# Screen aspect changes and masking



## f0zz (Dec 1, 2011)

One of my projects planned this winter is to increase my screen size and possibly add a masking system. I just watched Guardians of the galaxy and noticed that the aspect ratio changed several times during the film. I know this isnt uncommon.

Is there any way to work around this? Seems pointless to have masking or even a 235 screen at all for films like this.


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

f0zz said:


> One of my projects planned this winter is to increase my screen size and possibly add a masking system. I just watched Guardians of the galaxy and noticed that the aspect ratio changed several times during the film. I know this isnt uncommon.
> 
> Is there any way to work around this? Seems pointless to have masking or even a 235 screen at all for films like this.


I have had the same problem on a couple of movies too. I am only masking to a 2.40 screen size and then letting it be whatever it is on other aspects. I am doing this in part because of the changing aspect, but also because i have seen movies that claim to be one aspect when in fact they are another aspect.


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## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

f0zz said:


> One of my projects planned this winter is to increase my screen size and possibly add a masking system. I just watched Guardians of the galaxy and noticed that the aspect ratio changed several times during the film. I know this isnt uncommon.
> 
> Is there any way to work around this? Seems pointless to have masking or even a 235 screen at all for films like this.


Such Blu-ray Disc movies are relatively rare. Typically, it will be a movie that was shot and exhibited, in certain portions of the program, in the IMAX format. The studio makes the decision to format the consumer video program for 16 x 9 HDTVs. The IMAX portions will fill the screen, but the wider aspect ration segments will be letter boxed. Consumers with CinemaScope screens are a relatively tiny minority of the market.

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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## damonbrodie (Dec 10, 2014)

I installed a hybrid screen. I maximized the height to be suitable for 16:9 and maximized the width for CinemaScope. I have the Panasonic projector so it has the auto switch feature where it detects black bars and zooms on the fly. 

I recently disabled that feature because of the variable aspect ratio movies. Very annoying to have the pj constantly switching. Now I zoom the lens at the beginning of the movie to whatever AR is predominant and leave it.


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

damonbrodie said:


> I installed a hybrid screen. I maximized the height to be suitable for 16:9 and maximized the width for CinemaScope. I have the Panasonic projector so it has the auto switch feature where it detects black bars and zooms on the fly.
> 
> I recently disabled that feature because of the variable aspect ratio movies. Very annoying to have the pj constantly switching. Now I zoom the lens at the beginning of the movie to whatever AR is predominant and leave it.


Are you just loading the desired aspect from the memory position?


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## damonbrodie (Dec 10, 2014)

Yes, I have a lens memory for 16:9 and another for 2.40:1. I have the PJ connected to my HTPC with a serial cable. From there I can send RS232 commands to the PJ when the movie starts and change the aspect ratio automatically to the correct lens memory for that AR.


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