Mike is right to be confused by my query. I was confused myself when I wrote it. Indeed, aspect ratios make up a small fraction of these overall texts and can easily be set aside to pursue other aspects. But I think its sad that it is... I was prompted to ask the DTV question because, until now, I had been pretty clueless about its introduction and, somehow, this thread triggered thoughts about it. I wondered what prompted its introduction, and what its impact would be. Could I still watch The Big Sleep without Bogie's head being lopped off, or his gun disappearing? Will the circle of dancing girls in overhead Busby Berkeley shots become half-circles? Granted this thought process has little to do with a thread about a particular film text, but my own understanding of this issue is mainly credited to them. And it is a visual medium. The most astute filmmakers will frame their shots in a manner that help illustrate the political, social and cultural issues Mike highlights. That should be obvious. The texts deal with this, so you can't avoid it completely. This is why letterboxing became such an important issue. Carefully composed images were often rendered incoherent when forced into 4:3 aspect ratio. And now, it seems, a reverse -- even bigger -- problem may have been introduced. Can the wealth of more squarely-framed films survive in the widescreen digital age? It strikes me as a hugely important issue to discuss as we will all (at least in North America) be forced to re-adjust the way we watch films, both at home and perhaps the classroom as well. Will viewers resent seeing black bars on the side when, in the future, they watch early Capra, Ford or Lang? Will they switch to a widescreen alternatives because they can see more? I also wondered about contemporary films like Eyes Wide Shut (sorry for slipping in Kubrick again Mike) which was deliberately shot to fit a 4:3 frame. Will the widescreen purists, who complain that the DVD is not letterboxed, finally get their way? Does any of this matter? So far I get the impression most think it doesn't. That it doesn't even warrant discussion in a classroom. Even though it affects the majority of 20th century cinema. That makes me go "huh" ---- Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu