Playing 2:35:1 movies on my widescreen monitor

I recently bought a widescreen monitor (16:9 aspect ratio) and was
dismayed to find out that most DIVX movie files are in 2.35:1, and
thus leave a solid bar on the top and bottom of my screen when I play
them.

Is there a media player that can fit these movies to my 16:9 screen
that involves cropping the extreme left and right portions of the
picture?

(I do not like the solution that some media players offer, which is to
vertically stretch the picture and making everybody look anorexic).

On 5 May 2007 07:36:01 -0700, don <doncherry3@yahoo.com> wrote:

>I recently bought a widescreen monitor (16:9 aspect ratio) and was
>dismayed to find out that most DIVX movie files are in 2.35:1, and
>thus leave a solid bar on the top and bottom of my screen when I play
>them.
>
>Is there a media player that can fit these movies to my 16:9 screen
>that involves cropping the extreme left and right portions of the
>picture?
>
>(I do not like the solution that some media players offer, which is to
>vertically stretch the picture and making everybody look anorexic).


I doubt you'll get much support from alt.video.dvd. As a general
rule, we're guys who were THRILLED when laserdiscs first came out and
we could see those solid bars on our TV sets (meaning that we were now
seeing the whole movie)!

Plus, the DivX part of the question doesn't imply that you're doing
much to support the filmmakers who worked their asses off shooting the
movie.

That said, even if your goal is to have the picture fill your screen,
I can't imagine why you'd want it just arbitrarily cropped a little
bit each on the left and right sides. Wouldn't you prefer some
network's 16:9 pan&scan conversion where at least someone made some
effort to make sure that the film was cropped in as intelligent way as
possible?

Sometimes, with the pan&scan conversions, you actually get more
picture than the "poor suckers" who saw it in the theater. Why, back
in the 80s, I remember being surprised to see:

- boom mikes,
- black Xes made of electrical tape where they shouldn't be on Phoebe
Cates,
- the "endless bicycle chain" trick ruined in Peewee's Big Adventure,
and
- a little bonus Kelly LeBrock in The Woman in Red.

Also, you generally just get to see a little extra ceiling & floor at
the tops and bottoms of the frame. I'd take that over having the left
& right sides blindly chopped off by a piece of software.


Good luck to ya! Watch the final duel at the end of "The Good, The
Bad and The Ugly," and let us know how you like it. :-)

"don" <doncherry3@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1178375761.624778.12550@y5g2000hsa.googlegrou ps.com...
>I recently bought a widescreen monitor (16:9 aspect ratio) and was
> dismayed to find out that most DIVX movie files are in 2.35:1, and
> thus leave a solid bar on the top and bottom of my screen when I play
> them.
>
> Is there a media player that can fit these movies to my 16:9 screen
> that involves cropping the extreme left and right portions of the
> picture?
>
> (I do not like the solution that some media players offer, which is to
> vertically stretch the picture and making everybody look anorexic).
>


just use vlcplayer and tell it to crop - if you must.


--
Gareth.

That fly... is your magic wand.
http://www.last.fm/user/dsbmusic/

"the dog from that film you saw" <dsb@removethisportionbtinternet.com> wrote
in message news:5a4353F2nd6bhU2@mid.individual.net...
>
> "don" <doncherry3@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1178375761.624778.12550@y5g2000hsa.googlegrou ps.com...
>>I recently bought a widescreen monitor (16:9 aspect ratio) and was
>> dismayed to find out that most DIVX movie files are in 2.35:1, and
>> thus leave a solid bar on the top and bottom of my screen when I play
>> them.
>>
>> Is there a media player that can fit these movies to my 16:9 screen
>> that involves cropping the extreme left and right portions of the
>> picture?
>>
>> (I do not like the solution that some media players offer, which is to
>> vertically stretch the picture and making everybody look anorexic).
>>
>
>
> just use vlcplayer and tell it to crop - if you must.
>
>
> --
> Gareth.
>
> That fly... is your magic wand.
> http://www.last.fm/user/dsbmusic/
>

Most blockbuster movies are 2.35:1
TV is 4:3 or 16:9
get over it

O_o You paid to get a widescreen TV and now you wanna cut the sides
off? This boggles my mind.

On 5 May 2007 07:36:01 -0700, don <doncherry3@yahoo.com> wrote:

>I recently bought a widescreen monitor (16:9 aspect ratio) and was
>dismayed to find out that most DIVX movie files are in 2.35:1, and
>thus leave a solid bar on the top and bottom of my screen when I play
>them.
>
>Is there a media player that can fit these movies to my 16:9 screen
>that involves cropping the extreme left and right portions of the
>picture?
>
>(I do not like the solution that some media players offer, which is to
>vertically stretch the picture and making everybody look anorexic).

Jonathan Brisby wrote:
> O_o You paid to get a widescreen TV and now you wanna cut the sides
> off? This boggles my mind.

It makes sense to me. The movie is 2.35:1. The screen is 1.78:1. There
are black bars at the top and bottom. But maybe somehow by cutting the
sides off of the movie it can be made to fit the 1.78:1 screen.

Myself, I wouldn’t mind too much. It wouldn't be as bad as watching the
movie on a 1.33:1 screen.

"don" <doncherry3@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1178375761.624778.12550@y5g2000hsa.googlegrou ps.com...
>I recently bought a widescreen monitor (16:9 aspect ratio) and was
> dismayed to find out that most DIVX movie files are in 2.35:1, and
> thus leave a solid bar on the top and bottom of my screen when I play
> them.
>
> Is there a media player that can fit these movies to my 16:9 screen
> that involves cropping the extreme left and right portions of the
> picture?
>
> (I do not like the solution that some media players offer, which is to
> vertically stretch the picture and making everybody look anorexic).

What Zoom ratios does your DVD player offer? The least mine will do is 2X,
but something less is needed. I really don't know which DVD players offer
those smaller Zoom ratios, but would like to find out. With my 4:3 screen I
believe 1.5X would be about right. Maybe with your 16:9 screen, 1.2X or 1.3X
would work OK.

"don" <doncherry3@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1178375761.624778.12550@y5g2000hsa.googlegrou ps.com...
>I recently bought a widescreen monitor (16:9 aspect ratio) and was
> dismayed to find out that most DIVX movie files are in 2.35:1, and
> thus leave a solid bar on the top and bottom of my screen when I play
> them.
>
> Is there a media player that can fit these movies to my 16:9 screen
> that involves cropping the extreme left and right portions of the
> picture?
>
> (I do not like the solution that some media players offer, which is to
> vertically stretch the picture and making everybody look anorexic).

What Zoom ratios does your DVD player offer? The least mine will do is 2X,
but something less is needed. I really don't know which DVD players offer
those smaller Zoom ratios, but would like to find out. With my 4:3 screen I
believe 1.5X would be about right. Maybe with your 16:9 screen, 1.2X or 1.3X
would work OK.

don wrote on [5 May 2007 07:36:01 -0700]:
> I recently bought a widescreen monitor (16:9 aspect ratio) and was
> dismayed to find out that most DIVX movie files are in 2.35:1, and
> thus leave a solid bar on the top and bottom of my screen when I play
> them.

Watch the movie, not the screen.

Idiot.

"NRen2k5" <nomore@email.com> wrote in message
news:jMi%h.6432$PM5.14642@weber.videotron.net...
> Jonathan Brisby wrote:
>> O_o You paid to get a widescreen TV and now you wanna cut the sides
>> off? This boggles my mind.
>
> It makes sense to me. The movie is 2.35:1. The screen is 1.78:1. There
> are black bars at the top and bottom. But maybe somehow by cutting the
> sides off of the movie it can be made to fit the 1.78:1 screen.
>
> Myself, I wouldn't mind too much. It wouldn't be as bad as watching the
> movie on a 1.33:1 screen.

Un. ****ing. Believable.

Cut of Mona Lisa's head because you happen to have a frame that's more
square than the painting. That makes so much sense.