Editing LaserDisc (section)

=== Anamorphic LaserDiscs ===
With the release of [[16:9]] televisions in the early 1990s, Pioneer and Toshiba decided that it was time to take advantage of this aspect ratio. Squeeze LDs were enhanced 16:9-ratio widescreen LaserDiscs. During the video transfer stage, the movie was stored in an anamorphic "squeezed" format. The widescreen movie image was stretched to fill the entire video frame with less or none of the video resolution wasted to create [[Letterboxing (filming)|letterbox]] bars. The advantage was a 33% greater vertical resolution compared to letterboxed widescreen LaserDisc. This same procedure was used for anamorphic DVDs, but unlike all DVD players, very few LD players had the ability to unsqueeze the image for [[4:3]] sets, If the discs were played on a standard 4:3 television the image would be distorted. Some 4:3 sets (such as the Sony WEGA series) could be set to unsqueeze the image. Since very few people outside of Japan owned 16:9 displays, the marketability of these special discs was very limited.

There were no anamorphic LaserDisc titles available in the US except for promotional purposes. Upon purchase of a Toshiba 16:9 television viewers had the option of selecting a number of Warner Bros. 16:9 films. Titles include ''[[Unforgiven]]'', ''[[Grumpy Old Men (film)|Grumpy Old Men]]'', ''[[The Fugitive (1993 film)|The Fugitive]]'', and ''[[Free Willy]]''. The Japanese lineup of titles was different. A series of releases under the banner "Squeeze LD" from Pioneer of mostly [[Carolco]] titles included ''[[Basic Instinct]]'', ''[[Stargate (film)|Stargate]]'', ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'', ''[[Showgirls]]'', ''[[Cutthroat Island]]'', and ''[[Cliffhanger (film)|Cliffhanger]]''. ''Terminator 2'' was released twice in Squeeze LD, the second release being THX certified and a notable improvement over the first.