pan and scan
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.90 in modern English
Meaning
adj
Formatted to fit within proportions of a 1.33:1 or 1.78:1 aspect ratio television screen, with sides of the original widescreen image (especially 2.35:1 aspect ratio) cropped off.
noun
The method or practice of adjusting widescreen film images, especially 2.35:1 or 2.39:1 aspect ratio, so that they can be shown within the proportions of a 1.33:1 or 1.78:1 aspect ratio television screen, by cropping off sides of the original widescreen image, as opposed to letterboxing.
Uncountable
verb
To adjust widescreen film images so that they can be shown with standard television aspect ratios by cropping the original image, i.e. using pan and scan methods.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "Paul disdained pan and scan DVD releases, always holding out for the widescreen special editions."
- "Alicia hated the person who had invented pan and scan, since the heightened panning effect aggravated her nausea when watching action movies."
- "In the discount bin by the door sat a pile of pan and scans, mostly comedies, that no one would touch."
- "In the full-screen version of Star Wars Episode II, only Anakin and Obi-Wan appear in the scene because Padmé was panned and scanned out."