD programming source (i.e. satellite, cable, or over-the-air), the HD programs will fit perfectly on your new HDTV display. Most television programming, however, is still in standard definition and the boxier 4:3 aspect ratio. This will give black bars at the side. Additionally, movies are typically shot using wider 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratios. These movies will have black bars at the top and bottom of an HDTV. Zooming or stretching the image can eliminate the black bars, but you should be aware of the mismatch in aspect ratios and distorted images. Visit my earlier post, Pain in the Aspect, for more detail on the subject.
   
   
9. Surround sound is part of the HDTV package. Most ladies won't purchase a new dress without new pumps to complete the package. The same accessorizing should be done when creating your high definition home entertainment system. Don’t forget to include an audio receiver capable of 5.1 surround sound output that comes with HDTV. Most HDTV sources will send sound output to five speakers plus a sub-woofer (for deep base sounds). The HDMI cable connectivity not only passes an HD video signal, but a 5.1 surround sound signal, too. All of this is contained in the single cable, making it the connection method of choice. Using an HDMI cable to connect an HD cable/satellite box to an audio receiver and then to your HDTV will likely bring superior video and sound to your television viewing experience. It also allows the receiver to facilitate video switching between many sources (cable, satellite, video games, over-the-air, DVD, PC, etc.) for those TVs with limited inputs. The receiver can really be those purple pumps that complete the appearance. Look for a future post from me regarding receivers with this capability.
   
   
10. You should place the TV as close to eye-level as possible. Ergonomically speaking, you don’t want SPS (short person syndrome), a phenomenon resulting from having to look up for extended periods of time. This means that mounting your plasma above the fireplace will likely have results similar to exhaustively comparing HDTVs: a royal pain in the neck. For most situations, the middle of your television screen should be around four feet off the floor. If you have a large viewing distance, you can get a little higher. Additionally, a projection television such as a DLP, LCD Projection, or LCoS gives its best picture when viewed from eye-level. While these projection televisions have a broad side-to-side viewing angle, their picture deteriorates quickly when viewed vertically off-center. More viewing angle information is provided in High Def Alphabet Soup.

Pain in the Aspect! Why Does Brad Pitt look more like Jack Black on My New HDTV?

One word: Aspect Ratio (okay, that’s two words). The consumer electronics manufacturers and motion picture industry have teamed up to bring you a point of confusion regarding the simple task of watching TV. Black bars and stretched images give unexpected results for new TV buyers. As the public moves toward embracing the new High Definition Television (HDTV) standards, some peculiarities with screen sizes given unexpected results. The HDTV standards brought us three new features: (1) higher resolution pictures that provide greater detail, (2) surround sound output that can be directed up to six speakers, and (3) a new aspect ratio for the screen. It is the "strange but true" topic of the aspect ratio that is tackled here.

First of all, the aspect ratio is not the size of one’s buttocks in relation to one’s overall height (in the sense that Jennifer Lopez would have a higher aspect ratio than Paris Hilton), but rather the relationship of your TV’s width to its height. The standard aspect ratio that has been used on TVs since their inception has now changed with the new HDTV standards. Original TVs had a 4:3 aspect ratio, which means for every 4 inches wide, they are 3 inches tall. This gives the appearance of a rectangle that is almost as tall as it is wide – close to a square. This ratio may also be written with reference to a single unit of height, or 1.33:1 (4 divided by 3 = 1.33). In contrast, the new HDTV standard uses a 16:9 aspect ratio or 16 inches of width for every 9 inches of height. This ratio, also known as 1.78:1, is much broader and is referenced as a widescreen format.

The reason for the move to the wider screen is to provide a much more theater-like experience. Back in the 1950s, the motion picture studios were fearful of television’s ability to erode the attendance at movie theaters (sound familiar?). In response, the studios changed the aspect ratio on movies from 4:3 to a much wider stance. This allowed movie-goers to feel much more immersed. It is not until recently that a wider aspect ratio has been brought to the home. Now, thanks to HDTV, we have the widescreen 16:9 format.

According to a Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) study released in April 2007, about 28% of U.S. households have HDTVs (see TVweek.com). Despite this growing number, only a small percentage of channels available on cable and satellite provide HD programs. A clear majority of the programming is still in standard definition with the original 4:3 aspect ratio. Most television content providers are showing less than 20 HD channels, often amounting to less than 10% of its programming. So if we must live with it, how do we display a 4:3 program on a 16:9 television? There are three basic ways to do this. The first method is to zoom the picture and crop the top and bottom. Be careful, though, because close ups can give Clint Eastwood a flattop. The second method is to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the picture to fill the screen. This is what makes Brad Pitt look like Jack Black. Lastly, you can maintain the full image and 4:3 aspect ratio by showing black bars at the side. This is called a pillarbox effect. For those concerned about preserving the original image without distortion, pillarboxing is the best alternative.

So it would appear that we have this aspect ratio thing understood. Now I can go out and spend $5,000 on a 50-inch HDTV for my bathroom. Since I usually watch movies from my bathtub (I call it my “pruning” time), I’ll also plan to hook up a DVD player to it. This will allow me to show widescreen movies on my widescreen TV: a perfect match. I will purchase G.I. Jane, featuring the best bald-headed chick since Ripley in Alien 3, and pop it into the player. To my surprise, I will not have escaped the annoying black bars. The bars have merely rotated ninety degrees and pushed themselves to the top and bottom. What the…? Does this TV need to go back to the manufacturer? Not so fast.

The movie G.I. Jane is presented in a 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio. The motion picture industry now has a few different standards, many of which are even wider than 16:9. The 1.85:1 ratio is another popular ratio for movies, but much closer to our TV’s 16:9 ratio. When you display a video with an aspect ratio wider than 16:9, you get black bars at the top and bottom, giving a letterbox display. So let's review. We have a 1.33:1 standard aspect ratio (aka 4:3), a 1.78:1 HDTV widescreen ratio (aka 16:9) and several theatrical aspect ratios such as 1.85:1 and 2.35:1. Whew!

Now here’s the bad news. When you have a 16:9 widescreen TV and display a standard definition program in 4:3, the black bars on the side mean that 25% of the screen you recently purchased goes unused. When you watch a movie filmed in the 2.35:1 ratio, the black bars are at the top and bottom, but again 25% of the screen is always black. The 1.85:1 ratio is the closest to 16:9 and translates into a mere 4% loss. Those other numbers are pretty big, though. This is like buying a car that can only use three tires on most roads? It’s the price we all pay for the variety of aspect ratios out there. Now you know why I consider this topic a “pain in the aspect!”

Despite all of this complexity surrounding aspect ratios, the HDTV standards do bring many benefits to those who upgrade their equipment. In the near future, high definition 16:9 programs will be prevalent among the viewing options. We will eventually be much happier as we use 100% of our television screen and Brad Pitt will look like…well…Brad Pitt. Then the only worry we have left is watching our dessert consumption so we don’t increase our own body’s aspect ratio. The last thing we want is to develop a personal widescreen format. A pillarbox shirt is not slimming.