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Partial reply

Posted by BQ (A) on January 19, 2003 at 14:53:09

In Reply to: 16:9 Mode in 4:3 TV posted by Nglazer on January 19, 2003 at 09:05:33:

I don't have much info on the 4:3 side, but I can comment on 16:9.

There are usually two ways to view 4:3 material on a 16:9 screen:
(1) with black or grey bars to the left and right of a 4:3 image, or
(2) a stretched image. Some stretched images are more tolerable than others, and whether you'll like them is subjective. Any stretched image, however, distorts the original picture.

If you mostly watch sports with occasional movies, it may not seem like a 16:9 set makes sense, but have you seen any sports in HD on a 16:9 set? If not, do yourself a favor and go see it before you make a purchase decision. IMO, HD sports are clearly superior.

You might also want to consider that 16:9 will be the standard format in the future. Whether you buy a 16:9 set now isn't a cut-and-dry decision, however. It depends on how much money you plan to spend as well as what you watch. There will be lots of 4:3 material for a long time to come, but sports, movies, network shows and DVDs are moving to or already in 16:9 format. If you spend big bucks on a set, obsolescence is a risk with 4:3.

I bought a 55" 16:9 RPTV about 18 months ago. At the same time, two friends bought 36" Sony Wega sets for about 30% less than my cost. One is still happy with his Wega. The other has been having buyers remorse for about the last year. I was a bit nervous about the aspect ratio, too. Turns out for my family, it was a needless worry. We're still very happy with the purchase decision.

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