# Have any Academy ratio (1.37:1) films been released uncut on DVD?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-academy-ratio-1-37-1-films-been-released-uncut-on-dvd/257741
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 31, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-academy-ratio-1-37-1-films-been-released-uncut-on-dvd/257741 "2004-07-31T17:26:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Live_Better_Electrically)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-academy-ratio-1-37-1-films-been-released-uncut-on-dvd/257741/1 "2004-07-31T17:26:09Z")
Academy ratio was the industry standard from 1932-53. It was 1.37:1, whereas full-frame on a TV set is 1.33:1. Most of these films, when released on DVD, are said to be presented in their original aspect ratio when, in fact, a tiny sliver is cut. Other times (_War of the Worlds_, for example) the packaging indicates that the picture has been modified.
My question is, have any Academy ratio films been released in “widescreen,” so to speak, on DVD? There would be tiny slivers of black matte bar. I have a lot of old movies on DVD and have not seen this. Have you?
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### Author:  [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2004, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-academy-ratio-1-37-1-films-been-released-uncut-on-dvd/257741/2 "2004-08-01T07:19:28Z")
> [@Live Better Electrically!](#):
>
> There would be tiny slivers of black matte bar. I have a lot of old movies on DVD and have not seen this. Have you?
I’ve heard the term “Windowboxed” with a little extra space equally on all four sides of the picture. I can’t swear to any specific examples, but if there’s a term for it, then someone must be doing it- right?
I’m not at home with my DVD collection right now so I can’t check to be sure, but I think my copy of _Modern Times_ is Windowboxed, I also think my copy of _Rebecca_ is Windowboxed (but I have that one on VHS not DVD).
Now that you mention it I’m going to check all of the older films that I have on DVD. If anything, the fucking Criterion Collection DVDs better be Windowboxed- jeez they’re charging $40 to $70 per film, they’d better be Windowboxed! My copies of _M_ and _The Third Man_ are both Criterion- I’ll double check those two at least.