Q: What is CinemaScope?

Wide, Wider, CinemaScope

Anyone who has been to a local theater to see a popular movie has experienced CinemaScope. You've also probably seen it when you've watched a DVD movie on a TV, though it undoubtedly had letterboxing, the black bars that appeared above and below the picture. CinemaScope is a format found on DVDs that creates a picture that's much wider than the TVs we grew up with, even wider than most widescreen HDTVs.

You can experience CinemaScope with little to no letterboxing by getting a DVD labeled "anamorphic" or "enhanced for widescreen" or "enhanced for 16:9." The image will stretch to fill most of a widescreen TV (with minimal letterboxing). You can eliminate all of the letterboxing with a video projector that can accept a special "anamorphic" lens, plus a screen that can accommodate the full width of the picture-though these setups can cost you five figures. The result is an image that immerses you in the movie action.