For those of you with a Widescreen, do you watch regular TV in 16:9 or 4:3? (1 Viewer)

[AndrewAL]

4:3 obviously doesn't let you utilize the whole screen, but I think the picture is clearer. Widescreen lets you take advantage of the whole screen but the screen becomes distorted. For regular TV, what do you use?

Thanks

 

[Mike Williams]

For most satellite television viewing, I watch my programming in 4x3. I'm very concerned about burn-in, and for most things that I watch, it really isn't worth it to ruin my TV. I've gotten so used to the stretch mode that I don't even notice it anymore. The only things I watch 4x3 are programs that broadcast in 4x3 on high definition channels, like HBO, Showtime and CBS. Other true, high definition channels, like HDNet, HD-Discovery and ESPN (I know not everything is broadcast HD, but it's all up-converted) never air anything 4x3. In the case of ESPN, it may be that my TV is stretching the commercials, but I think ESPN is doing it on their end.

 

[ChuckSolo]

On my new RCA HDTV Widescreen there is a "Cinerama" setting that doesn't appreciabley distort the 4:3 image of TV shows when used. It fills the entire screen without severly distorting the image. The CBS "eye" logo that appears at the lower right hand corner during broadcasts appears stretched a bit, but the rest of the screen, people, objects, signs, etc., appear pretty much normal. I find I prefer this mode to the 4:3 mode with the grey bands on either side of the picture screen.

 

[AndrewAL]

Mike, do you mean you watch almost everything in 16:9?

 

[AndrewAL]

Chuck, does this mode allow you to see the whole picture, such as a CNN bottom line?

 

[Harold Southard]

I have had my 16x9 for almost a week now. I watch cable on mine and us the full or just mode. I think it looks good. I have a Panasonic 53wxd63 and it does a real good job in "Just" mode. HD looks awsome. Use your stretch mode. You will get used to it real fast. I think I even like it better than 4x3.

 

[Chester II]

Dudes,

I think Chuck Solo has a unique stretch feature such as the one found on Power DVD player for the p.c. It minimizes stretching near the center and allows the ends to stretch. It's a cool "cheat" if you ask me. Without that feature I couldn't stand watching a stretched 4:3 image for more than a couple of minutes. On my projector I just watch the smaller 4:3 image because at least I know it's not being distorted....

Dudes....

 

[Matt_JP]

I use Wide Zoom on my Sony, which does a few things to stretch 4:3 to 16:9 with minimal noticable distortion. First, it stretches the sides more than the middle, so the center of the schene always looks right. Second, it stretches the screen vertically a bit so part of the picture goes off the top and the bottom of the screen, which gets rid of much of the CNN ticker and doesn't usually cut off anything important.

I watch 4:3 exclusively in this mode now and I rarely notice or care about the slight distortion that can sometimes show up at the sides. I enjoy having a bigger picture and not worrying about burn-in.

 

[AndrewAL]

Matt, I have a Sony too. You don't mind having part of the top and bottom being cut off in WideZoom?

 

[Ted Lee]

i'm exclusively 16x9 in everything i watch.

my mits 65 has a smart-stretch mode too. it keeps the center intact, but stretches the outer edge. i think this is getting more and more common.

i was watching a snl skit with three talking heads. the center looked fine, the left and right kinda looked like eggs! another good example is the cbs or food-tv logo - it kinda looks like an egg instead of a circle.

it takes a little getting used to, but i have already forgotten about it. plus, it's a small price to pay when watching dvd's -- which was my priority from the start.

 

[Harold Southard]

My Panasonic does the side strech thing. I think it does a good job. I have had to look real hard (in SD) to see any effects that are to bad. Also it does not cut off the top or bottom, not that I have been able to see anyway. I have checked by looking at the Fox news channel. Looks good to me. Like Ted Lee said the effects are suttle and you will get used to it.

 

[nick_rh]

I've been watching most 4x3 programming on my Panasonic 47WX53 in "Just" mode, which keeps stuff in the center the same, stretches the sides, and cuts off a little bit top and bottom. It looks fine for most stuff, though I find myself constantly trying to will the characters to stand closer to the middle of the screen so they won't get distorted. To avoid burn-in, I try never to watch anything in native 4x3 mode, though occasionally I might watch a Tivoed episode of "24" or "Alias" that way. (And I sure as hell wouldn't watch Citizen Kane in stretched mode!)

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I watch regular television in Full mode on my Panny, but I watch 4:3 films in their original aspect ratio.

 

[Dick White]

There are exceptions, but I tend to watch OAR on just about everything. Any 4:3 stuff that I do watch in another mode is in what Pioneer called "natural wide". It zooms a little and stretches a little. Doesn't zoom enough to cut off scores and the like at the top or bottom of the screen. For some reason, I found that I liked watching football in this mode. Can't stand the stretching on anything else.

I think people tend to worry too much about burn-in. I just sold my (analog) Pioneer widescreen after over 6 years of watching things in their normal mode and had absolutely no burn-in. Right now I'd love to watch something in any mode. Haven't decided what my digital replacement will be, and I'm going nuts without my HT setup.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

I always watch in wide-mode, usually FULL on my Pioneer. I hate watching with the small 4x3 square with big gray bars on the side.

 

[Kevin G.]

I watch everything in 16:9 mode (Philips 30 in. HD monitor)
My distortion in the zoom mode is not very apparent either. I can move the picture up, down, or sideways, in the screen if the ticker is not in the picture.

 

[Mark Murphy]

I watch everything in widescreen. I have a Toshiba and the stretch mode is fantastic. The only thing thats 4:3 on my TV are the commercials during HD programming.

 

[ChuckSolo]

Yes, I can still see the CNN information screen at the bottom while in "Cinerama" mode.

 

[Mike Williams]

Yes, I watch everything (except for the 4x3 broadcasts of HD channels) in widescreen. I NEVER use the ZOOM for anything. I think that looks worse than stretching. Even my DVDs in 4x3 default to widescreen, and for the most part they look all right. Sometimes I'll watch my 4x3 DVDs (TV shows) and watch them on my 27" Sony TV in the bedroom.

 

[Lew Crippen]

I watch 4:3 in 4:3—I can’t imagine watching the movies on TCM or FMC in anything but their OAR.

Same with TV shows that are in 4:3 (e.g. Scrubs or that end up as 4:3 due to recording on Tivo.

But I will occasionally stretch a talking head show (like the news)