Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

[HeWhoWalksBehindtheRows]

My Blu-Ray is in 2.35:1 (maybe 2.40:1, I can't tell the diff between the two, it's so miniscule), but it show up on my Vudu (D2D conversion, not UV copy redemption) in 1.85:1. I submitted an issue months ago, literally 6-7 months ago, and no dice.

This also happened with Forest Gump for me, but they fixed it (it was showing in 1.33:1 pan and scan).

Anyone else having this problem?

Oh, and longtime reader, first time poster.

[HeWhoWalksBehindtheRows]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

Sooo....nobody?

[jeffpn]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

I think it's a bad assumption that a 2.35 BluRay will be a 2.35 Vudu stream. It's whatever Vudu gets from the studio that they give you. Blu Rays and streaming are not the same thing. In the case of Forrest Gump, I bet they thought (eventually) that a 1.33 is unacceptable in today's widescreen world. I think it'll take some convincing to get them to change a 1.85 to a 2.35.

[echopulse]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

Not necessarily, when they first re-encoded Forrest Gump, it was 16x9 or 1.77:1, but we notified them it was incorrect and they re encoded it again in 2.35:1

[jeffpn]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

....
Misread your post and can't delete this one.

[Jake]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

I think it's a bad assumption that a 2.35 BluRay will be a 2.35 Vudu stream. It's whatever Vudu gets from the studio that they give you. Blu Rays and streaming are not the same thing. In the case of Forrest Gump, I bet they thought (eventually) that a 1.33 is unacceptable in today's widescreen world. I think it'll take some convincing to get them to change a 1.85 to a 2.35.

Heh, actually, with Forrest Gump (as you may remember) the *2nd* time the studio provided content it was 1.85:1 but stereo. The *third* time they finally gave us 2.35:1 and 5.1

In general Vudu's policy is to use the theatrical OAR whenever possible, but sometimes the studios have different groups mastering for BD vs digital distribution, etc. We will usually try to re-request a new format if it's the wrong one (though there is room for improvement on the encoding QC side in that regard...)

Just FYI in case you are interested, a bit of film trivia... often the 2.35:1 films you see as 1.85:1 in DVD or TV broadcast (less often in BD) are filmed "open matte" - i.e. on 35mm film at a more "squarish" AR. In the past it was just because of the 35mm film dimensions (and you'd sometimes see goofs like boom mikes in the open matte) but more recently they are actually framed by the director to be opened up for DVDs, etc, because for whatever reason many consumers hate black bars. So, anyway, the point is it's not the OAR (which I prefer, too) but sometimes you aren't "losing" anything in the picture, it's "extra info". Other times it is cropped, which is more annoying...

[Sandra]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

I happen to like my copy of Batman Begins. I prefer full screen HD. The 1:85 copy of Batman Begins looks great. I don't want you to change it to 2:35. I never liked any movie in 2:35. I was the one that put in the ticket on Forrest Gump to begin with because it was in pan scan. When it was finally fixed it was 1:85 and the picture filled the screen which I really like and then was changed to have the black bars top and bottom. I don't like black bars. Jake is right about most customers not liking the black bars as I work for a cable company and most customers want the picture to fill their TV screen.

I DON'T WANT the picture format changed on my copy of Batman Begins changed. It looks awesome the way it is. It does however need 5.1 surround added as the HDX and HD versions are Dolby Stereo.

[lujan]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

... It does however need 5.1 surround added as the HDX and HD versions are Dolby Stereo.

There are a ton of Vudu movies with an incorrect audio encode and worse yet some with DD5.1 on HD and Dolby Stereo on HDX which really doesn't make sense.

[MaxH]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

I happen to like my copy of Batman Begins. I prefer full screen HD. The 1:85 copy of Batman Begins looks great. I don't want you to change it to 2:35. I never liked any movie in 2:35. I was the one that put in the ticket on Forrest Gump to begin with because it was in pan scan. When it was finally fixed it was 1:85 and the picture filled the screen which I really like and then was changed to have the black bars top and bottom. I don't like black bars. Jake is right about most customers not liking the black bars as I work for a cable company and most customers want the picture to fill their TV screen.

I DON'T WANT the picture format changed on my copy of Batman Begins changed. It looks awesome the way it is. It does however need 5.1 surround added as the HDX and HD versions are Dolby Stereo.

Yes, but most TVs made in the last 5-10 years have a zoom feature. Most people who don't care about the OAR can zoom to get rid of the black bars, but there's nothing the rest of us can do to watch it in the OAR if the image information is not there. And Vudu stands apart from the competition by offering better video and audio quality than other streaming providers in order to be the preferred VOD provider for home theater enthusiasts (at least that was their niche when they started out).

[Sandra]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

Yes, but most TVs made in the last 5-10 years have a zoom feature. Most people who don't care about the OAR can zoom to get rid of the black bars, but there's nothing the rest of us can do to watch it in the OAR if the image information is not there. And Vudu stands apart from the competition by offering better video and audio quality than other streaming providers in order to be the preferred VOD provider for home theater enthusiasts (at least that was their niche when they started out).

As I advise customer's, yes you can use the zoom feature on your tv to get rid of the black bars by stretching the picture but you will degrade the signal. That is if your TV has a zoom feature which none of mine do. So not all HDTV's have a zoom feature. I bought all three of my HDTVS in the last 4 years. If it's made to fill the screen in the first place in HD there is no picture degradation.

[jeffpn]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

If the studio (or Vudu) crops it before streaming so it fits your TV with no black bars, I'm sure it's essentially the same process that your TV does. There's only so much data or resolution to define a picture. If Vudu or the studios take the sides of a 2.35 away so that it fits your 16x9, I strongly doubt that they're adding resolution to the remaining picture. That same resolution is stretched across your entire screen, just the same as if you were using your zoom feature.

[Sandra]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

I disagree Jeff ...the picture with full screen HD looks normal but when you use a zoom feature it can look too big ..wording cut off, heads cut off etc or the picture can be distorted.

[jeffpn]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

I guess that would depend on how your TV zooms. But I see your point. Still, it's a cropped image, however or wherever it's cropped.

[ydkjman]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

Let me ask this then. For The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight rises. What aspect ratio are we getting with the video streams from Vudu? Cause if you notice when you watch them on Blu-ray when the scenes that were filmed in IMAX show, they fill the whole TV screen. Not on Vudu.

[jeffpn]

Re: Batman Begins wrong aspect ratio?

when you watch them on Blu-ray when the scenes that were filmed in IMAX show, they fill the whole TV screen. Not on Vudu.

Don't they make TVs now that are different aspect ratios? I thought I've seen a TV that was wider than a 16x9. I think filling the whole TV screen is going to depend on what kind of TV you have.