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This article is from the DVD Formats FAQ, by jtfrog@usa.net (Jim Taylor) with numerous contributions by others.

1.25 Which titles are pan & scan only? Why?

Some titles are available only in pan & scan because there was no letterbox
or anamorphic transfer made from film. (See 3.5 for more info on pan & scan
and anamorphic formats.) Since transfers cost $50,000 to $100,000, studios
may not think a new transfer is justified. In some cases the original film
or rights to it are no longer available for a new transfer. In the case of
old movies, they were shot full frame in the 1.37 "academy" aspect ratio so
there can be no widescreen version. Video shot with TV cameras, such as
music concerts, is already in 4:3 format.

The list of pan & scan only titles has gotten too big to keep here. You can
get a list from the Internet Movie Database (which also includes discs with
both widescreen and pan & scan versions), and you can search by screen
format (which includes disc with video shot in fullscreen 4:3) at The DVD
List.

 

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