DVDizzy Forum

I just popped the dvd in and the aspect ratio is like a square on my television. Black boarders on all 4 sides of my standard box style tv.

What is up with this? It looks terrible!

The aspect ratio of CINDERELLA is 1.37:1.

You could always stretch the image to fit your 16:9 TV.

Or else, you could put black tape over the top and bottom of your frame.

GreatGreg wrote:The aspect ratio of CINDERELLA is 1.37:1.

You could always stretch the image to fit your 16:9 TV.

Or else, you could put black tape over the top and bottom of your frame.

The dvd's website lists the dvd and blu ray as having a 1.33 : 1 and IMDB lists the film as having a 1.37 : 1 aspect ratio.

So strange.

Disney formatted the DVD for wide screen tvs. It is a problem for anyone viewing it on an old fashioned standard tv like you and I. I suspect it was a mistake on Disney's part because they haven't done this before or since Cinderella's Diamond release including Peter Pan which is formatted properly on DVD for either standard or wide screen tvs. It is very annoying, but I doubt Disney cares to do anything about it or that they even realize the problem. Anyone using a wide screen tv wouldn't even understand.

The black bars, as you call them, are in reality unused portions of your television screen. This is sometimes called the pillar-box style of presentation. Did you check your television to make sure all your settings are correct? We have four televisions in our house and the one that the grand kids use is upright rear projection television like you have. Check the settings on your television AND on your player and see if they match.

I only have an very old "Cinderella" and it has the unused bars only on the sides of the picture. The Blu-ray on the other hand is really nice with its Disney View attachment.

jade wrote:

GreatGreg wrote:The aspect ratio of CINDERELLA is 1.37:1.

You could always stretch the image to fit your 16:9 TV.

Or else, you could put black tape over the top and bottom of your frame.

The dvd's website lists the dvd and blu ray as having a 1.33 : 1 and IMDB lists the film as having a 1.37 : 1 aspect ratio.

So strange.

I think the following article at http://www.dvdactive.com/editorial/arti ... t-one.html explains it best when it says:

"From the beginnings of silent film, up until the early 1930s, virtually all movies shared the same aspect ratio of 1.33:1, meaning that the image is 1.33 times wider than it is tall. Around 1930, with the introduction of the first 'talkie' movies, the ratio was changed to 1.37:1, and it became known as the 'Academy Standard' (after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). The ratio has remained unchanged to this day, although more often than not it is still quoted as 1.33:1."

Also see http://www.amazon.com/What-difference-b ... 6301970047 and http://www.dvdizzy.com/oar.htm and http://www.widescreen.org/aspect_ratios.shtml

With all of the above said, I'm still confused myself as to if 1.33:1 on Disney DVD and Blu-ray packaging is 1.37:1 slightly cropped or another way of saying 1.37:1.

The original poster does not have their settings wrong, and this is not about proper aspect ratios. This issue is about how this particular dvd (Cinderella Diamond Edition) is formatted differently from every other Disney dvd before and after. A movie that is 1.33:1 or 1.37:1 or some similar ratio should (mostly) fill the screen of a standard tv when watched on a standard dvd player (not blu-ray). This dvd was formatted for widescreen tvs. I'm not aware of any other academy ratio Disney movie on dvd aside from Cinderella Diamond Edition, that is like this. Even Peter Pan (which was released as a Diamond Edition after Cinderella) is formatted properly on dvd. I think it was a mistake. One other possibility is that it was intentional that Disney assumed everyone had widescreen tvs by now, and when they got enough negative feedback from those who couldn't properly watch the movie on a standard old tv, they returned to the standard format by the release of Peter Pan. I agree that it is hugely annoying to see the small image surrounded by black bars on all sides when it's totally unnecessary. An inexpensive solution is to buy a used copy of the Platinum Edition for a properly formatted picture if you're viewing on an old tv.

gardener14 wrote:The original poster does not have their settings wrong, and this is not about proper aspect ratios. This issue is about how this particular dvd (Cinderella Diamond Edition) is formatted differently from every other Disney dvd before and after. A movie that is 1.33:1 or 1.37:1 or some similar ratio should (mostly) fill the screen of a standard tv when watched on a standard dvd player (not blu-ray). This dvd was formatted for widescreen tvs. I'm not aware of any other academy ratio Disney movie on dvd aside from Cinderella Diamond Edition, that is like this. Even Peter Pan (which was released as a Diamond Edition after Cinderella) is formatted properly on dvd. I think it was a mistake. One other possibility is that it was intentional that Disney assumed everyone had widescreen tvs by now, and when they got enough negative feedback from those who couldn't properly watch the movie on a standard old tv, they returned to the standard format by the release of Peter Pan. I agree that it is hugely annoying to see the small image surrounded by black bars on all sides when it's totally unnecessary. An inexpensive solution is to buy a used copy of the Platinum Edition for a properly formatted picture if you're viewing on an old tv.

Yeah, this is what's happening. Though what Disney did unnecessarily wasted 30% of the usable resolution.

cms382 wrote:

gardener14 wrote:The original poster does not have their settings wrong, and this is not about proper aspect ratios. This issue is about how this particular dvd (Cinderella Diamond Edition) is formatted differently from every other Disney dvd before and after. A movie that is 1.33:1 or 1.37:1 or some similar ratio should (mostly) fill the screen of a standard tv when watched on a standard dvd player (not blu-ray). This dvd was formatted for widescreen tvs. I'm not aware of any other academy ratio Disney movie on dvd aside from Cinderella Diamond Edition, that is like this. Even Peter Pan (which was released as a Diamond Edition after Cinderella) is formatted properly on dvd. I think it was a mistake. One other possibility is that it was intentional that Disney assumed everyone had widescreen tvs by now, and when they got enough negative feedback from those who couldn't properly watch the movie on a standard old tv, they returned to the standard format by the release of Peter Pan. I agree that it is hugely annoying to see the small image surrounded by black bars on all sides when it's totally unnecessary. An inexpensive solution is to buy a used copy of the Platinum Edition for a properly formatted picture if you're viewing on an old tv.

Yeah, this is what's happening. Though what Disney did unnecessarily wasted 30% of the usable resolution.

That's great and all, but I myself simply want an answer to the question about whether 1.37:1 and the stated 1.33:1 on DVD and Blu-ray are the same or not.

Are Disney classics that were originally released on the big screen in the animation ratio 1.37:1 and marked on DVD and Blu-ray packaging as 1.33:1 either...

a) The full animation ratio of 1.37:1 and Disney are calling it 1.33:1 on packaging?

Or...

b) The full animation ratio of 1.37:1 has been cropped ever so slightly to 1.33:1?

Any takers?

It seems like the DVDs (except for Cinderella) are cropped slightly to 1.33 but the Blu-rays (and Cinderella's' Diamond DVD) are 1.37.

cms382 wrote:It seems like the DVDs (except for Cinderella) are cropped slightly to 1.33 but the Blu-rays (and Cinderella's' Diamond DVD) are 1.37.

Thanks for the feedback.

I have a vast Disney VHS, DVD and Blu-ray collection but currently only have my Blu-rays where I live.

If you happen to have access to any DVD and Blu-ray screen comparisons, this might be helpful and worth sharing.

Does it really make a difference? The difference between 1.33 and 1.37 is so small. If you are still watching on a 1.33 display you are missing way more when viewing P&S titles.

Actually, none of them are displayed on Blu-ray at 1.37:1

1.35:1
Cinderella
Bambi
Pinocchio
Snow White

1.33:1
Peter Pan
Dumbo
Fantasia

1.32:1
Alice in Wonderland

cms382 wrote:Actually, none of them are displayed on Blu-ray at 1.37:1

1.35:1
Cinderella
Bambi
Pinocchio
Snow White

1.33:1
Peter Pan
Dumbo
Fantasia

1.32:1
Alice in Wonderland

My question to Disney is why oh why? Just release in the original aspect ratio and be done with it.

I think that 1.35:1 was the fullest frame they could get given the elements they had to work with, so I'm not too worried about those ones. The other ones being exactly 1.33:1 is a bit troublesome though, but nothing to get too hung up on.
I just checked and all of the DVDs included with those movies completely fill the 1.33:1 DVD frame.

jade wrote:

GreatGreg wrote:The aspect ratio of CINDERELLA is 1.37:1.

You could always stretch the image to fit your 16:9 TV.

Or else, you could put black tape over the top and bottom of your frame.

The dvd's website lists the dvd and blu ray as having a 1.33 : 1 and IMDB lists the film as having a 1.37 : 1 aspect ratio.

So strange.

Its the same ratio technically.