What is 2.35:1 Widescreen?
The idea is to install a screen with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, or 2.35 units wide for every one unit of height. The big advantage is that you can see movies that are made in this format full frame, without any black bars above or below the picture. As an example, The Fifth Element was done in 2.35, and if you project it onto a 2.35 screen it would look like this:
Meanwhile, all regular HDTV programming is in 16:9 format, otherwise known as 1.78 because 16 divided by 9 is 1.78. In addition, there are a few films done in 1.78, and many more are done in 1.85, which is so close to 1.78 that you usually don't notice the difference. When this type of material is displayed on a 2.35 screen, you get black vertical bars, or columns, on each side the image, commonly referred to as pillar-boxing. For example, the movie Chicago was done in 1.85. Here is what a scene from Chicago looks like on a 2.35 format screen:
There is also plenty of 4:3 format material still being watched today as well. It can be positioned in the center of the 2.35 screen, with larger pillar-boxing on either side. The following is a scene from Gone With The Wind, which was done in 4:3, on a 2.35 screen:
The Aesthetic Appeal of 2.35
The reason some people like the 2.35 format is that it can have a more dramatic appearance compared to standard 16:9 widescreen. If standard 16:9 is being displayed, and suddenly the curtains retract revealing a wider screen, and then a 2.35 format movie appears on that screen, it looks even bigger and more impressive than the conventional 16:9 image. There is a certain WOW factor involved with this, and many people find that it adds excitement to the home theater experience.
Many people think that 2.35 films are the most important and/or most common type of video material they watch. So they want to see them full frame, without black bars above and below the image, which is what you get if you display them on a 16:9 screen.
Also, with a 2.35 set-up you have the potential of using the full capability of your projector. It can use all of its pixels to create the image, not just 75% image and 25% black bars.