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Vince Maskeeper · 07-08-2002, 05:26 PM

If I buy a 16x9 wide screen TV, will I get rid of the black bars forever?

Nope.

You're wrong for assuming that a 16x9 set will completely eliminate the bars. The shape of your TV is 16x9. If you attempt to play any material that isn't 16x9 (either wider or narrower), without stretching or cutting off parts, there will have to be unused area (black bars).

A 16x9 set will perfectly contain some widescreen filmsand you will see them without bars. However, films with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 (like Gladiator, Armageddon, T2, Harry Potter, etc) are wider than the 1.78:1 (16x9) TV frame. In order to present the film in the proper shape without cropping, a small amount of unused space will exist above/below the picture area.

You will have bars any time the content differs in size from the shape of your screen.

For example, to properly display 4:3 TV programming- there would be black bars to the right and left, this is just unused space because the program shape is different than your TV's shape. Some TVs offer a stretch mode which unnaturally elongates the 4:3 picture to the width of your set-- however without stretching it, the picture would be less wide than your set (resulting in unused picture on the sides).

The same is true for Movies with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. These films are wider than your 16x9 set, so you will still need small bars of unused space at the top and bottom in order to properly present the width of the material.

So, the basic answer is: If the content is wider than your set (2.35:1 aspect films) you will have small bars at the top and bottom-- if it is narrower (like 4:3 normal TV programming)- you will have bars on the sides.

So, buying a 16x9 set doesn't eliminate black bars- it simply gives you a wider aspect set. If you watch only 16x9 (1.78:1) aspect material, you'd never see bars-- but since many films are wider, and most TV is narrower- you'll never completely eliminate them.

So, it's best to watch the program, not the bars.

Here's some posts where this topic has been asked in the past:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=76566
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=69492
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=69310
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=59882
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=69229
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=47685
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=76820
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=67391
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=79129
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=38567
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=18857
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=105346
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articl...hic/index.html
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articl...ic235demo.html

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07-08-2002, 05:26 PM
Vince Maskeeper Member Join Date: Jan 1999 Local Time: 07:29 PM Local Date: 07-06-2008 Posts: 9,593	If I buy a 16x9 wide screen TV, will I get rid of the black bars forever? Nope. You're wrong for assuming that a 16x9 set will completely eliminate the bars. The shape of your TV is 16x9. If you attempt to play any material that isn't 16x9 (either wider or narrower), without stretching or cutting off parts, there will have to be unused area (black bars). A 16x9 set will perfectly contain some widescreen filmsand you will see them without bars. However, films with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 (like Gladiator, Armageddon, T2, Harry Potter, etc) are wider than the 1.78:1 (16x9) TV frame. In order to present the film in the proper shape without cropping, a small amount of unused space will exist above/below the picture area. You will have bars any time the content differs in size from the shape of your screen. For example, to properly display 4:3 TV programming- there would be black bars to the right and left, this is just unused space because the program shape is different than your TV's shape. Some TVs offer a stretch mode which unnaturally elongates the 4:3 picture to the width of your set-- however without stretching it, the picture would be less wide than your set (resulting in unused picture on the sides). The same is true for Movies with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. These films are wider than your 16x9 set, so you will still need small bars of unused space at the top and bottom in order to properly present the width of the material. So, the basic answer is: If the content is wider than your set (2.35:1 aspect films) you will have small bars at the top and bottom-- if it is narrower (like 4:3 normal TV programming)- you will have bars on the sides. So, buying a 16x9 set doesn't eliminate black bars- it simply gives you a wider aspect set. If you watch only 16x9 (1.78:1) aspect material, you'd never see bars-- but since many films are wider, and most TV is narrower- you'll never completely eliminate them. So, it's best to watch the program, not the bars. Here's some posts where this topic has been asked in the past: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=76566 http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=69492 http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=69310 http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=59882 http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=69229 http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=47685 http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=76820 http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=67391 http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=79129 http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=38567 http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=18857 http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=105346 http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articl...hic/index.html http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articl...ic235demo.html Need an introduction to home theater? Check out our FAQ and Primer!!