Several people have asked whether MGM has applied open matte to something that was originally filmed in 4:3 or to something filmed wider that was pan-and-scanned. I've checked my copy of "A Fish Called Wanda," and done a bit of a Web search, and I believe that this one, at least, was filmed in 4:3 and matted properly for the DVD's wide-screen side. (This DVD has both versions on one disc.) Specifically, a Google search turned up several sites that use "A Fish Called Wanda" as an example of the perils of open matting:
Checking my DVD for the scene that's used as an example on these sites, I see that both the "widescreen" and "full-screen" sides show what the Web sites say they should show. In other words, the DVD of "A Fish Called Wanda" does not seem to be matting of a pan-and-scan version. I have no cause for complaint on this one.
Of course, this says nothing about the other titles. "A Fish Called Wanda" happens to be the only one I own from that list.
Actually, there are a few panoramic cameras that work just as you say -- using a wider-than-normal strip of negative for the image. For instance, there's a line of cameras from Russia called the Horizon. Check http://www.rugift.com/ for one international retailer that sells them. (I don't own one of these cameras myself, though.) I believe there are a couple other brands, too. Most or all APS cameras with "panoramic" options just crop standard-sized negatives, though.
I got the e-mail. For me, it was spam. I never asked for it. I didn't sign up for any Microsoft newsletter, and certainly not in any way that was verified via a reasonable opt-out system. Thus, I found the passage about spam particularly ironic. Here was some long-winded spam that trumpeted how the next version of Windows would have spam-protection tools. Naturally, I fired off an abuse complaint. So far, I've received no response to that.
For those who love the Sony TiVo remote but who don't have Sony units, be aware that the Sony remote is actually a UEI model. This means that you can hack it and upload upgrade codes to it. There's a thread about doing this on the TiVo Community Forum: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?s=&threadid=101136. Of course, you'll need a Sony remote to hack in order to do this. If you owned a Sony TiVo that died, maybe the remote's still lying around. If not, check eBay. I think Sony may sell them, too, but I'm not sure exactly where you'd go to find them.
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Several people have asked whether MGM has applied open matte to something that was originally filmed in 4:3 or to something filmed wider that was pan-and-scanned. I've checked my copy of "A Fish Called Wanda," and done a bit of a Web search, and I believe that this one, at least, was filmed in 4:3 and matted properly for the DVD's wide-screen side. (This DVD has both versions on one disc.) Specifically, a Google search turned up several sites that use "A Fish Called Wanda" as an example of the perils of open matting:
http://www.widescreen.org/widescreen_matted.shtml
http://www.rexer.com/cine/oar.htm
Checking my DVD for the scene that's used as an example on these sites, I see that both the "widescreen" and "full-screen" sides show what the Web sites say they should show. In other words, the DVD of "A Fish Called Wanda" does not seem to be matting of a pan-and-scan version. I have no cause for complaint on this one.
Of course, this says nothing about the other titles. "A Fish Called Wanda" happens to be the only one I own from that list.
Actually, there are a few panoramic cameras that work just as you say -- using a wider-than-normal strip of negative for the image. For instance, there's a line of cameras from Russia called the Horizon. Check http://www.rugift.com/ for one international retailer that sells them. (I don't own one of these cameras myself, though.) I believe there are a couple other brands, too. Most or all APS cameras with "panoramic" options just crop standard-sized negatives, though.
I got the e-mail. For me, it was spam. I never asked for it. I didn't sign up for any Microsoft newsletter, and certainly not in any way that was verified via a reasonable opt-out system. Thus, I found the passage about spam particularly ironic. Here was some long-winded spam that trumpeted how the next version of Windows would have spam-protection tools. Naturally, I fired off an abuse complaint. So far, I've received no response to that.
For those who love the Sony TiVo remote but who don't have Sony units, be aware that the Sony remote is actually a UEI model. This means that you can hack it and upload upgrade codes to it. There's a thread about doing this on the TiVo Community Forum: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.ph p?s=&threadid=101136. Of course, you'll need a Sony remote to hack in order to do this. If you owned a Sony TiVo that died, maybe the remote's still lying around. If not, check eBay. I think Sony may sell them, too, but I'm not sure exactly where you'd go to find them.