# Cinemascope



## Heath Cunningham (Jun 28, 2014)

Hey guys, can anyone steer me in the right path to a good entry level projector that is capable of widescreen?


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## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

It depends on what you mean by "entry level," and "capable of widescreen." Please be more specific.


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## rab-byte (Feb 1, 2011)

Are you looking for anamorphic aspect ratio correction or is masking fine?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

The Panasonic AE8000 (or any of the last few generations) is the only projector that auto zooms the image to fit 2,35:1 screens however most projectors you can manually zoom the lens if you have placed it correctly.


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## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

tonyvdb said:


> The Panasonic AE8000 (or any of the last few generations) is the only projector that auto zooms the image to fit 2,35:1 screens however most projectors you can manually zoom the lens if you have placed it correctly.


I don't know what you mean by "auto zooms," but the JVC D-ILA projectors have lens memories like the Panasonics, as well as the internal digital image processing for anamorphic lens use.


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## Heath Cunningham (Jun 28, 2014)

Alan Brown said:


> It depends on what you mean by "entry level," and "capable of widescreen." Please be more specific.


kinda on the more cheaper side, rather than over say 10 thousand.


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## Heath Cunningham (Jun 28, 2014)

rab-byte said:


> Are you looking for anamorphic aspect ratio correction or is masking fine?


 I was hoping to get away with anamorphic, I'm happy to have black bars to the side on the odd occasion, most movies these days are all filmed in wide screen, I guess I'm just sick of black bares top and bottom, CinemaScope seems nicer on the eyes too I think


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## Heath Cunningham (Jun 28, 2014)

tonyvdb said:


> The Panasonic AE8000 (or any of the last few generations) is the only projector that auto zooms the image to fit 2,35:1 screens however most projectors you can manually zoom the lens if you have placed it correctly.


thanks mate, that's the sort I'm after, I'll have to look into them, I've also done a little bit of fishing and i think there is a jvc and an Epson that are capable.


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## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

Heath Cunningham said:


> thanks mate, that's the sort I'm after, I'll have to look into them, I've also done a little bit of fishing and i think there is a jvc and an Epson that are capable.


I recommend the lower models of JVC D-ILAs over the Panasonic or Epson LCDs. Get the best model you can afford. Most of the JVCs are under $10k. I actually prefer single chip DLP, but they tend to get pricey with sufficient lens zoom and vertical lens shift to do a CinemaScope screen without an anamorphic lens.


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## Heath Cunningham (Jun 28, 2014)

Alan Brown said:


> I recommend the lower models of JVC D-ILAs over the Panasonic or Epson LCDs. Get the best model you can afford. Most of the JVCs are under $10k. I actually prefer single chip DLP, but they tend to get pricey with sufficient lens zoom and vertical lens shift to do a CinemaScope screen without an anamorphic lens.


thanks Allan, I'll start looking into them, I'm hoping the stores will give me a good demo,


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## showcattleguy (Jun 30, 2011)

I dont know how strict your "under $10,000" budget is but if I was looking in that price I would hands down pick up a Runco LS-3 and then contact Getgrey over at AVS Forum and ask about a XEIT 4KR anamorphic lens and a Cineslide. I think he packages them together for around $6500 for members but dont quote me on the exact figure. The Runco lists for $4995 so if you found a dealer willing to work with you, you might be able to get a real deal on a package that would be pretty killer. And full disclosure I own a Runco product (Q750) and it is amazing. I also own a XEIT 4KR Anamorphic lens and Cineslide and wouldnt trade them for anything. I dont know where you are at but if you are near Chicago I would be happy to let you check it out.


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## Heath Cunningham (Jun 28, 2014)

showcattleguy said:


> I dont know how strict your "under $10,000" budget is but if I was looking in that price I would hands down pick up a Runco LS-3 and then contact Getgrey over at AVS Forum and ask about a XEIT 4KR anamorphic lens and a Cineslide. I think he packages them together for around $6500 for members but dont quote me on the exact figure. The Runco lists for $4995 so if you found a dealer willing to work with you, you might be able to get a real deal on a package that would be pretty killer. And full disclosure I own a Runco product (Q750) and it is amazing. I also own a XEIT 4KR Anamorphic lens and Cineslide and wouldnt trade them for anything. I dont know where you are at but if you are near Chicago I would be happy to let you check it out.


sounds amazing, but I'm an Aussie, not sure if they stock those over hear and things are more expensive on our shores, I will look into it though for sure, thank you


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## showcattleguy (Jun 30, 2011)

XEIT Anamorphic lenses are actually made in Australia... it might be cheaper for you not having to import through customs and taxes and such


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## Heath Cunningham (Jun 28, 2014)

showcattleguy said:


> XEIT Anamorphic lenses are actually made in Australia... it might be cheaper for you not having to import through customs and taxes and such


yeah far enough, I'll start looking into them, thanks mate


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## seanoo (Dec 21, 2013)

Hi there mate, 

I am also in Australia. I have a Runco Rainier (rebranded Schneider Cine Digitar 1.33x) anamorphic lens and motorised sled available for sale. I am also looking at selling my Runco Q-750i projector LED projector. An absolutely killer package that will be just a smidgen above your budget (only just). 

I'll try to send you a Pm so we can talk. 

Cheers
Sean


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## Heath Cunningham (Jun 28, 2014)

Hey guys 
I had a look at a jvc x35 today, was pretty impressed with the image, the black levels were impressive, they were selling it as a run out due to no longer making them, i will hopefully go to another store to check out the epson 9200 and the jvcx500 this week sometime. See how I go for time


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## Heath Cunningham (Jun 28, 2014)

Hey guys I have a question for those that are running cinema scope.
What happens when you are watch batman dark knight, when it changes from wide to 16:9 throughout the film?


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## showcattleguy (Jun 30, 2011)

If you are using the zoom method the extra picture will be displayed above and below your screen as if you zoomed a 16x9 image to fit your screen width. If you are using an anamorphic lens there will not be an aspect ratio change as the projector/VP/bluray player has alrady performed a vertical stretch to eliminate the black bars. This keeps your 2.35 image nice and tidy and is also how The Dark Knight was displayed in theaters- as 2.35. I hope that helps.


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## Heath Cunningham (Jun 28, 2014)

showcattleguy said:


> If you are using the zoom method the extra picture will be displayed above and below your screen as if you zoomed a 16x9 image to fit your screen width. If you are using an anamorphic lens there will not be an aspect ratio change as the projector/VP/bluray player has alrady performed a vertical stretch to eliminate the black bars. This keeps your 2.35 image nice and tidy and is also how The Dark Knight was displayed in theaters- as 2.35. I hope that helps.


yeah ok, I wonder why they have filmed it that way. I was looking at buying a jvc x500 because it can do cinema scope but my head is in the clouds now. It would be frustrating if my image over shoots the screen throughout a movie. Is it only batman or are there others


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## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

Heath Cunningham said:


> yeah ok, I wonder why they have filmed it that way. I was looking at buying a jvc x500 because it can do cinema scope but my head is in the clouds now. It would be frustrating if my image over shoots the screen throughout a movie. Is it only batman or are there others


Only certain portions of 'The Dark Knight,' and 'The Dark Knight Rises,' were shot with IMAX cameras, using IMAX film, for a variety of technical, financial, and artistic reasons. Other portions were shot with 65mm film, but most with 35mm film and anamorphic lenses. 

The ideal way to have seen the production was in an IMAX theater, which has a taller screen, and IMAX film projector. In that venue, the scenes shot with IMAX film were shown filling the taller screen. The majority of the film was shown in CinemaScope, 2.35:1, only using a portion of the IMAX screen. The dual aspect ratio presentation on HDTVs was a decision made by the director, Christopher Nolan, to simulate the same change in aspect ratio experienced by audiences who viewed the movie in IMAX theaters. The IMAX portions of the production fill a 1.78:1 (16x9) HDTV screen, but the CinemaScope portions are letterboxed.

Unlike DVD, Blu-ray Disc does not offer anamorphic encoding. For a letterboxed Blu-ray title to fill a 1.78:1 imager chip in an HDTV projector, it must be electronically processed to "stretch" the image taller, thereby eliminating the black bars. If the processor does not auto-detect the black bars on a letterboxed title, it must be switched manually to perform the vertical stretch. The anamorphic lens serves to optically correct the vertically stretched image in order to fill a 2.35:1 aspect ratio screen.

The two 'Dark Knight' films are the only ones I'm aware of that switch between 1.78 and 2.35:1 aspect ratios during the original program. There are other movies that switch between 1.33 and 1.78:1 aspect ratios, but a very rare minority.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.
A Lion AV Consultants affiliate

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"


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## showcattleguy (Jun 30, 2011)

There are several movies that switch between a scope presentation and 16 by 9 the dark knight, the dark knight rises, tron, the hunger games catching fire, and oz the great and powerful. I know I am missing one or two but it is still a very very small subset of movies.


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## sdurani (Oct 28, 2010)

Alan Brown said:


> The two 'Dark Knight' films are the only ones I'm aware of that switch between 1.78 and 2.35:1 aspect ratios during the original program.


The Blu-ray of Tron: Legacy is mostly 2.35 but switches to 1.78 during action scenes. The Blu-ray of the Spanish movie Biutiful also switches aspect ratios similarly. 

Special BD editions of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen and Star Trek Into Darkness are mostly 2.35 but open up to 1.78 during action scenes (shot in 15/70 IMAX). 

Theatrically, if you caught Transformers 4 or Guardians of the Galaxy recently on an IMAX screen, they both open up from 2.35 to full screen for certain sequences.


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## Heath Cunningham (Jun 28, 2014)

So does this mean, in a home cinema room you are best to stick with 16:9?


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## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

Heath Cunningham said:


> So does this mean, in a home cinema room you are best to stick with 16:9?


No, you have to think for yourself. What are your viewing preferences and priorities? What is the room like? What are your budget parameters? How will you use the system? A skilled home theater design professional can help you zero in on what will fulfill your needs and wants within your budget, and what will work in your room. If you can't afford to hire someone like that, you are left with seeking guidance elsewhere. Forum communities like this one have their limits. Unfortunately, there's no shortage of insufficiently skilled guidance from both the professional and hobbyist sides of the home theater arena. Tailoring a custom system successfully for an individual requires more attention to detail and understanding than most realize.


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## sdurani (Oct 28, 2010)

Heath Cunningham said:


> So does this mean, in a home cinema room you are best to stick with 16:9?


You can windowbox those titles or avoid them on Blu-ray. I prefer 16x9, but you should go by your own preferences.


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## showcattleguy (Jun 30, 2011)

Just wondering if the OP ever decided on a combination or if he ever had a chance to demo anything. Any thoughts or impressions? Good luck with the theater build.


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