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NEWS: Kaleidescape's New Cinemascape Aspect Ratio Management Feature!
- Thread starter Mr.Poindexter
- Start date
For 2.35 native mode, K doesn't actually do anything to the video signal when playing back movies. The only difference is that the K menus are rendered in 2.35 letterbox. The zooming and masking would all be handled externally by your control system.
I am assuming that you have a 2.35 screen and are using zoom mode on the projector. If that is the case, and the projector is zoomed so that the 2.35 scenes fit the screen properly, the IMAX scenes will spill onto the wall above and below the screen.
Unfortunately, for the Dark Knight (and other mixed AR movies), K reports that these are 16:9 movies to your control system. The control system will then zoom the projector so that the entire 16:9 frame fits within the 2.35 screen. This results in the 2.35 scenes being window boxed and IMAX scenes being pillar boxed.
Personally, I would prefer that it treat them as 2.35, so that the few IMAX scenes are cropped to 2.35 (this is actually how it was shown in most theaters), instead of the majority of the movie being window boxed.
I am assuming that you have a 2.35 screen and are using zoom mode on the projector. If that is the case, and the projector is zoomed so that the 2.35 scenes fit the screen properly, the IMAX scenes will spill onto the wall above and below the screen.
Unfortunately, for the Dark Knight (and other mixed AR movies), K reports that these are 16:9 movies to your control system. The control system will then zoom the projector so that the entire 16:9 frame fits within the 2.35 screen. This results in the 2.35 scenes being window boxed and IMAX scenes being pillar boxed.
Personally, I would prefer that it treat them as 2.35, so that the few IMAX scenes are cropped to 2.35 (this is actually how it was shown in most theaters), instead of the majority of the movie being window boxed.
For mixed-aspect movies like The Dark Knight, we set the aspect ratio to the "most open" ratio needed to fit all of the content.
In my own theater, I have a masking system, and I have some buttons in my control system to manually force the aspect ratio. I usually use these if I'm watching a non-Kaleidescape source, but I can also use them to override whatever aspect ratio the player is reporting.
In the case of The Dark Knight specifically, I've watched the movie both ways. It looks fine masked to 2.35, but since I use a modified constant-area setup in my theater I end up leaving it wide open. If I had a constant-height system, I would watch it in 2.35 without hesitation.
In my own theater, I have a masking system, and I have some buttons in my control system to manually force the aspect ratio. I usually use these if I'm watching a non-Kaleidescape source, but I can also use them to override whatever aspect ratio the player is reporting.
In the case of The Dark Knight specifically, I've watched the movie both ways. It looks fine masked to 2.35, but since I use a modified constant-area setup in my theater I end up leaving it wide open. If I had a constant-height system, I would watch it in 2.35 without hesitation.
Mike,
I have a question about this movie on my setup. I am using 2.35 anamorphic mode with an anamorphic lens always in place. When I play this movie, the majority of the movie (2.35) is shown window-boxed.
In the OSD, it is listed as 1.78. I am assuming that it would work properly if the metadata from the movie guide specified it as 2.35. Unfortunately, the aspect ratio is not available to edit in the web interface.
Do you have any tips to get this movie to be treated as 2.35? Currently, I set the player to 16:9 mode and enable vertical stretch on my projector, but this is not ideal.
I'm afraid that is the best solution right now, unfortunately. I'm not sure if you use a control system, but there is a control system command to switch the CinemaScape mode without having to go through the settings UI. We implemented that for players that are distributed to multiple rooms, but it would be useful in your situation as well.
So, you could set up a control system command to switch the player mode and the projector mode at the same time, and another to put it back. Not ideal, clearly, but a bit less clunky than the alternative.
I have some ideas for how to address this issue more elegantly, and the question as always is when we can get that work onto the schedule.
So, you could set up a control system command to switch the player mode and the projector mode at the same time, and another to put it back. Not ideal, clearly, but a bit less clunky than the alternative.
I have some ideas for how to address this issue more elegantly, and the question as always is when we can get that work onto the schedule.
Thanks, that's the answer that I was expecting.
Is there any way that the aspect ratio could be added as an editable field on the movie details page? I am assuming that the player uses that field to determine whether to vertically stretch or to squeeze the picture.
I know that you are busy and this wouldn't happen any time soon, but that would seem to be the easiest solution.
Is there any way that the aspect ratio could be added as an editable field on the movie details page? I am assuming that the player uses that field to determine whether to vertically stretch or to squeeze the picture.
I know that you are busy and this wouldn't happen any time soon, but that would seem to be the easiest solution.
Well, I already asked for that ... but the last answer was the same as today, with the difference, that after cutting down the staff, it's probably not on a priority list anymore ...
I can't understand, why this simple field can't be editable on the movies-details-page! This Little field would cut down nearly all problems about loan-program and bookmarking and should be done in a few seconds or minutes ...
Great info. I'm running a 2.39:1 CIH setup- with a movable lens. I control all this manually though so its never become an issue for me. I think the path of least resistance with this issue is to have your integrator / programmer set up a manual override so you can just play the movie back with the proper 2.35:1 settings.
Noah Winter
Well-known member
I think this would be a good investment for Kaleidescape to make as I agree with the other posters that being able to input the aspect ratio would decrease the man hours K has to spend on discs being sent to them for this reason. I ran into this early on with discs that were not identified in their library and it would be better for the end user to be able to enter this field than to take man hours away from K to do it if they are able to make a one time fix for this cell to be available on the info input screen.
I ran into this this weekend with Interstellar which has both 1.78 and 2.35 scenes. The movie is showing at 1.78 in the K system but I couldn't imagine Interstellar was ever released with that aspect ratio. Turns out the movie had both aspect ratios but the majority of the film was 2.35. Being 2.35 would have been fine for the entire movie, but not 1.78 for the entire movie.
Fortunately I have an aspect ratio button on my Control 4 which when I select it the aspect ratio changes, lens deploys, and masking raises so there is a work around, but it is a work around and not everyone has that available.
This would be a very practical improvement in the system I believe and a win/win for both K and its clients.
I ran into this this weekend with Interstellar which has both 1.78 and 2.35 scenes. The movie is showing at 1.78 in the K system but I couldn't imagine Interstellar was ever released with that aspect ratio. Turns out the movie had both aspect ratios but the majority of the film was 2.35. Being 2.35 would have been fine for the entire movie, but not 1.78 for the entire movie.
Fortunately I have an aspect ratio button on my Control 4 which when I select it the aspect ratio changes, lens deploys, and masking raises so there is a work around, but it is a work around and not everyone has that available.
This would be a very practical improvement in the system I believe and a win/win for both K and its clients.
I completely agree with your point. As background, I believe those scenes in Interstellar were shot in IMAX which tends to be shown in 1.85:1 AR (I think). I also think they cropped the 2.35 scenes for IMAX playback.... It really shouldn't be too difficult for them to at least give the user the ability to edit/ give the user a few defined ARs- 1.85, 2.35, etc...