Want to Try the “Old Hollywood” Effect in Your Home Theater System?

Seeing Movies in Anamorphic Style Give Visuals New Life!

Whatever movie you view, from modern action flicks, dramas and comedies to sports events, it will most likely benefit from the superior image rendering of anamorphic style.  

What is anamorphic formatting? This setup automatically fills your screen with the aspect ratio intended by the film’s creator. Basically, if a film was meant to be seen in square aspect ratio (1.33:1), that’s how anamorphic will render it. If the movie is a widescreen and features a rectangular aspect ratio (1.85:1 or 2.35:1), it will fill the entire screen, automatically.

Prepare your home theater system for endless entertainment before the colder season settles in by revamping your screen setup. In this blog, we’ll let you know a few more details and benefits of this visual configuration so you’ll understand how to experience more immersive movies in your Fayetteville, Arkansas, home. 

SEE ALSO: Transition From Summer to Fall With an Outdoor Audio System! 

What’s Aspect Ratio?

Aspect ratio refers to the shape of the image on the screen. Historically, movies have been shot in either square or rectangle formats. The most common ratios are 1.33:1; 1.85:1; and 2.35:1. In other words, a widescreen movie may have an aspect ratio that’s 2.35 times as wide as it is tall. That’s why black letterbox bars appear at the top and bottom of your screen when you watch a widescreen movie – it’s just too wide to present the whole image otherwise.

When you watch anamorphic content on a Blu-ray disc or digital server, the image will automatically adjust to fill the entire screen, no matter the shape. That doesn’t mean you won’t see the black letterbox bars on the top and bottom of the screen if the aspect ratio is too wide. Rather, it means you won’t see letterbox bars on the sides of the screen. 

Confused yet? There’s more. Years ago, the most common aspect ratio of a tube television was 4:3, which is roughly the same as 1.33:1. When HDTVs came along, they widened the screen to 16:9, which is about the same shape as 1.85:1. When you watch something wider than that, you’ll still see the black bars at the top and bottom. This language has become so common that most TV and projector manufacturers and content producers will simply refer to it as 16:9 or 4:3 rather than any other measurement.

So, how do you keep track of all those numbers? The good news is, you don’t have to. Anamorphic configuration automatically changes the content to fill the screen and 

Improve your movie-viewing experience. Content typically also features enhanced image quality and brightness, because the entire video frame is used to store image data. 

How Projectors Help

Home theater projectors have long supported anamorphic content by automatically shifting lenses to match the aspect ratio of the content you’re watching. However, 2019 introduced new 4K projectors that let viewers enjoy 16:9 programming without moving the lens, affording that traditional, wide aspect ratio, including models from Sony and LG. 

Today’s most popular projector models also include anamorphic upconversion modes,  with an external anamorphic lens to convert their full performance into the larger 2.35:1 cinema movie format for the highest brightness and detail – all while still providing modes for watching 16:9 content. The result? These projectors can actually deliver better movie performance than you can get in most cineplexes. Who wouldn’t want that experience for their home theater? 

Creating Movie Magic

We also have other ideas to enhance the screen setup. For example, while we’re installing your home theater equipment, we can also add motorized draperies that change the screen shape, just like you see in the cineplex. By integrating a home automation scene that not only turns the projector on and dims the lights but also drops the shades to create a widescreen look. 

 

Ready to experience video from a different lens and recreate some Old Hollywood glamour? Give us a call at (479) 365-2201, or fill out our online contact form to schedule a no-obligation consultation with our team.  We’d look forward to hearing from you!