History Main / PanAndScan

* The pan-and-scan VHS and DVD releases of ''WesternAnimation/Anastasia'' (1997), have one of the most unusual cases of this trope, in that the picture is actually slightly wider than 4:3 (the DVD specifications list the aspect ratio of this version as 1.48:1 as opposed to the common 1.33:1). As such, it is one of the few pan-and-scan versions of a film where you can see black bars at the top and bottom of the frame throughout the entire movie (as opposed to just the opening and end credits).

* Video game example: The [[{{Xbox 360}} Xbox Live]] and [[PlayStation3 PlayStation Network]] releases of ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'', as well as ''[[CompilationRerelease Dragon's Lair Trilogy]]'' for the {{Wii}}, have the top and bottom of the picture cropped to fit a 16:9 screen. Fortunately, you can avert this in ''Trilogy'': by switching the Wii's screen to 4:3 mode, you can play the games without any cropping at all.

* ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' has a particularly annoying case of this in its DVD release, especially because it touted its letterbox format and beautiful, sweeping panorama-esque sets as something of a selling point. The worst case of this is a couple of dialogue scenes, for example the discussion between Rourke and Helga discuss the difference to the plan to sell the Heart of Atlantis, where the camera has to very awkwardly cut back-and-forth between two people ''standing right next to each other''.

* In the commentary for ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}'', during the lobby scene at the Sedgwick Hotel, Harold Ramis laments that he's frequently chopped out of the picture entirely in pan-and-scan presentations due to his not having many lines in that shot.

* Inverted with most of the earlier animated films by {{Pixar}} (later films, such as ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{WALL-E}}'' are all shown only in widescreen): Rather than cropping the edges and showing only the major elements of their films, they actually moved certain characters and objects either toward the center of the screen or off to the side in order to preserve the film's original quality. One of the most obvious examples of this is a particular scene from ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'' where they show two young ants climbing up a leaf: In the original widescreen version, you couldn't see the second ant at all, but in the fullscreen version, you actually do.

* The DVD release of ''FIlm/{{Spaceballs}}'' is a "flipper" disc with the original widescreen version on one side and the pan-and-scanned 4:3 version on the other. It includes a paper insert that educates the viewer on the difference and implores them to watch the widescreen version, using a screenshot of the characters skipping four abreast in a visual ShoutOut to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' as an example of the sort of gag that's ruined when the two characters on either side are cropped out of the picture. All widescreen Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer [=DVDs=] released during this time have similar inserts.

* The DVD release of ''FIlm/{{Spaceballs}}'' is a "flipper" disc with the original widescreen version on one side and the pan-and-scanned 4:3 version on the other. It includes a paper insert that educates the viewer on the difference and implores them to watch the widescreen version, using a screenshot of the characters skipping four abreast in a visual ShoutOut to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' as an example of the sort of gag that's ruined when the two characters on either side are cropped out of the picture.

* The DVD release of ''FIlm/{{Spaceballs}}'' is a "flipper" disc with the original widescreen version on one side and the pan-and-scanned 4:3 version on the other. It includes a paper insert that educates the viewer on the difference and implores them to watch the widescreen version, using a screenshot of the characters skipping four abreast in a visual ShoutOut to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' as an example of the sort of gag that's ruined when the two characters on either side are cropped out of the picture.

* The DVD release of ''FIlm/{{Spaceballs}}'' is a "flipper" disc with the original widescreen version on one side and the pan-and-scanned 4:3 version on the other. It includes a paper insert that educates the viewer on the difference and implores them to watch the widescreen version, using a screenshot of the characters skipping four abreast in a visual ShoutOut to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' as the sort of gag that's ruined when the two characters on either side are cropped out of the picture.

* Some of Creator/CartoonNetwork's broadcasts of ''{{Anime/Doraemon}}'' consist of older episodes created before the anime jumped into widescreen, with the top and bottom cropped so that they fit onto a 16:9 screen. Particular egregious in that some of the network's older programs that are still played on a night-time slot[[note]]i.e. past midnight[[/note]] (''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'', ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'', ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'') remain in 4:3.

* The [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox Fox]] Cinema Classics MadeOnDemand DVD service has made an unpleasantly surprising effort to revive this practice. DVD Talk gives automatic "[[http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/list.php?adviceStart=5&adviceEnd=5&orderBy=Date&reviewType=All&searchText=fox+cinema+archives&NReviews=50&___rd=1 Skip It]]" ratings to most of these discs, insisting that no good reason exists for a DVD released in TheNewTens to have its widescreen picture cropped to 1.33:1.

* HD channels will often air the pan-scan version of widescreen films despite the fact that HDTV is designed for their original aspect ratio. This is also done with television shows as well—for instance, Creator/ComedyCentral's pre-prime-time reruns of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' do this for all episodes prior to Season 10, despite the fact that Seasons 5-9 were rendered in widescreen.

** In the 1980s and 1990s, many directors and directors of photography avoided pan-and-scan by shooting in the Super 35 format, which exposed a large non-anamorphic 4:3 image on the film, and the theatrical 2.35 print was created by cropping the top and bottom of the frame. The camera negative was still 4:3 though and was (mostly) well-composed, so creating a version for TV was as easily as simply not cropping the original image. One of the side-effects of this is a precipitous increase in {{visible boom mic}}s and matte boxes in television airings of 80s films, due to the fact that boom mics that had been framed-out on the 2.35 print suddenly became visible when the frame was embiggened.

* HD channels will often air the pan-scan version of widescreen films despite the fact that HDTV is designed for their original aspect ratio. This is also done with television shows as well—for instance, ComedyCentral's pre-prime time reruns of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' do this for all episodes prior to Season 10, despite the fact that Seasons 5-9 were rendered in widescreen. [[ScrewedByTheNetwork It also doesn't help]] that the episodes have their individual {{title sequence}}s replaced by a single catch-all TitleSequenceReplacement and have [[EditedForSyndication content present in the original broadcast versions edited out]].

In the 1980s and 1990s, many directors and directors of photography avoided pan-and-scan by shooting in the Super 35 format, which exposed a large non-anamorphic 4:3 image on the film, and the theatrical 2.35 print was created by cropping the top and bottom of the frame. The camera negative was still 4:3 though and was (mostly) well-composed, so creating a version for TV was as easily as simply not cropping the original image. One of the side-effects of this is a precipitous increase in {{visible boom mic}}s and matte boxes in television airings of 80s films, due to the fact that boom mics that had been framed-out on the 2.35 print suddenly became visible when the frame was embiggened.

In the 1980s and 1990s, many directors and DPs avoided pan-and-scan by shooting in the Super 35 format, which exposed a large non-anamorphic 4:3 image on the film, and the theatrical 2.35 print was created by cropping the top and bottom of the frame. The camera negative was still 4:3 though and was (mostly) well-composed, so creating a version for TV was as easily as simply not cropping the original image. One of the side-effects of this is a precipitous increase in {{visible boom mic}}s and matte boxes in television airings of 80s films, due to the fact that boom mics that had been framed-out on the 2.35 print suddenly became visible when the frame was embiggened.

* Sadly, upon 16:9 [=TVs=] coming into popular use, some presentations of material originally filmed for 4:3 sets is now being cropped ''the other way'' on HDTV channels I (pan and tilt). Victims of this process for BluRay include ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' and the classic documentary series ''The World at War''. Justified for movies that premiered in theaters with mattes covering the top and bottom of the picture, such as ''Film/{{Shane}}'' and ''Disney/TheJungleBook''.

* Sadly, upon 16:9 [=TVs=] coming into popular use, some presentations of material originally filmed for 4:3 sets is now being cropped ''the other way'' on HDTV channels I (pan and tilt). Victims of this process for BluRay include ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' and the classic documentary series ''The World at War''. Justified for movies that made their theatrical premieres in tilt and scan, such as ''Film/{{Shane}}'' and ''Film/TheJungleBook''.

* Sadly, upon 16:9 [=TVs=] coming into popular use, some presentations of material originally filmed for 4:3 sets is now being cropped ''the other way'' on HDTV channels I (pan and tilt). Victims of this process for BluRay include ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' and the classic documentary series ''The World at War''.

Since the pan looks entirely unlike a camera move, it can be very jarring for the viewer. With the growing acceptance of the 16:9 (or 'letterbox') ratio, publishers have differentiated the formats with pan and scan being marketed as "fullscreen" while letterboxed editions are "widescreen." As it is with acceptance of more rectangle proportioned screens and the fact that both formats are priced the same, pan and scan has seriously declined with the viewer acceptance of letterbox with the classy cache it has earned. Being able to watch a film and actually ''[[CaptainObvious see the entire picture]]'' is a pretty neat bonus for letterbox, too.

For many directors, this is something of a minor (or major) BerserkButton, since this means a technician has to, according to some, redirect the film, and will frequently lose either important details, or the ambiance of a scene or a whole movie. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) made a quick [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m1-pP1-5K8 documentary]] with several famous directors talking about the downside of Pan and Scan (it's only 5 minutes, give it a watch.)

Since the pan looks entirely unlike a camera move, it can be very jarring for the viewer. With the growing acceptance of the 16:9 (or 'letterbox') ratio, publishers have differentiated the formats with pan and scan being marketed as "fullscreen" while letterboxed editions are "widescreen." As it is with acceptance of more rectangle proportioned screens and the fact that both formats are priced the same, pan and scan has seriously declined with the viewer acceptance of letterbox with the classy cache it has earned. Being able to watch a film and actually ''[[CaptainObvious see the entire frame]]'' is a pretty neat bonus, too.

Since the pan looks entirely unlike a camera move, it can be very jarring for the viewer. With the growing acceptance of the 16:9 (or 'letterbox') ratio, publishers have differentiated the formats with pan and scan being marketed as "fullscreen" while letterboxed editions are "widescreen." As it is with acceptance of more rectangle proportioned screens and the fact that both formats are priced the same, pan and scan has seriously declined with the viewer acceptance of letterbox with the classy cache it has earned. Being able to watch a film and, y'know, ''see the entire frame'' is a pretty neat bonus, too.

Since the pan looks entirely unlike a camera move, it can be very jarring for the viewer. With the growing acceptance of the 16:9 (or 'letterbox') ratio, publishers have differentiated the formats with pan and scan being marketed as "fullscreen" while letterboxed editions are "widescreen." As it is with acceptance of more rectangle proportioned screens and the fact that both formats are priced the same, pan and scan has seriously declined with the viewer acceptance of letterbox with the classy cache it has earned.

* Sadly, upon 16:9 [=TVs=] coming into popular use, some presentations of material originally filmed for 4:3 sets is now being cropped ''the other way'' on HDTV channels I (pan and tilt). Victims of this process for BluRay include ''{{Thunderbirds}}'' and the classic documentary series ''The World at War''.

* HD channels will often air the pan-scan version of widescreen films despite the fact that HDTV is designed for their original aspect ratio. This is also done with television shows as well—for instance, ComedyCentral's pre-prime time reruns of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' do this for all episodes prior to Season 10, despite the fact that Seasons 5-9 were rendered in widescreen. [[ScrewedByTheNetwork It also doesn't help]] that the episodes have their individual {{title sequence}}s replaced by a single catch-all TitleSequenceReplacement and have [[EditedForSyndication content present in the original broadcast versions edited out]].

** Another obvious example from a Pixar movie appears to be a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment that happens toward the end of ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' during the Aquascum scene (it's right when Gill says "False alarm!").[[hottip:*:It's a brief glimpse of a female patient in the dentist's waiting room, the visible portion of her legs were only seen in the fullscreen version of the film]]

[[caption-width-right:330: [[StockPhrase This image has been modified to fit your TV screen]]. [[ParanoiaFuel How did we know the size of your TV screen???]]]]

* [[http://sklad.obrazku.cz/obr391662_PanScan7BridesPan2.gif This GIF]] showing how a Pan & Scan of ''SevenBridesForSevenBrothers'' progressed will probably help you.
** The ''Film/DieHard'' DVD contains a featurette giving a very good illustration of the differences between letterbox, "centre-scan" and pan-and-scan.

* Probably one of the most disastrous examples of pan-and-scan was featured in the CaryGrant/[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Day Doris Day]] comedy [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Touch_of_Mink That Touch of Mink]], which was used in an example on a ''Siskel&Ebert'' show chastising the process. One scene in question takes place at a NewYorkYankees game: in one shot, Day is making such a big commotion, but you can't see her; only the others ''reacting'' to her. The same scene has a cameo by YogiBerra, but while you can hear him, he's barely in the frame!

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