Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (
More info?)
"Mack McKinnon" <MckinnonRemoveThis@tvadmanDeleteThisAsWell.com> wrote in
message news:9K6Ie.61811$gL1.46132@tornado.texas.rr.com...
> "Widescreen" can be 16:9 but often is not. Depends on the shape of the
> picture, as it was shot for the movies. Often, "widescreen" movies are
> wider than 16:9, hence the black at the top and the bottom. Shouldn't be
a
> big deal for you, though. So what? I suppose if you have a TV that tends
> to "burn in", you would not want to have that there all the time, but
since
> you are just watching DVD movies (and only plasma and CRT have that
> tendency, anyway, and it is much improved recently), probably nothing to
> worry about.
>
> mack
> austin
>
>
> "Adysthemic" <asifidsay@imprivate.com> wrote in message
> news:11f08lnqraeiha3@corp.supernews.com...
> >
> > "Adysthemic" <asifidsay@imprivate.com> wrote in message
> > news:11eqq7dh0h2ove3@corp.supernews.com...
> >> Group,
> >> I just purchased a SONY KD-34XBR960 16:9 HDTV. I set up an antenna and
I
> >> think I'm getting some HDTV broadcasts, but with all the differing
> >> formats
> >> out there I'm not exactly sure wtf I'm seeing half the time. Only a
> >> couple
> >> sporting events filled the screen in a pretty awesome way, in
> >> "normal" mode setting. Some letterboxed movies are clipped on top AND
> > sides
> >> even though they say 16:9 on the
> >> guide. Some 480i things look better than 720p.You'd think
> >> 1080i would look the best and fill the 16:9 screen natively
> >> but doesn't. What exactly "fits" this tv in a "native" way, i.e.
> >> what format fills the 16:9 screen AND gives the best picture
> >> quality? I knew my DTV sat feed would look like a 27" set
> >> natively, except for the letter box movies, some are clipped
> >> top and bottom and some are clipped on the sides. I've looked around on
> > some
> >> forums but it's way over my head at the moment. Can anyone explain in a
> >> simple getting started way what all these formats are "supposed" to
look
> >> like?
> >> Thanks,Adysthemic
> >>
> >>
> >
> > Got two movies on DVD today to see if I could even come close to
guessing
> > what the heck I'm going to get when I wnat to watch something. Both
movies
> > were "widescreen".
> > One fit the screen as it "should". The other, no matter what setting,
> > would
> > not fit the screen. Is the term "letterbox" 16:9
> > or can it be anything? Is the term "widescreen" 16:9? How the hell do I
> > know
> > when looking at the "numbers" on the box, whether it be the guide 1080i
> > 480i
> > 720p, or the DVD
> > package, what EXACTLY I'm going to see on the screen?
> > Are there no common standards? Or am I just too dumb to get this? I have
a
> > few days off to read the forums,and I purchased this set because my old
> > one
> > died XBR2-32, and I got a really good deal on it,1400usd.So far it looks
> > good but not that much better, in the stuff I've seen.,Adysthemic
> >
> >
>
>
Thanks everyone for your comments. This is all starting to make a bit of
sense.
Station 1 broadcasts in 1080i 16:9 according to the guide.
What I see most of the time is wider than 4:3 with grey bars on both sides.
Commercials go from 4:3 to a little bigger,like the programming. On this
station I watched a show listed as HD. It filled the screen "as it should"
natively.
Some shots or scenes were awesome,others better than normal, however I doubt
whether I would have gasped at the difference had I walked into the room at
that moment.
So far HDTV is certainly better but hasn't lived up to the hype for me so
far. But just like drinking wine, it takes a while to appreciate, then you
cannot go back to 2buck chuck;>).
Station 2 The guide always says 720p. The shows look good but are black 4:3.
No HD there at the times I can view.
Station 3 1080i 16:9 black bars 4:3.
The DVDs were both "widescreen" on the box. I stretched
one to "full" and it looked much like it did on my old TV.
In "normal" it had bars on top and bottom. The actual picture was quite
good. I ended up setting it at "full".
So I guess in all a station can broadcast in 1080i material
recorded in 4:3 so you are getting a "full screen" potential ( the grey
bars) but you only see the source material 4:3.
Some (most it seems) movies on DVD are recorded in many formats.Only one or
two "native" to this TV. So without altering the "native" format to fit,
will always be "letterboxed" in some way. It's strange all these formats
were not standardized .
In conclusion am I impressed with HDTV? Not as much as I expected. I thought
it would look like an old fashioned projected slide show,only in motion. I'm
sure I will come to
appreciate it, like my XBR2. I could hardly watch TV at friends houses after
a time. I can feel that happening now even though HD didn't knock me on my
butt the first time.
Thanks for all the input Y'all. I'm going to have time (I hope)
this week to hang at AVS and see what I can glean from
there,Adysthemic
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