Is automatic aspect-ratio detection important?

[kmrivers]

I am looking at a Sharp Aquos LCD TV, and it doesn't have automatic aspect-ratio detection. I don't really know if this is an issue, or what it is to some extent. Is it important?

My sources on it will be a 360, a Wii, and later on Digital HD Cable. Thanks!

 

[postmortemIA]

Of course it is, everything that is 4:3 will have black bars on left and right. Otherwise it would be too wide and look nasty. For example, circle would look like an ellipse.

 

[kmrivers]

Well it has it for 4:3 sources, but not for HD sources. Here is a quote from a review on the TV.

"There are also four selectable aspect ratios (Sharp calls this "View Mode"). For standard definition resolutions you get Side Bar (unmodified 4:3 on the wide screen with black side bars), Smart Stretch (one of those stretchy modes for filling the 16:9 screen with a 4:3 image), Zoom (for letterbox widescreen sources, incorrectly described in the manual as suitable for anamorphic 2.35 DVDs), and Stretch (for anamorphic sources). With 720p and 1080i sources the set is locked into the Stretch mode."

 

[postmortemIA]

HD is already widescreen, probably of same aspect ratio as your LCD TV.

 

[kmrivers]

So it really isn't an issue that it doesn't automatically detect? All the review I read mention this, but don't say why it is bad. For example, in this review http://hometheatermag.com/lcds/606lcdfo/index7.html they mention that is doesnt have it
So in your opinion this wouldn't be an issue if I am using HD sources that would already be widescreen?

 

[Piuc2020]

If you can set the aspect ratio yourself, no its not a problem, and if you are going to use HD sources only then you don't even have to think about it, all HDTV standards are 16:9 resolutions.