Is a 36" screen possible on 42" screen?

[michaeljones161]

OK, it's a silly question. What I mean is: If I buy a 42" TV, is there a screen mode or viewing mode that will allow me to watch TV in 36" window on the screen with a black border round it.
We have a 36" screen now, but my wife doesn't want a larger screen. She thinks she'll get a headache watching it. If we can watch 'ordinary' TV on a 36" window-type-screen, then the grandkids and I can watch movies, etc, on the 42" "unwindowed" normal screen.
I don't think I've explained myself very well, but I hope you get my meaning.

 

[ssddx]

not typically. normally tvs include a function to zoom in or stretch an older low res to fit the screen not to zoom out.

how far back do you sit from the screen? and what type of 36" tv do you have now? (is it an old projection?) also what resolution is it.

a 42" is only 6" bigger of a screen. if she sat back a foot or so further she would never know the difference since objects further away look smaller.

unless you sit in a pitch black room with the tv light blaring i doubt it will cause a headache.

in some cases because the screen is not as small it might actually be easier on your eyes depending on if you have good eyesight or not since you dont need to squint or strain to see details.

 

[michaeljones161]

Hi ssddx (how do you pronounce your name? )

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate what you're saying but it's not easy to convince my wife.

 

[DsmithBFL]

I don't believe you can but I'm going to go with a wild guess here - you can try changing the aspect ratio. Maybe than can alter the the screen the way you want it to be.

 

[ssddx]

its not meant to be pronounced as a word. its actually an acronym. ssdd stands for "same sh*t different day" which i first heard in the movie dreamcatcher. i then decided to add an x to the end to it. i could think of a reason why it makes sense but i just liked it.

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i asked you what type of television (lcdtv, old projection tv?) for a reason and also how far you sit back for a reason. you may want to note if you have any room behind the tv or behind the viewing area for moving furniture.

here is a THX recommended chart for viewing size vs viewing distance

as you can see the further you sit back the smaller a panel looks. so the tv would appear to be the same size. even if you sat the same distance away it is likely not going to be a huge difference.

if you were upgrading from an old projection to a new 1080p tv you want the extra size since it has more detail. the same is true with a 720p tv to a 1080p tv.

does your wife get a headache from watching television normally with you? if so do you have ambient lighting around you when you watch tv? are there reflections on screen from that lighting? do you watch in a dark room? how far away do you watch from? do you know if she is sensitive to backlight flicker?