For Letterbox we have terms and definitions in 9 topics. The topics are Anime, Computer Technology, DTV, DVD, DVD and CD, Entertainment Law, Home Theater, Spy and Television.

Letterbox (Anime)

Those black bars at the top and bottom of the screen that let a 4:3 width-to-height ratio TV display a movie filmed with a wider aspect-ratio (up to 16:9). Getting more and more common on video tapes in America. In anime, you will usually only see this on movies that were released theatrically in Japan (and even then, some movies weren't filmed in widescreen ratio). Note, though, that shows made for the HDTV format are usually widescreen, and since this is getting more and more popular in Japan, widescreen anime may also become more common.

Letterbox (Computer Technology)

This appears when showing a movie with an 16:9 aspect ratio on a TV-set or monitor with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Letterbox (DTV)

Image of a wide-screen picture on a standard 4:3 aspect ratio television screen, typically with black bars above and below. Used to maintain the original aspect ratio of the original source (usually a theatrical motion picture of 16X9 aspect ratio or wider).

Letterbox (DVD)

The process or form of video where black horizontal mattes are added to the top and bottom of the display area in order to create a frame in which to display video using an aspect ratio different than that of the display. The letterbox method preserves the entire video picture, as opposed to pan & scan. DVD-Video players can automatically letterbox a widescreen picture for display on a standard 4:3 TV.

Letterbox (DVD and CD)

The process or form of video where black horizontal mattes are added to the top and bottom of the display area in order to create a frame in which to display video using an aspect ratio different than that of the display. The letterbox method preserves the entire video picture, as opposed to pan & scan. DVD-Video players can automatically letterbox a widescreen picture for display on a standard 4:3 TV.

Letterbox (Entertainment Law)

A process of film-to-video transfer that maintains the original film aspect ratio by matting the top and the bottom of the screen with black bars. Standard TV’s have an aspect ratio of 1.33 (4/3), while contemporary feature films have such aspect ratios of 1.66, 1.83, 1.85, 2.33 and 2.35. The more conventional transfer process is called Pan & Scan.

Letterbox (Home Theater)

Format used widely on laser disc and many DVDs to fit wide-aspect-ratio movies (1.85:1 and 2.35:1, for example) into a smaller frame, such as the 1.78:1 area of an anamorphic DVD or the 1.33:1 area of a laser disc or video tape. The image is shrunk to fit the screen, leaving blank space on the top and bottom. This process sacrifices some vertical detail that must be used to record the black bars.

Letterbox (Spy)

A person who is acting as a go-between. Also see CUT-OUT.

Letterbox (Television)

The colloquial term used to describe a video program where the original scene has a larger (wider) aspect ratio than the TV screen and is zoomed out (shrunk) so that the entire width fits in the screen. An inescapable consequence is that there is unused screen area and wasted scan lines at the top and bottom. The term came about because viewers had the impression they were looking through a mail slot in a door or out of the slot of a gigantic mailbox. Not all movies are offered on video this way because the public continues to demand editions where the entire screen is filled. Also the vertical resolution of subject matter in letterbox editions is less compared with full screen pan and scan editions of movies. Although I have not seen any movies prepared in the following way it might have been interesting to gauge the public's reaction if instead of black bars, an image of a theater proscenium curtain appeared above and below the letterboxed picture.

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