Widescreen TV Question (1 Viewer)

[David Shiver]

This may sound stupid, but if I watch widescreen movie on a wide screen TV will I still have the top and bottom black bars? Just curious, still trying to decide to buy either a 16:9 or 4:3 screen TV.
Thanks

 

[Brian Schucher]

You will for movies that are wider than 1.85:1

 

[Bryan X]

Go for the 16:9. Any movie from about 1.66 to 1.85 or so will fill your screen completely. The wider movies like 2.35:1 you will still have some black bars although they will be MUCH smaller than what they would be on a 4:3 TV.

I bought a 53" 16:9 HDTV a few months ago and have no regrets.

 

[Jack Briggs]

From the Vince Maskeeper-edited HTF Beginners' FAQ, which can be found in the Basics section:

If I buy a 16:9 TV, will I get rid of black bars forever?

Those are not "bars"; it's dead space, which results in a letterboxing effect. Films come in a plethora of aspect ratios, from the Academy standard 1.37:1 all the way out to films that are nearly three times as wide as they are tall. How can any single TV aspect ratio accommodate all film aspect ratios perfectly?

Bottom line: Watch the film and not the letterboxing.

 

[Sanjay Gupta]

Buy the 16:9 Widescreen, 4:3 TV is dead and obselete.