The FMVs are indeed 16:9 (640x360) bink files, designed to be letterboxed and play at 640x480.
Didn't realize that. I just assumed they were 640x480 bink files. So I take back what I said about downloading 200MB - all they'd have to do is update the bink player to handle multiple resolutions and aspect ratios.
So windowboxing is indeed the best case scenario in widescreen
Second best. Anamorphism would be the best case scenario in widescreen.
At that time, when most everything was 4:3, adding black bars was a technique used to make things appear more cinematic.
No, using a wide aspect ratio was a technique used to make things appear cinematic. Still is. Black bars is a matter of situational geometry necessity, not making things appear more cinematic.
This:
does not appear more cinematic than this: