[rtrg]

Is there such a thing at retail or online as a LCD or PLASMA flat screen in standard definition that uses the 4:3 aspect ratio? I want to replace my 26 inch CRT TV with a comparable flat screen. I do not understand why COMPUTER screens are square while tvs are wide. I use a standard def set top receiver. I need a screen that uses the RF connector so the connections will be maintained. A/V in/outs would be an extra. A VGA in would also be nice so I can use my PC to TV box to make the connection to my combo unit and then to the panel as it already is. I want to keep things simple. How is a standard def 4:3 displayed on a wide screen? Black bars on the sides to make the image square? Stretched to fit the wide screen? Can a inexpensive screen, if there is such a thing, handle BOTH standard def as well as high def? I have no plans on replacing my 4 cable boxes. 200 channels are enough and nothing to watch. 500 channels would be more of the same. Any and all info welcome. [email protected]

 

[Mik James]

Computer screens are wide since the middle of the decade

The image is displayed wih black or gray bars on the side to create a 4:3 image.

All hd screens will handle sd content by scaling it to the resolution of the panel and placing the aforementioned black bars on either side, some produce a better image then others when displaying sd content. If youll be watching a lot of 4:3 then you may want to consider an LCD due to the uneven aging that would occur on a plasma (a lot of screens use gray bars to combat this but gray bars can be distracting). A lot of tvs have options to scale the image to fit the panel by cutting a few inches off the top and bottom of the image (same applies for film content)