What are the black bars at the top and bottom of the picture? Where can I find more information about aspect ratios?
The black bars are there to preserve the original aspect ratio of the theatrical presentation. In other words: since a theater screen is wider than your TV, the black bars are necessary to show the film’s full width as intended by its creators. (“Widescreen” wasn’t used before the early ’50s, so almost any film made before that time has a pretty square ratio already.) We think that all movies should be watched in their intended aspect ratio whenever possible. Here’s the Wikipedia entry on aspect ratios. And here is the Letterbox and Widescreen Advocacy Page.
