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FAQ
[1.25] Which titles are pan & scan only?
Why?
Some titles are available only in pan & scan
because there was no letterbox or anamorphic transfer made from
film. (See 3.5 for more info on pan & scan and anamorphic formats.)
Since transfers cost $50,000 to $100,000, studios may not think
a new transfer is justified. In some cases the original film or
rights to it are no longer available for a new transfer. In the
case of old movies, they were shot full frame in the 1.37 "academy"
aspect ratio so no widescreen version can be created. Video shot
with TV cameras, such as music concerts, is already in 4:3 format.
There is a list of pan & scan titles in the
Film Vault at DVD Review
and in the Internet Movie
Database (which also includes discs with both widescreen and
pan & scan versions).
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