widescreen vs full screen tv - DVDfile.com forum for DVD, Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD

jbat31 · 05-21-2003, 01:41 AM

I am looking to buy a new tv, something big. My wife and I saw a Hitachi we liked that is not widescreen, but it is HDTV. I kind of wanted widescreen, but my wife does not like the look of the widescreen set. Is there any real disadvantagess to the 4:3 big screen

tomdkat · 05-21-2003, 01:47 AM

Well, the MAIN disadvantage is the fact that it's 4:3...

Seriously, see if the set can display a "16:9" image. If the set can, it should work just fine. As you decide to watch more HD TV broadcasts, they might be in 16:9 format so that TV might not "appeal" to you as much as a 16:9 TV would.

16:9 HD broadcasts would appear with black bars on a 4:3 display and with NONE on a 16:9 display. Just something to keep in the back of your mind....

If the 4:3 TV you're looking at can display 16:9 images, then it should be an ok set, at least for now.

Good luck!

Peace....

MurDiddlyUrdler · 05-21-2003, 02:58 AM

I'd really be scared of watching too much widescreen material on a 4:3 big screen tv. You'd be looking at really large black bars that could be susceptible to "burn in." Your wife might not like the look of a 16:9 tv now, but I would bet things will be different in a couple years when all broadcast television is 16:9.

tomdkat · 05-21-2003, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MurDiddlyUrdler
I'd really be scared of watching too much widescreen material on a 4:3 big screen tv. You'd be looking at really large black bars that could be susceptible to "burn in."

Well considering they are looking at 4:3 TVs, I would imagine they would be watching more 4:3 material than widescreen material. Given this hypothesis, it makes sense that his wife would prefer a 4:3 TV over a 16:9 TV, even if she gives the reason of not liking the shape of the 16:9 TV.

Of course, I could be completely wrong!

Still, your point of the possible "burn-in" if they do end up watching widescreen material the vast majority of the time is a great one and one that should be taken seriously.

Peace....

videoworx · 05-21-2003, 08:14 PM

You get burn in watching 4x3 material on a widescreen set as well.
Look at your DVD collection, and if you see you have more widescreen material than not, go with a 16x9 screen. I prefer 4x3, only because I have a huge collection of old 4x3 movies (citizen kane, for instance). I can't stand the ol' stretcheroo effect that most people employ on 16x9 screens, and I prefer to look at black bars at the top and bottom, rather than left and right. However, once I'm done building my home theatre, the projector screen WILL be 16x9.

go with whichever TV looks better, and tell your wife to go look at washing machines...

incubus0 · 05-21-2003, 09:08 PM

Where to start . . .

The disadvantages to a 4:3 HDTV set will become more and more apparent over the next few years. If you buy one now you'll probably regret it when you start watching more and more programming in true HDTV. On the other hand, there are many 16:9 sets that have a 'justified' mode while watching a 4:3 broadcast. It keeps the center of the image unchanged and just stretches out the edges. This is how I watch most 'regular' broadcasts now, and you'll be surprised how good and natural it looks. Then when I fire up the DVD, HDTV broadcast, or Xbox it looks absolutely amazing with all those lines of resolution being used the way they were meant to.

And a 16:9 image on a 4:3 screen is made smaller, while a 4:3 image on a 16:9 screen is the size it's supposed to be. So why buy a big screen TV just to watch the high quality stuff shrunken down?

Fightguard · 05-21-2003, 10:08 PM

incubus0, would you be able to post pics of justified 4:3 material? Or do you know any sites that show some examples? I tried doing a web search but could come up with anything.
Thanks

tomdkat · 05-22-2003, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fightguard
Or do you know any sites that show some examples?

When I get home, I'll post a link to pics of 4:3 material in the TheaterWide 1 stretch mode on a Toshiba 50H81.

Peace...

Fightguard · 05-22-2003, 02:04 AM

great tom, thanks! So that TheaterWide 1 mode is equivalent to the justified stretch mode incubus0 describes above?

jbat31 · 05-22-2003, 03:27 AM

Well,

I got a Hitachi 51' widescreen. Thanks for all of the input. I can't wait to watch stuff on it this weekend when it is delivered

Fightguard · 05-22-2003, 03:54 AM

tomdkat · 05-22-2003, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fightguard
So that TheaterWide 1 mode is equivalent to the justified stretch mode incubus0 describes above?

Well, not knowing what a justified video mode is specifically, it sounds like he's referring to the video modes that most 16:9 HDTVs have for displaying 4:3 material. Most sets have 3 - 4 video modes for 4:3 material and "Full" for anamorphic material.

Here is the link:

http://www.geocities.com/mv_us_2000/...0H81_HDTV.html

The Toshiba 50H81 is a 50" 16:9 TV. If you scroll to the TheaterWide 1 section, you will see how standard 4:3 TV broadcasts look when stretched to fill the 16:9 screen.

Peace...

rawbery79 · 05-22-2003, 07:50 AM

So that's how Simpsons, for example, would look on a widescreen tv?

incubus0 · 05-22-2003, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fightguard
incubus0, would you be able to post pics of justified 4:3 material? Or do you know any sites that show some examples? I tried doing a web search but could come up with anything.
Thanks

I'll post some too, probably tomorrow.

I use the term 'justified' because that's what my Panasonic calls it. It's probably called something different with other brands. To quote the manual (page 14) "This will stretch the right and left edges of a 4:3 picture to fill the screen. The center of the screen will have aspect correction applied. The size of the picture will depend on the original signal."

tomdkat · 05-22-2003, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rawbery79
So that's how Simpsons, for example, would look on a widescreen tv?

That's generally how "The Simpsons" as broadcast on TV would appear on that particular TV. Other HDTVs would display 4:3 material similarly to Toshiba 50H81 above.

Peace...

brian · 05-22-2003, 07:37 PM

I've never seen this justified mode myself, but from what incubus0
is saying, this is how i interpretted what this mode would look like. The red box is just to show where the 4:3 window is, and isn't part of the actual image. Basically, any point beyond the red border, is stretched out. Is this what it looks like?

tomdkat · 05-22-2003, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by brian
Basically, any point beyond the red border, is stretched out.

Actually, the part between the guy's left arm and the red border and the other red border and his hand is what would be stretched. The stuff OUTSIDE of the red border would be "lost" since it would NOT be displayed on the 4:3 TV anyway.

Well, the above would apply to just about any 16:9 HDTVs 4:3 video stretch modes and I would imagine the "justified" mode would behave the same way.

Peace...

tomdkat · 05-22-2003, 07:52 PM

Here is the description of the video modes from that manual. You can clearly see what the "Just" mode does. "Just" is similar to the TheaterWIde 1 mode on the Toshiba 50H81.

Peace...

incubus0 · 05-23-2003, 01:29 AM

OK, here's a couple/few examples. I apologize for the poor quality, our digital camera sucks (and these were on 'Super High Quality').

You can see a little of the stretching in the 'Y' in Family

With the flash on, the circular Comedy Central logo is more oval shaped.

"F'in Cry!"

Notice the 2 water fountains to the edge are longer then the 2 above towards the middle.

Dilbert's 'hair' is longer on the outside.

The yellow circles are ovals towards the edge

Homer's eyes are longer then Marge's.

Even harder to notice

Jerry's head

All in all it's not noticable while watching a show unless you're really looking for it.

tomdkat · 05-23-2003, 01:50 AM

Thanks for the screenshots!

Peace...

05-21-2003, 01:41 AM	#1 (permalink)
jbat31 Actor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Trenton, Ohio 45067	widescreen vs full screen tv I am looking to buy a new tv, something big. My wife and I saw a Hitachi we liked that is not widescreen, but it is HDTV. I kind of wanted widescreen, but my wife does not like the look of the widescreen set. Is there any real disadvantagess to the 4:3 big screen

05-21-2003, 01:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
tomdkat Official Forum Warmonger "Dial Tone" Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Hayward, CA, USA	Well, the MAIN disadvantage is the fact that it's 4:3... Seriously, see if the set can display a "16:9" image. If the set can, it should work just fine. As you decide to watch more HD TV broadcasts, they might be in 16:9 format so that TV might not "appeal" to you as much as a 16:9 TV would. 16:9 HD broadcasts would appear with black bars on a 4:3 display and with NONE on a 16:9 display. Just something to keep in the back of your mind.... If the 4:3 TV you're looking at can display 16:9 images, then it should be an ok set, at least for now. Good luck! Peace.... __________________ My DVD Aficionado List "At last we shall reveal ourselves to the Jedi, at last we shall have revenge!"

05-21-2003, 08:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
videoworx Would Make a Good Incubus Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: nowhere near Nebraska	You get burn in watching 4x3 material on a widescreen set as well. Look at your DVD collection, and if you see you have more widescreen material than not, go with a 16x9 screen. I prefer 4x3, only because I have a huge collection of old 4x3 movies (citizen kane, for instance). I can't stand the ol' stretcheroo effect that most people employ on 16x9 screens, and I prefer to look at black bars at the top and bottom, rather than left and right. However, once I'm done building my home theatre, the projector screen WILL be 16x9. go with whichever TV looks better, and tell your wife to go look at washing machines... __________________ And let’s not forget the fact that Tron turned the Frisbee into an instrument of righteous smiting.

05-21-2003, 09:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
incubus0 Banned Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Massachusetts	Where to start . . . The disadvantages to a 4:3 HDTV set will become more and more apparent over the next few years. If you buy one now you'll probably regret it when you start watching more and more programming in true HDTV. On the other hand, there are many 16:9 sets that have a 'justified' mode while watching a 4:3 broadcast. It keeps the center of the image unchanged and just stretches out the edges. This is how I watch most 'regular' broadcasts now, and you'll be surprised how good and natural it looks. Then when I fire up the DVD, HDTV broadcast, or Xbox it looks absolutely amazing with all those lines of resolution being used the way they were meant to. And a 16:9 image on a 4:3 screen is made smaller, while a 4:3 image on a 16:9 screen is the size it's supposed to be. So why buy a big screen TV just to watch the high quality stuff shrunken down? Last edited by incubus0 : 05-28-2003 at 09:47 PM.

05-22-2003, 07:50 AM	#13 (permalink)
rawbery79 Actress Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ames, IA USA	So that's how Simpsons, for example, would look on a widescreen tv? __________________ Oops. God,that guy's got a small face.-Mike and the Bots, commenting on 1001, "Soultaker"

05-21-2003, 02:58 AM	#3 (permalink)
MurDiddlyUrdler Banned Join Date: Aug 2002	I'd really be scared of watching too much widescreen material on a 4:3 big screen tv. You'd be looking at really large black bars that could be susceptible to "burn in." Your wife might not like the look of a 16:9 tv now, but I would bet things will be different in a couple years when all broadcast television is 16:9.

05-21-2003, 10:08 PM	#7 (permalink)
Fightguard Actor Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Toronto	incubus0, would you be able to post pics of justified 4:3 material? Or do you know any sites that show some examples? I tried doing a web search but could come up with anything. Thanks

05-22-2003, 02:04 AM	#9 (permalink)
Fightguard Actor Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Toronto	great tom, thanks! So that TheaterWide 1 mode is equivalent to the justified stretch mode incubus0 describes above?

05-22-2003, 03:27 AM	#10 (permalink)
jbat31 Actor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Trenton, Ohio 45067	Well, I got a Hitachi 51' widescreen. Thanks for all of the input. I can't wait to watch stuff on it this weekend when it is delivered

05-22-2003, 03:54 AM	#11 (permalink)
Fightguard Actor Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Toronto

05-23-2003, 01:29 AM	#19 (permalink)
incubus0 Banned Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Massachusetts	OK, here's a couple/few examples. I apologize for the poor quality, our digital camera sucks (and these were on 'Super High Quality'). You can see a little of the stretching in the 'Y' in Family With the flash on, the circular Comedy Central logo is more oval shaped. "F'in Cry!" Notice the 2 water fountains to the edge are longer then the 2 above towards the middle. Dilbert's 'hair' is longer on the outside. The yellow circles are ovals towards the edge Homer's eyes are longer then Marge's. Even harder to notice Jerry's head All in all it's not noticable while watching a show unless you're really looking for it. Last edited by incubus0 : 05-23-2003 at 01:36 AM.

05-23-2003, 01:50 AM	#20 (permalink)
tomdkat Official Forum Warmonger "Dial Tone" Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Hayward, CA, USA	Thanks for the screenshots! Peace... __________________ My DVD Aficionado List "At last we shall reveal ourselves to the Jedi, at last we shall have revenge!"

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