For very wide screen films shot in Panavision and Cinemascope, a 16:9 TV will still show a prominent letterbox. See anamorphic lens and letterbox. THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.

It is a big picture in every sense of the word. One magnificent scene after another, under the [new] anamorphic CinemaScope technique, unveils the splendor that was Rome and the turbulence that ...

When projected, an anamorphic lens stretches the 35mm frame horizontally and fills a wide screen. This lens allowed the movie industry to make wide screen films with the same 35mm equipment.