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According to Dictionary.com’s definition, anamorphic refers to an optical system “having or producing unequal magnifications along two axes perpendicular to each other.” But home theatre users have known for years that this oft-used word has additional meanings. If Dictionary.com were enterprising enough to use Widescreen Review as a source, their page might look something like this: anamorphic [an-uh-mawr-fik]: 1. (Optics) “having or producing unequal magnifications along two axes perpendicular to each other.” 2. (Film) a format for recording a wider-than-standard aspect ratio onto a medium with a standard aspect ratio by using a camera outfitted with an optical lens with anamorphic properties, resulting in an image that has unnaturally “squeezed” geometry. 3. (DVD) the digital “squeezing” of a 1.78:1 aspect ratio source’s geometry into the native 1.33:1 frame of a DVD-formatted disc, and digitally “unsqueezing” the image in the player on playback. 4. (Projection) the process of using an optical lens with anamorphic properties reverse to those used for filming to correctly display images captured or “squeezed” into an improper geometry and aspect ratio before playback. While the fourth definition’s roots lie in the commercial playback of anamorphic film for large venue theatres, it has recently become a very popular addition to home theatres. Most major manufacturers of screens and projectors used anamorphic lenses at the CEDIA EXPO this past September, and we have written about the process many times in Widescreen Review, including our “Scope Format Cinema For The Home” series in Issues 111, 113, and 117. But many people (understandably) are confused by the way anamorphic is defined in home theatre, which is the ultimate point of me writing this blog. Panamorph, one of the leaders in home anamorphic lenses (by my count, 16 manufacturers used Panamorph lenses in their booths at CEDIA), recently posted a short video on their Web site that succinctly demonstrates the anamorphic process for home theatre. Normally we would post the video below, but their theatre page layout with screen and seats adds enough to the presentation that it is worth visiting their site to view it. After reaching the site, click on the black screen and enjoy. http://www.panamorph.com/GetThePicture.htm
Tags:
- equipment -
- anamorphic -
- Panamorph -
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