Media
Movies are available on a sometimes bewildering array of different media, which we may make available to our users through shopping links. These are described briefly here.
- Blu-ray: Second generation digital format, these discs are the same size as a DVD, but hold many times more data, making them suitable for high definition video. Read more at Wikipedia..
- PSP: PlayStation Portable, a mobile video-game platform which also supports movie playback. Read more at Wikipedia.
- DVD: First generation digital format, these discs are the same size as a compact disc and hold about two hours of standard definition video. Read more at Wikipedia.
- VHS: The popular video cassette introduced in the 1970s. Read more at Wikipedia.
- online: Movies may be downloaded from various sources and viewed immediately ("streaming") or saved for later ("download").
Formats
Theatrical movies have traditionally been shot in aspect ratios of 16:9 or higher, while television has until fairly recently only been available in 4:3. This has led to movies often being released in different formats to let consumers choose their preference. These are the terms we use to differentiate between formats on this site.
- fullscreen: Anything that fills the entire screen in 4:3 aspect ratio. These include anything originally filmed in 4:3, and anything filmed in a wider aspect ratio but cut down to 4:3 with the "pan and scan" process (where the sides are cut off). Read more at Wikipedia.
- widescreen: Anything originally filmed in a wider aspect ratio than 4:3 which preserves the entire original image. When shown on a 4:3 display, this is achieved by adding black bars at the top and bottom of the screen ("letterboxing"). Read more at Wikipedia.
- dual format: A package which includes both a fullscreen and widescreen version. Read more at Wikipedia.
Resolution
At this time, this site doesn't differentiate items by resolution, but it is useful to include a couple of simple definitions.
- standard definition: The video signal handled by first-generation televisions and provided by VHS and DVD players. Standard definition is 480 lines of data in an interlaced format (aka "480i"). Read more at Wikipedia.
- high definition: Any of a number of resolutions handled by newer televisions and provided by Blu-ray players. Common examples include "720p" (720 lines of data, non-interlaced) and "1080i" (1080 lines of data, interlaced). Read more at Wikipedia.
