Sanyo Projector: Quick Question (1 Viewer)

[Andrew_G]

Hi guys,

I am interested in purchasing a Sanyo PLV-Z1 projector for our first home theater system, and I have a few quick questions to ask:

As the specs say at projector central, it says that it can display 16:9 AND 4:3. So, now I need to know, will a normal 4:3 image, like a video game, be messed up in any way if I display it in 16:9 on the projector, in the sense that the image will be squished to allow for the wider width and the shorter length? I am thinking so because the image is simply cropped on a normal image, and widescreen adds that additional image that is taken off to allow for a normal TV format. So, to compromise, of course, it will simply stretch the image. Am I right?

If I am wrong, then I can just purchase/build a normal 16:9 screen and I will be okay, right?

But I think I am right. If that is the case, should I just get a normal 4:3 screen and just project a normal 16:9 image when I have to do so? I ask this because I am running this projector on Digital Cable, Video Game consoles, and DVDs, so I will be running everything from normal old school components to high definition DVDs and cable, so I need to make sure that either a 4:3 screen or a 16:9 screen will enable me to have a middle ground of some sort, where each type of image will be tollerable.

Thanks for any help!

Andrew G.

 

[Neil Joseph]

The Z1 is a native 16x9 projector at 964x544 pixels. If you get a 16x9 screen (widescreen) and you are watching 4x3 material then you will see "black" bars to the left ad right of the image on the screen. You could of course stretch the image if you have the projector in the wrong mode, much like you see at your local Best Buy or Circuit City. A movie at 2.35:1 will have black bars at the top and bottom of the image.

 

[Andrew_G]

Thanks for the help Neil! I will be sure to purchase this specific model then

 

[mark alan]

you will definitely want a 16:9 screen when you have a 16:9 native projector. You cannot fill a 4:3 screen with a 16:9 projector.

As far as video games, I stretch my 4:3 games all the time. Since you don't have the realism in games that you do in movies, stretching does seem to really hurt the image (IMO).