Widescreen or Full Frame

[JD]

This morning I watched a copy of The Incredible Hulk that I picked up for $5 during Wal-Mart's Black Friday sale. I was really looking forward to watching it again, until I started it and I found that it was Full Frame instead of Widescreen. I hate Full Frame, but since I waited so long to get it watched I'm stuck with it, and so I decided to just watch it. But watching it reminded me why I hate FF so much, there were several times during the actions scenes were you couldn't even see what The Hulk was doing since he took up so much of the screen and all of the action was on the sides.
So now I was curious to see what you guys on here think of the two versions? Do you prefer WS, or FF?

 

[AviTrek]

I prefer the OAS. If the film was originally created in WS then I prefer WS over 4x3. If the film(or tv show) was originally 4x3 then I prefer that over WS.

Also, using Full Frame in this context doesn't really make sense. Full Frame refers to filling the whole screen. If you have a 16x9 screen then Full Frame implies a 16x9 imagine. If you have a 4x3 screen then Full Frame implies 4x3.

 

[Gojira]

Wide screen only for me.

 

[JD]

I prefer the OAS. If the film was originally created in WS then I prefer WS over 4x3. If the film(or tv show) was originally 4x3 then I prefer that over WS.

Also, using Full Frame in this context doesn't really make sense. Full Frame refers to filling the whole screen. If you have a 16x9 screen then Full Frame implies a 16x9 imagine. If you have a 4x3 screen then Full Frame implies 4x3.

Yeah, I meant 4x3. I didn't know the ration and I've only ever heard it referred to as Full Frame.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

I always try to get widescreen now that it is an option. There are so many movies I remember mostly seeing in pan and scan on TV, and you miss so much of the set pieces and action.

 

[MacLeod]

Widescreen/OAS all the way, thankfully that's been the norm for TV's for well over a decade, even before HD become the rage.

Even ona 4x3 screen you don't notice the black bars after a while. You'd be hard pressed to find a 4x3 format DVD on this side the pond unless it was filmed in that aspect ratio.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Widescreen, by which I mean the aspect ratio it was intended to be viewed in.

For example, Gone with the Wind is 11:8, or 1.375:1. Indeed, the reason for 4:3 is that back in the day, 11:8 (which is approximately 4:3, or 1.333...:1) was the normal aspect ratio for theatrical films [see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_ratio]. Today, it's normally wider, of course.

 

[nvek86]

OAS.
I never understood why the FullFrame thing was even developed; I've heard that people complained about the black bars on their tv screens, but why would you want to miss part of the picture.

 

[JD]

I had a friend back when Widescreen DVDs were just starting to come out who hated them because he insisted the black bars were cutting off part of the picture and the "Full Frame" versions were the whole picture. I have a feeling he probably wasn't the only one who thought that.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

16x9 all day, sonny boy!

 

[Mike Farley]

Original Aspect Ratio, whatever that may be.

 

[Trekker4747]

I prefer OAR.

 

[BillJ]

I had a friend back when Widescreen DVDs were just starting to come out who hated them because he insisted the black bars were cutting off part of the picture and the "Full Frame" versions were the whole picture. I have a feeling he probably wasn't the only one who thought that.

But I think there are a few films out there actually shot in 4:3 then were cropped for theatrical release. It's been a while since I read the article and need to do some research...

 

[DonIago]

Whatever ratio those making the film intended for it to be seen in.

 

[Methos]

depends what it was filmed in...

if it was filmed in widescreen, then i want to watch it in widescreen...

its the same as cameras, full frame sensor or cropped sensor... if you take a photo on a full frame camera, then crop it, you loose so much of the image when it goes through processing because you framed the composition around a full frame, not a cropped view...

M

 

[Aragorn]

OAS.
I never understood why the FullFrame thing was even developed; I've heard that people complained about the black bars on their tv screens, but why would you want to miss part of the picture.

It was just a mentality a lot of people had where they felt like they were seeing less if it wasn't filling up the whole screen. I knew people who complained about the "black bars." Even the term "full screen" that was on all the DVD covers doesn't really explain what's actually happening and probably made people think they were getting more on their screen.

I wonder now with widescreen TVs being the norm if these same people complain about "black bars" on the side. Of course, now they simply just press the picture stretching button.

 

[Mysterion]

Widescreen.

Full-Screen should be prohibited by Federal law.

 

[T'Baio]

Original Aspect Ratio, of course.

 

[Trekker4747]

What the hell is the "OAS" people mention above?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

OAS = original aspect ratio. I'm glad it's getting a lot of support.