HD ADVISOR MEGA INSTALLMENT - Constant Height Projection

[Attebery]

This week's HD Advisor is a BIG deal. BIG! You'll need the weekend to check it all out!

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...rojection/2798

[crazzeto]

read through a good portion of this earlier, interesting read.

[septim]

Fascinating. This was a really impressive entry. As someone who is looking into buying a scope screen I am glad for this guide. I think I will stick to my plan of buying a high power scope screen to compensate the loss of brightness rather than bother with any lenses or anything.

[Hastor]

Good article, but once again I miss the Q&A I wait all week for! Usually one of the best Q&A's on here, always disappointing when its a single article. Lots of good info, just stuff I was already aware of. Several Q&A's always touch on at least a couple things that are new to me. No complaints really, we're lucky to have a good Q&A column, just saying I miss it (and wish it were longer, but I know there's only so much time to go around).

Personally, the black bars are too easily mentally tuned out by me to bother spending more on covering them up in any way. While I of course hate cropping, I'm never distracted by bars. Having a Laserdisc player since the mid 90's, and watching the few letterboxed VHS's before that, it is a total non-issue to me. I can appreciate a tv capable of 24fps, or sound that is 7.1 lossless (though I can't currently use either), but covering up black bars is something my brain does on its own just fine, especially with the lights down and a TV with a black frame (though even with lights on and a white framed TV, the bars would be non-existent in my mind. I might want the lights off, but not because of the bars).

[ATLFalconsFAN]

Im glad that I stuck with a 16X9 screen. For folks who still plan to watch TV or play video games with their PJ this is the way to go.

[bujee1]

Originally Posted by ATLFalconsFAN

Im glad that I stuck with a 16X9 screen. For folks who still plan to watch TV or play video games with their PJ this is the way to go.

I agree.
The best of both worlds is to have a 16:9 screen and mask it for 2.35:1

[JediFonger]

for subtitles, it's best to watch it on a HTPC where u can adjust it. standalone players don't have as much choice...

or just play all encodes . guarantees 2.35 sub compatibility all the way =)

[Josh Z]

Originally Posted by JediFonger

for subtitles, it's best to watch it on a HTPC where u can adjust it. standalone players don't have as much choice...

That's only true on DVD. Blu-ray has a protected video path. The subtitles can't be adjusted on an HTPC either.

[Josh Z]

Originally Posted by bujee1

I agree.
The best of both worlds is to have a 16:9 screen and mask it for 2.35:1

Scope movies are still smaller than Flat movies in that scenario. CIH isn't just about getting rid of the black bars. It's about restoring Scope movies to their proper size in comparison to narrower ratios.

[comixguru]

CIH stuff is very nice. Wish I had a dedicated theater to do something like this with. The processing appears to be coming in more and more projectors, but the lens is still a pricey add-on.

I'd like a scope projector that does it all in the box. Buy a 2.3:1 screen and the projector does all the rest for you. That would be nice.

[SamBeckett]

Also have to say it was a very interesting read - gives me alot to think about when I up grade my projector.

thanks for the article

[bluetoast]

Great entry, but one question. What exactly is a protected video path?

[Cochise]

Originally Posted by bujee1

I agree.
The best of both worlds is to have a 16:9 screen and mask it for 2.35:1

On my Cinema Gray screen, I really don't even notice the black bars, the black bars are no more noticeable than they are on a 'regular' TV.

Originally Posted by Josh Z

Scope movies are still smaller than Flat movies in that scenario. CIH isn't just about getting rid of the black bars. It's about restoring Scope movies to their proper size in comparison to narrower ratios.

Well, I guess it's for the purist then, as it seems to me a ridiculous amount of expense and work to just "restore Scope movies to their proper size". On my 100" screen the image size in a 2.35 movie is more than adequate for me.

[Motorheadache]

I like the idea of having a Scope-Screen setup, but it seems like too big a pain (at least currently).

I agree though- it would be nice to have scope films the largest movies just like at the theater. I might be willing to get that setup when I buy a projector, but I'd probably settle for a "zoom-in" as the whole anamorphic lens seems like quite an ordeal.

That 21:9 tv is pretty stupid though. It's probably not wider than other sets, it's just narrower. So essentially you'd be shrinking down your 16:9 content in order to feel like your scope movies are "larger."

[jedi.master.dre]

As usual very good article Josh! Keep up the good work.