Help- 16:9 newbie question (1 Viewer)

[StevenB]

Hello,

This is probably a common question here, but I could not find the answer through a search. I am looking in the next few months for a 16:9 widescreen TV for the house. Obviously for widescreen DVD's, this is ideal. Now, what happens if for example, you are watching regular TV on it? Does the picture get stretched horizontally to fit the 16:9? Thanks.

Steve

 

[LaMarcus]

yes

 

[Jenna]

Actually, each 16:9 HDTV has several "modes" to switch between when watching DVDs or TV. For example, my Sony widescreen has 4 different modes; one will display a regular TV show in a 4:3 aspect ratio that will have grey bars on the sides. I usually prefer to use the "full zoom" mode when watching regular TV...this zooms in on the picture to fill the screen, but cuts off a tiny bit on the top/bottom (nothing you'd miss).

When you go shopping for your 16:9 widescreen set, be sure to play with the remotes to see each set's modes. Some sets have as many as 6 so you should find one that you find pleasing.

Have fun...

 

[Scott Bourden]

"I usually prefer to use the "full zoom" mode when watching regular TV...this zooms in on the picture to fill the screen, but cuts off a tiny bit on the top/bottom (nothing you'd miss)."

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but wouldn't that be considered the same as not missing the sides of a pan and scan video? Is the area near as much cut out, or is it much less?

I've yet to see any real number of video's (or broadcast tv for that matter )on a 16:9 television with the stretch, so I have no idea personally.

 

[SteveA]

The TheaterWide1 setting on the new Toshiba's are an especially good stretch mode. This mode chops off a VERY small portion of the top and bottom of the image, while stretching the edges of the image very slightly to fill the screen. The center portion is pretty much undistorted. You can hardly tell that the image was altered.

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but wouldn't that be considered the same as not missing the sides of a pan and scan video?

Personally, I'm not too concerned about watching the 6 o'clock news in it's OAR! On the relatively rare occasions when I want an unaltered 4:3 image, I use the window-boxed mode - with grey bars on the side.

 

[Mike I]

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but wouldn't that be considered the same as not missing the sides of a pan and scan video? Is the area near as much cut out, or is it much less?

Just about all the primetime shows filmed in the last 3 to 4 years are shoot widescreen and framed for 4.3 so you could argue if you are watching 4.3 it is not oar anyway..

 

[Jack Briggs]

Yes, the stretch mode is a distortion. However, many users prefer this when viewing non-critical 4:3-originated material (the evening news, for example). The thinking is that the danger of uneven phosphor wear will be minimized.

However, due to aesthetic reasons, it would be uncool to stretch, say, Citizen Kane to "fill" the screen. In such a case, learn to live with the gray (or black) bars to either side of the image. As long as your White and Black levels are at reasonable settings, burn-in shouldn't be an issue.

 

[LaMarcus]

I watch my TV on wide(stretched)and I can't tell the difference anymore. I used to see a slight difference. I don't know how much my TV varies from other makes/models but when I go from 4:3 to wide there isn't a noticeable change. It just looks wider, lol. I love to zoom when watching music videos when they're shot in widescreen, the bars disappear and you don't lose any picture. Everyone who comes over my house doesn't notice any difference either(maybe their too stunned by the size to notice,lol).

 

[Eric Taylor]

Ya, I just recently got me a Panasonic 47WX51E HDTV and I use what they call the Just mode. It only streches the outer part of the screen and leaves the innner portion of the screen intact. I will every once in awhile flip to the 4:3 mode but in general I will use the Just mode and when I watch DVD's I put it in the Full mode. The zoom mode I don't care for at all. I know alot of users of this tv perfer it though. But the Panny is a great HDTV and you might want to look into it.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

As others have also stated, I will watch "non-critical" programs, such as the news and many sports, in stretched mode to reduce the risk of burn-in. For anything I deem critical (such as Academy aspect ratio films), windowboxing is the only way to go. I prefer to let my DVD player handle the windowboxing, since it uses black bars for this purpose. My Toshiba 16x9 TV uses gray bars. With the lights off, the black bars disappear from view, while the gray bars are slightly distracting.

 

[Bob J.]

Sounds like the Panasonic H-D TV is pretty popular. Does everyone feel that way? Especially the picture quality over Sony? I found what I believe is a 42 in. Panny at the Sears outlet( Scratch and Dent) for $1400 and then the smaller one (36 in.?) for $1000. Sounds like a pretty good deal....maybe I should have grabbed it?

 

[Mark Larson]

With the lights off, the black bars disappear from view, while the gray bars are slightly distracting.

Mattes!