Projector screens are specially designed to enhance picture quality and are susceptible to damage when covered by an adhesive such as tape or glue. You cannot physically tape any masking to your screen.This is how the projector will format it. In other words, both images must be of equal width. The 2.35:1 aspect ratio must footprint within the confines of the 16:9 aspect ratio.These include applying your own masking, purchasing a multi-aspect ratio screen or alternating two screen materials that can accommodate the different aspect ratios.Īs always, there are rules of physics with which you must abide. There are various solutions for AV enthusiasts to effectively mask their projected image on their 16:9 projection screens when running their projectors in 2.35:1 mode. On the other hand, HDTV is a very common format and all you have to deal with it the letterbox effect when watching films. Some people buy a cinemascope formatted projection screen and it looks great if all you are planning to watch are movies of that format. The question of which format you’ll see more of is entirely up to you.

In the case of home theater screens, if there is any other option, it will be a cinemascope format. Today, virtually every HDTV projector currently being made has the ability to switch aspect ratios to something different from its native format. Fortunately, AV manufacturers have been trying for years to bring custom solutions to viewers so there are a few choices to consider. Many viewers find the “black bars” above and below the visible image to be distracting. Love it or hate it, whenever you watch the “letterbox” edition, you are almost certainly watching a “widescreen” or Cinemascope presentation matted onto an HDTV screen. However, the wider aspect ratio (Cinemascope) fits the wide formats of most movies. The HDTV aspect ratio is pretty much standard for all of the television sets made today. Cinemascope is even wider with 2.35 units of width for every 1 unit of height. For example, with 16:9, there will be 16 units of width for every 9 equal units of height. The numbers indicate the ratio of width to height measurement. If not, an aspect ratio is essentially the shape of your television or projection screen. Your HDTV Projector can change to Cinemascope but your screen doesn’t? …or does it?īy Dave Rodgers (Marketing Manager of Elite Screens & EPV Screens)īy now, most know the difference between what an HDTV (16:9) and a Cinemascope or “widescreen” (2.35:1) aspect ratio is.

960x720 aspect ratio to full hd