4:3 viewing with HDTVs

by Kentelyoo Oct 28, 2008 4:26AM PDT

Hi,

I will soon change my rear projection TV for an HDTV, probably an LCD. Since I will always watch old 4:3 TV shows (on DVD or Blu-Ray), I wonder how the new HDTVs handle the 4:3 aspect ratio.

Can I choose between grey and black side bars (I would really prefer black ones) ? If I can use black bars, is there a risk of damaging an LCD TV ?

Thank you.

Discussion is locked

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New sets address the damage issue.

by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator Oct 28, 2008 4:35AM PDT

But head out to the display units and play with the controls once you have them input a 4x3 signal. Our Samsung and Sony units offer too many choices and it would too hard for me to describe all the choices. Go try it.

The mode I choose had no bars.
Bob

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4:3 on 16:9

by Dan Filice Oct 30, 2008 3:24AM PDT

And while Bob chooses a 4:3 viewing format that does not have bars, I prefer to view 4:3 programs in 4:3 format (just my preference) and I've done this for years on my 16:9 TVs, and so far there has not been any burn-in from the bars. While I could certainly choose a zoom function to make 4:3 fill the 16:9 screen, doing so slightly softens the image and cuts some of the image off, so I've just kept it in 4:3 mode. My 16:9 TVs have the option of choosing grey or black for bars, and I too prefer black.

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I FEEL IT'S BEST TO WATCH 4:3 TV IN THE 4:3 MODE/FORMAT,

by Riverledge Oct 30, 2008 4:08AM PDT

THESE SHOWS ARE NOT DIGITAL; WHY PRETEND THEY ARE!

Just like commercials shot in ANALOG will always look sucky.

If you have COMCAST (I do.) you'll be unhappy with just about

everything about their so called DIGITAL DTV.

There are a few words I'd like to say to COMCAST; however they'd

probably yank my proverbial "CORD."

Best to all,

Riverledge.

P.S. "all lost the supermarket"

CLASH 1979

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The situation with new LCD models

by Kentelyoo Oct 30, 2008 5:02AM PDT

Do you think all new LCD TVs have the option to choose black bars ? Its not mentionned in any CNET reviews.

By the way, I never watch TV broadcasts (hate commercials), I'm only talking about TV shows on discs. Shows like Twin Peaks, My so-called life or the early X-Files will always be in 4:3, even on Blu-Ray.

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A thought occured to me

by Kentelyoo Oct 30, 2008 5:22AM PDT

Rereading my previous post, I thought I could be wrong about Blu-Ray editions of those old TV shows. It seems old TV shows are released on Blu-Ray in 16:9 format. How do they do that ? They cut the top and bottom of the image ? I hope not. Its really a distortion of the intended frame. Do you know anything about that ?

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Look into topics like OAR, Pan and Scan, etc.

by Pepe7 Oct 30, 2008 6:09AM PDT

OAR=Original Aspect Ratio

This is something different than increasing the resolution, which is the primary benefit of going to the blue ray format. Here's a useful site to explain it further-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_Aspect_Ratio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_ratio_(image)

http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/aspectratios.htm

Graphical representation of some of the more common aspect ratios-
http://www.divxland.org/aspect_ratios.php

http://www.takeoneflix.com/digital-video-basics/aspect-ratio-explained/

http://www.yanman.com/HomeTheater/HTAspect.htm

Some content can indeed display properly on a 16:9 HDTV w/o the bars or having to stretch the content. I may be wrong, but AFAIK X-Files wasn't filmed in 4:3 but that's simply how it was formatted to fit on an SDTV/CRT.

Also, see Pan & Scan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_and_scan

hth,
Pedro

4:3 viewing with HDTVs

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