How do you watch 4:3 material on your Widescreen TV? - DVDfile.com forum for DVD, Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD

brttlt · 11-10-2003, 02:48 AM

what do you guys out there do when watching regular TV on your WS?
Do you get used to watching news, sports...with everything spread out a bit, or do you switch over to 4:3...?
Need some advice!

tomdkat · 11-10-2003, 02:58 AM

I don't watch much regular TV but my Toshiba 57HX81 has good video stretch modes to make 4:3 material "fill" the screen without too much distortion. Depending on how good your TVs video stretch modes are, you might or might not be bothered with the distortion that occurs. A number of people bought 4:3 HDTVs since they watched 4:3 material primarily and these TVs had "16:9 squeeze" modes that would format a 16:9 image "properly", even though the letterbox bars on wide 16:9 material (like 2.35:1 AR) would be larger than when viewing that video on a 16:9 screen.

If you do leave the TV in 4:3 mode, be careful about "burn-in" that can be caused by the bars on the sides. I'm not sure what the "burn-in" issues are with LCD TVs.

EDIT: I updated the thread title to make it more clear.

For those contributing answers, here is info on the TV he's referring to:

DVD Player recommendations: Discuss DVD player recommendations here

Peace...

MurDiddlyUrdler · 11-10-2003, 03:12 AM

I watch almost all of my 4:3 material in what is called "stretch plus" on my Mitsubishi WS55413. It does a really nice job of stretching the 4:3 image to fill the 16:9 screen without much distortion. It's a major improvement over the stretch modes on my previous Mitsubishi, the WS55819.

Daniel Shock · 11-10-2003, 01:48 PM

on my Toshiba, I watch 4:3 in zoom/stretch mode #3

It crops the top and bottom slightly and stretches slightly. Burn in issues trump watching stuff in OAR for me...

I 8 Piglet · 11-10-2003, 03:21 PM

I have a DLP projector, and I actually dont watch much tv anymore, and what I do watch is usually HD, but for the limitied 4:3 content I do watch (mainly the simpsons), I usually set the PJ in 4:3 native mode. I do sometimes use the stretch and after a couple of minutes it looks natural.

tomdkat · 11-10-2003, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel Shock

on my Toshiba, I watch 4:3 in zoom/stretch mode #3

What Toshiba do you have? On my Toshiba 57HX81, I use TheaterWide 1 for 4:3 material less than 1.85:1 in AR and TheaterWide 2 for all other 4:3 material.

Peace....

Daniel Shock · 11-11-2003, 02:35 PM

ummm...I'm not sure...come this February we will have had it for 2 years...its 51or 50 inches...

on my TV there are 5 modes:

0 = 4:3 bars on the sides of the image
1 = some combination of crop and stretch
2 = 4:3 top and bottom cropped with NO distortion of image
3 = some combination of crop and stretch
4 = Full stretch

incubus0 · 11-11-2003, 02:51 PM

We talked about this a little in this thread and included some screenshots.

I normally watch none HD shows in Justified mode, which is explained in the above link, but football is either split screen or 4:3, I just get distracted by the players looking stretched out even if it is only on the sides.

jtorrance · 11-11-2003, 11:23 PM

I don't have have cable on my Panasonic. So, I watch what I can get in the "justified" mode. The screenshots posted in the link above are a pretty good example of it...

11-10-2003, 02:48 AM	#1 (permalink)
brttlt Actor Join Date: May 2003	My First Widescreen... what do you guys out there do when watching regular TV on your WS? Do you get used to watching news, sports...with everything spread out a bit, or do you switch over to 4:3...? Need some advice! __________________ "Knights, I bid you welcome to your new home. Let us ride to Camelot..."

11-10-2003, 02:58 AM	#2 (permalink)
tomdkat Official Forum Warmonger "Dial Tone" Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Hayward, CA, USA	I don't watch much regular TV but my Toshiba 57HX81 has good video stretch modes to make 4:3 material "fill" the screen without too much distortion. Depending on how good your TVs video stretch modes are, you might or might not be bothered with the distortion that occurs. A number of people bought 4:3 HDTVs since they watched 4:3 material primarily and these TVs had "16:9 squeeze" modes that would format a 16:9 image "properly", even though the letterbox bars on wide 16:9 material (like 2.35:1 AR) would be larger than when viewing that video on a 16:9 screen. If you do leave the TV in 4:3 mode, be careful about "burn-in" that can be caused by the bars on the sides. I'm not sure what the "burn-in" issues are with LCD TVs. EDIT: I updated the thread title to make it more clear. For those contributing answers, here is info on the TV he's referring to: DVD Player recommendations: Discuss DVD player recommendations here Peace... __________________ My DVD Aficionado List "At last we shall reveal ourselves to the Jedi, at last we shall have revenge!"

11-10-2003, 01:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
Daniel Shock Actor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA	on my Toshiba, I watch 4:3 in zoom/stretch mode #3 It crops the top and bottom slightly and stretches slightly. Burn in issues trump watching stuff in OAR for me... __________________ Daniel Shock My DVD collection

11-10-2003, 03:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
I 8 Piglet Actor Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: missing NYC hardcore :(	I have a DLP projector, and I actually dont watch much tv anymore, and what I do watch is usually HD, but for the limitied 4:3 content I do watch (mainly the simpsons), I usually set the PJ in 4:3 native mode. I do sometimes use the stretch and after a couple of minutes it looks natural. __________________ "I have respect for Beer!" - John Nash "He was a wise man, who invented beer." - Plato My HT v2.1: with x1 screen shots New screen shots 2/4/04 \| My DVD Collection as of 12/15/04

11-11-2003, 02:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
Daniel Shock Actor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA	ummm...I'm not sure...come this February we will have had it for 2 years...its 51or 50 inches... on my TV there are 5 modes: 0 = 4:3 bars on the sides of the image 1 = some combination of crop and stretch 2 = 4:3 top and bottom cropped with NO distortion of image 3 = some combination of crop and stretch 4 = Full stretch __________________ Daniel Shock My DVD collection Last edited by Daniel Shock : 11-11-2003 at 02:38 PM.

11-10-2003, 03:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
MurDiddlyUrdler Banned Join Date: Aug 2002	I watch almost all of my 4:3 material in what is called "stretch plus" on my Mitsubishi WS55413. It does a really nice job of stretching the 4:3 image to fill the 16:9 screen without much distortion. It's a major improvement over the stretch modes on my previous Mitsubishi, the WS55819.

11-11-2003, 02:51 PM	#8 (permalink)
incubus0 Banned Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Massachusetts	We talked about this a little in this thread and included some screenshots. I normally watch none HD shows in Justified mode, which is explained in the above link, but football is either split screen or 4:3, I just get distracted by the players looking stretched out even if it is only on the sides.

11-11-2003, 11:23 PM	#9 (permalink)
jtorrance Actor Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Refugee from the planet Alderaan.	I don't have have cable on my Panasonic. So, I watch what I can get in the "justified" mode. The screenshots posted in the link above are a pretty good example of it... __________________ Do you want me to bring out the LeRoy Neiman paintings?

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