[youngjun91]

Hi, I am new in Rear Projection TV's. I'm wondering how a native 4:3 HDTV reproduces DVD's. Obviously the black bars will be there on top and bottom, but do I generally lose resolution on my DVD's compared to a 16:9 HDTV?


I'm asking this because I am really buying this to feature my DVD's, although realistically I'll end up watching more TV than DVD's on an everyday basis.


What about models such as the Panasonic PT-51HX41 which describes their aspect ratio as 4:3, 16:9 Enhanced. Is there some kind of rescaling that allows the DVD's to reproduced in their full resolution?


Basically I'm asking what the pros and cons are of a 4:3 versus 16:9 HDTV.


Thanks in advance for your help,

Young

 

[kpoon]

with a 4:3 tv you can't take advantage of anamorphic dvd's, which are "enhanced for widescreen televisions." basically the black bars substitute for the extra lines of resolution that you would get if the dvd were played on a widescreen. so, yes, you would lose resolution if you played your dvd's on a 4:3.


"4:3, 16:9 enhanced," i would imagine, is some method of taking advantage of anamorphic dvd's on a 4:3 screen. haven't heard about that much, though.

 

[Ken Garrison]

Know what? I think 4x3 TVs are ugly now. They look like something from the stone age. So, I'm going 16x9 if I ever buy a new TV. 16x9 is much more appealing to the eye. And when I watch 4x3 material on it, I'm not gonna watch it in stretch. Watching short and fat people would drive me insane.

 

[scfisher]

Most 4:3 HDTVs are low end models. ]


If your space for a RPTV is restricted by width (not diagonal), a 4:3 TV of the same width will show the same size 16:9 picture as a 16:9 set, but will show a much larger 4:3 picture. You can stretch out a 4:3 picture to fill a 16:9 screen, but some people don't care for the distorted picture - people with fat heads, etc.


It is important to take into account your viewing habits - if you will be mostly watching 16:9 things, I would go 16:9. And if you will be watching mainly 4:3 stuff, a 4:3 TV might be a good choice.

 

[sigma957]

These days, many 4:3 RPTV's have a "16:9 enhanced" or "vertical compression" mode that enables them to squeeze the full 480 lines of DVD resolution into a 16:9 rectangle in the middle of the screen. I would recommend you get a 16:9 set, but if you must have a 4:3 one, make sure it has this feature.

 

[Kir]

HDTV standard as of now dictates 16:9 resolution.

So if you want to be technically correct, 4:3 is not an HDTV.

 

[Marc Alexander]

Quote:

Originally posted by Kir HDTV standard as of now dictates 16:9 resolution. So if you want to be technically correct, 4:3 is not an HDTV.

Not exactly. Anything that displays 1080i or 720p in a 16x9 aspect ratio is HDTV, regardless of the screen shape.


That being said, 4x3 big screens are ugly and awkward in comparison to 16x9s. While the old legacy stuff looks normal...you are definiltely compromising the HD material (it just doesn't look quite right on the boxy screen).


I use a 16x9 set for my DVDs and HD. The everyday stuff like the news is relegated to the bedroom directview (although that will likely become a 16x9 set soon as well).