So I bought a flat screen tv - and I'm peeved. ..

[imported_Imp]

A 19" flat flat/WS has less viewable because they changed the aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9 while keeping the same measure of size (corner to corner). My 20" CRT is almost bigger than my 24" LCD wide, save the width. If you're talking about just flat screen 4:3 compared to bubbley/old 4:3, then my guess is that it's just an illusion caused by the rounding. I have both at home, and the flat CRT definately appears smaller.

They make movies for the movie theater, which uses a projector and 50" (pulled out of my ass) 'screen'. It is then is sold to television viewers who have televisions to view the television industry standard sizes. Rather than crop the image, they thought black bars would be ok. I never thought 2 black bars would be so bothersome to anyone... I love black bars, it tells me the image being viewed is what the makers intended, and not stetched to look like shit.

To sum up, that's just the way things are.

 

[Reckoner]

Why do the black bars bother people so friggin' much?

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
Why do the black bars bother people so friggin' much?

I paid for 'dem pixles!

 

[Cheesetogo]

Ugh....

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
Why do the black bars bother people so friggin' much?

I paid for 'dem pixles!

Dadgum straight!


I'll just continue to haunt the classified ads trucking away my 30 inch classic sets as I need a new one . . .

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: episodic
I don't watch alot of tv. I don't have cable - just a 3 out Netflix. . . I just do not understand the following:


Ok, why does a 19 inch flat have less viewable screen real estate that my 19 inch 4:3 tv in the bedroom. Even with the letter boxing on the tube tv, there is more viewable. . . than on that small thing.


Why don't they make movies to fill the screen? It is really stupid. I accepted the argument on my normal tv - o, well I've got a different kind of tv - they have to letter box to get it to fit. . . gotcha, I understand - but ok, why do wide screen tv's have this? Do even the big 1000$ tv's do this? So you have to buy o a 40 + inch to get 30 inches of movie?

It went back with no shame and I threw my 100 pound 25 inch back up on the shelf. . .

This is all said in good nature:

You flunked geometry, didn't you?

A hint: When shopping for a 16:9 replacement for a 4:3 TV, always consider the size of a 4:3 picture on the 16:9 TV.

Thus, to replace a 19" 4:3 TV, you would want a 26" 16:9 set.

To replace a 36" 4:3 TV, you'll want a 46" 16:9 set.

And so on.

And you seriously need to learn about aspect ratios. NO single shape TV will show all aspect ratios correctly. 16:9 was selected as the aspect ratio for HDTV broadcasts and stations. It was a compromise between the ultra wide 2.39:1 and the less wide 1.85:1 and still shows 4:3 content without a serious loss of screen as a wider TV would.

Black bars exist on all sets for the same reason the round peg wouldn't fit in the square hole back in kindergarten.

 

[BlackTigers]

Originally posted by: Amused
Black bars exist on all sets for the same reason the round peg wouldn't fit in the square hole back on kindergarten.

Actually I think the round peg did go into the square hole.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: BlackTigers

Originally posted by: Amused
Black bars exist on all sets for the same reason the round peg wouldn't fit in the square hole back on kindergarten.

Actually I think the round peg did go into the square hole.

Whatever
😛

 

[LikeLinus]

Originally posted by: BlackTigers

Originally posted by: Amused
Black bars exist on all sets for the same reason the round peg wouldn't fit in the square hole back on kindergarten.

Actually I think the round peg did go into the square hole.

It's the square peg that wouldn't fit in the round hole. Speaking of people who failed kindergarten... 🙂

 

[Squisher]

I don't think your problem has been fully explained. Are you talking about bars along the sides when you are watching regular non-HD TV or are you talking bars at the top and bottom? Most of the responses have addressed the latter, but there is a chance you are talking about bars on the sides.

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: episodic

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
Why do the black bars bother people so friggin' much?

I paid for 'dem pixles!

Dadgum straight!


I'll just continue to haunt the classified ads trucking away my 30 inch classic sets as I need a new one . . .

So let's see a TV with a resolution of 640x480 or one that can display 1920x1080 pictures... I can see you made the right choice.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: LikeLinus

Originally posted by: BlackTigers

Originally posted by: Amused
Black bars exist on all sets for the same reason the round peg wouldn't fit in the square hole back on kindergarten.

Actually I think the round peg did go into the square hole.

It's the square peg that wouldn't fit in the round hole. Speaking of people who failed kindergarten... 🙂

Okay, guys. So kindergarten was 38 years ago and I don;t have kids, so I haven't seen that playset in a long time.

Can we agree the bulk of my post is correct?

episodic, give HDTV another try. And please don't be one of those who are so upset about black bars that a new "16:9 full screen" standard is created thus chopping off the edges of 2.35:1 or wider movies? HBO already does this on most of their movies and it looks horrible. 🙁

 

[LikeLinus]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: LikeLinus

Originally posted by: BlackTigers

Originally posted by: Amused
Black bars exist on all sets for the same reason the round peg wouldn't fit in the square hole back on kindergarten.

Actually I think the round peg did go into the square hole.

It's the square peg that wouldn't fit in the round hole. Speaking of people who failed kindergarten... 🙂

Okay, guys. So kindergarten was 38 years ago and I don;t have kids, so I haven't seen that playset in a long time.

Can we agree the bulk of my post is correct?

episodic, give HDTV another try. And please don't be one of those who are so upset about black bars that a new "16:9 full screen" standard is created thus chopping off the edges of 2.35:1 or wider movies? HBO already does this on most of their movies and it looks horrible. 🙁

We're only screwing with you because we can. 🙂 Your post was fine otherwise.

 

[Pepsei]

get a freaking HDTV projector then... you won't notice the bars being here. 😀

 

[CRXican]

you'd have to pay me to watch anything on a 19" widescreen

 

[mjrpes3]

Originally posted by: Squisher
I don't think your problem has been fully explained. Are you talking about bars along the sides when you are watching regular non-HD TV or are you talking bars at the top and bottom? Most of the responses have addressed the latter, but there is a chance you are talking about bars on the sides.

He said there were bars present on his 4:3 television, therefore we can rule out side bars coming from a non-HD source being the issue.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: CRXican
you'd have to pay me to watch anything on a 19" widescreen

How much?

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: Drakkon

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: episodic
That doesn't help at all. . . when I was on a regular 4:3 tv - I had black bars. I bought a flat screen and I was thinking the black bars would go away due to the 'aspect' ratio. . . so what gives?

You didn't do your homework. There are different widescreen aspect ratios.

What i don't get is why they settled on 16:9 and didn't make 2.77:1 or 3:1 TVs instead. I'd prefer black vertical bars preserving as much of the movie viewing height than horizontal ones preserving its width.

Because 16:9 is better for most shows. You want them to shoot HD shows in 2.77:1?? That would be terrible.

3:1 is really extreme... And the wider your screen, the smaller the image is when you view a 4:3 show.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: Drakkon

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: episodic
That doesn't help at all. . . when I was on a regular 4:3 tv - I had black bars. I bought a flat screen and I was thinking the black bars would go away due to the 'aspect' ratio. . . so what gives?

You didn't do your homework. There are different widescreen aspect ratios.

What i don't get is why they settled on 16:9 and didn't make 2.77:1 or 3:1 TVs instead. I'd prefer black vertical bars preserving as much of the movie viewing height than horizontal ones preserving its width.

Because 16:9 is better for most shows. You want them to shoot HD shows in 2.77:1?? That would be terrible.

3:1 is really extreme... And the wider your screen, the smaller the image is when you view a 4:3 show.

Yep. Like I said, 16:9 was the best compromise and is a GREAT aspect ratio for HDTV programing. If you watch lots of 2.35:1 or wider films, simply get a larger TV.

My main set is a 67" LED DLP. Makes watching 2.35:1 and wider fims much more enjoyable.

If you only watch HDTV and DVD/Blu-Rays (pretty much all I watch anymore), you can't get a set too big unless your viewing distance is under 12 feet. So always go bigger, because nothing seems to shrink after time quite like a TV.

Hell, my bedrooms TVs are 46" now. Those replaced 27" and 32" Sony XBRs from the mid/early 90s and I couldn't be more pleased.

DirecTV has enough HD channels now that all my boxes have the guides set up to show only HD channels. Now if only they could reduce the compression a bit. 🙁

 

[mrSHEiK124]

So...OP needs to RTFM?

I have a 32" 1360x768 LCD, broadcast HDTV is shown without any bars, 4:3 SD broadcast on an HD channel always gets the top/bottom chopped off but also has bars on the left and right as if the broadcaster is overscanning the SD image for some reason, and movies (HD-DVD, downloads, BR) display with varying levels of bars at the top and bottom of the screen. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
So...OP needs to RTFM?

I have a 32" 1360x768 LCD, broadcast HDTV is shown without any bars, 4:3 SD broadcast on an HD channel always gets the top/bottom chopped off but also has bars on the left and right as if the broadcaster is overscanning the SD image for some reason, and movies (HD-DVD, downloads, BR) display with varying levels of bars at the top and bottom of the screen. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?

Yep, pretty much.

Do you have a "just scan" choice in the pic size selection on your TV? It usually displays the picture more accurately than the "16:9" option

 

[FP]

I would prefer black bars and seeing the directors "vision" than no black bars and every movie using the same aspect ratio.

I can see how it would be annoying on a screen that small but anything larger than 27" and you don't even notice the bars after a few minutes.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: FP
I would prefer black bars and seeing the directors "vision" than no black bars and every movie using the same aspect ratio.

I can see how it would be annoying on a screen that small but anything larger than 27" and you don't even notice the bars after a few minutes.

Absolutely.

But I wonder how much time it will take for a new "16:9 full screen" standard to start showing up on DVDs/Blu-Rays? They did it for 4:3 and complaints like the OPs are hardly rare.

I dread the day...

HBO already does this for most of their movies and it looks horrible because the image is basically zoomed and chopped, thus making it look very grainy and pixelated and enlarging any and all flaws.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: FP
I would prefer black bars and seeing the directors "vision" than no black bars and every movie using the same aspect ratio.

I can see how it would be annoying on a screen that small but anything larger than 27" and you don't even notice the bars after a few minutes.

I don't give a shit about the director's vision. I just get motion sickness when the screen pans.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

How can someone on a tech forum be so ignorant about such a basic tech issue?