16:9 refers to the dimensions of a widescreen TV (vs. 4:3 for standard television). Anamorphic scope refers to the dimensions of the film, which is 2.35:1 (vs. 1.85:1 for flat scope). When a DVD says "16:9 anamorphic widescreen", that means it is formatted for widescreen TVs and therefore
will digitally fill out as much of the screen as possible. If your dvd doesn't say "16:9 anamorphic widescreen", then it may appear slightly distorted since it was made originally for a 4:3 screen (important to note when buying DVDs since they will be replacing standard TVs in the near future)
If you chose 16:9 on your player, and it doesn't change the screen, that means the original DVD was 16:9 anamorphic widescreen to begin with. Try 4:3, and you will see the picture distort to fill a 4:3 screen.
I think I explained that properly, but someone else can come along and
proofread my post.
If you want to "geek up" on this subject, check this out:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articl...reenorama.html