Question about Blu-Ray functionality

Just put in 300, and I noticed that there are borders at the top and bottom of my screen. WTF? I went into DVD settings in the menu, and found nothing to change this. And yes, I'm using a 16:9 1080p TV. Is this normal for some/allmovies? What gives?

This isn't a problem with the PS3, blu-ray or your TV. Go to this link and you'll learn about a little thing called "anamorphic widescreen" that most people don't seem to know about:

http://gregl.net/videophile/anamorphic.htm

Even 16:9 sets will have a lot of movies that have black bars - it's because most movies are shot in a wider format than even 16:9. At the proper format that's faithful to the movie (i.e. no cheating with your TV's zoom/full screenfunction) black bars will still appear on the top and bottom even with an HDTV.

This isn't a problem with the PS3, blu-ray or your TV. Go to this link and you'll learn about a little thing called "anamorphic widescreen" that most people don't seem to know about:

http://gregl.net/videophile/anamorphic.htm

Even 16:9 sets will have a lot of movies that have black bars - it's because most movies are shot in a wider format than even 16:9. At the proper format that's faithful to the movie (i.e. no cheating with your TV's zoom/full screenfunction) black bars will still appear on the top and bottom even with an HDTV.

ogie_s

Helpful link. I thought there was an option somewhere in the DvD menu where I could turn it off, but there wasn't. Good to know (although still irritating) that it's normal. Thanks.

it's because the original theatrical version is still wider then 16:9. It's normalKhimarhi

It shouldn't happen, if you have a 16:9 (widescreen) TV. My regular DVD player doesn't leave borders.Jbul

[QUOTE="ogie_s"]

This isn't a problem with the PS3, blu-ray or your TV. Go to this link and you'll learn about a little thing called "anamorphic widescreen" that most people don't seem to know about:

http://gregl.net/videophile/anamorphic.htm

Even 16:9 sets will have a lot of movies that have black bars - it's because most movies are shot in a wider format than even 16:9. At the proper format that's faithful to the movie (i.e. no cheating with your TV's zoom/full screenfunction) black bars will still appear on the top and bottom even with an HDTV.

Jbul

Helpful link. I thought there was an option somewhere in the DvD menu where I could turn it off, but there wasn't. Good to know (although still irritating) that it's normal. Thanks.

You can'tturn it off but you can a) hit triangle and set the aspect ratio on the PS3 to "zoom"or b) set your TV to zoom with your TV remote. I don't like to use it because then you crop the edges of the movie.

The plus side of blackborders is that it can give the viewer a better looking image. Same with photographs, if they are bordered in black - it helps show the quality of an image - whereas white may make it look bad.

Most TV's have a black border around the screen anyways, so it can be annoying to have black bars on the movie as well. At least it isn't as bad as Widescreen movies were a few years back... where the black bars were HUGE. That was REAL letterbox. Those were the beginning days of widescreen TVs.

Some people are going to freak out when Ben Hur makes it to HD, people will be like, the black bars on the top and bottom are thicker than the actual movie :) Or an older movie like Robin Hood or Casablanca that are 4:3 HD.

Seriously, how can anyone confuse now-a-days with something wrong with bars on movies? After all we went through to get widescreen movies for DVD, now people expect them to crop movies just to fill a widescreen tv? It's going to be wider than your HDTV like 80% of the time. I mean, it's the same with DVDs, they are not all 16:9.