14:9 option?

[James Vertigan]

This frustrates me sometimes... I have a 32" widescreen TV (the Philips 32PW9617 to be precise). Now I'm not sure whether it's my NTL box stretching the pictures or the TV, but when I have the screen in Automatic mode (so it eliminates the black bars and people are not squashed), when watching some channels I loose the information on the top & bottom of the screen (depending on what ratio they are broadcasting in).

I have found on this forum that setting the STB to 4:3 letterbox will solve this problem in most cases, but sometimes Sky bugger around with the ratio they are broadcasting in, so it then screws up the way my screen is set up... and what's the point in having a widescreen TV when you have to keep it in 4:3 all the time!

I have a feeling that if there was something on the NTL menu like a 14:9 option, this would eliminate the problem of the top/bottom being chopped off... I don't suppose there is a way of adding this to everyone's menu options?

My TV (Sony) has a 14:9 option, but it is the only one the STB will not switch to automatically. It seems to me that stations that broadcast 14:9 pictures (mostly UKTV, showing relatively recent BBC repeats) are actually just sending a 4:3 signal with black bars at the top and bottom. I don't know how the STB works in this regard but I'm guessing it needs some cue from the broadcast about the correct aspect ratio rather than being able to work it out for itself.

[Matth]

It's a MESS, there was a time a while back, when it would ignore the 4:3 filled option on some material, and letterbox it.

Emmerdale, and some adverts were one of the main things that did it.

It would be nice if you could flip that option without going through slow menus, to deal with things which DO suffer from things being off-screen - notably some quiz shows, where the time or score will be half offscreen.

I hate letterbox on 4:3 - it's a last resort!

[Xaccers]

See, this is why I wouldn't waste my money on a widescreen TV when I can get a much larger 4:3 TV for the same money or less.
You get a large 16:9 image when in widescreen mode, and an even larger full screen image for the rest.
With widescreen you get a smaller widescreen image (cos of the cost) and a minescule 4:3 image, unless you like seeing every looking fat and stretched.

Originally Posted by Xaccers

See, this is why I wouldn't waste my money on a widescreen TV when I can get a much larger 4:3 TV for the same money or less.
You get a large 16:9 image when in widescreen mode, and an even larger full screen image for the rest.
With widescreen you get a smaller widescreen image (cos of the cost) and a minescule 4:3 image, unless you like seeing every looking fat and stretched.

huh? when i had a 4:3 i know for a fact that stuff was being chopped of the side if the transmission was in widescreen. Who looks fat and stretched? get a decent widescreen and the stretching is done towards the edges so that its not so noticeable.

Originally Posted by Matth

It's a MESS, there was a time a while back, when it would ignore the 4:3 filled option on some material, and letterbox it.

Emmerdale, and some adverts were one of the main things that did it.

It would be nice if you could flip that option without going through slow menus, to deal with things which DO suffer from things being off-screen - notably some quiz shows, where the time or score will be half offscreen.

I hate letterbox on 4:3 - it's a last resort!

This is due to the program companies sending out Active Format Descriptors (AFD's) which can force your 4:3 set STB to letterbox even if you have it set to pan and scan.

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by gary_580

huh? when i had a 4:3 i know for a fact that stuff was being chopped of the side if the transmission was in widescreen. Who looks fat and stretched? get a decent widescreen and the stretching is done towards the edges so that its not so noticeable.

My 28" 4:3 toshiba was perfect.
Massive 4:3 image, and a big 16:9 image too.
Parents have got a Panasonic widescreen.
Total waste of £600
Fine if you're watching a widescreen transmission (although its only a 32" screen so the image isn't that big anyway)

The latest pain in the backside fad is widescreen laptops, they look bloody awful.

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

My 28" 4:3 toshiba was perfect.
Massive 4:3 image, and a big 16:9 image too.
Parents have got a Panasonic widescreen.
Total waste of £600
Fine if you're watching a widescreen transmission (although its only a 32" screen so the image isn't that big anyway)

The latest pain in the backside fad is widescreen laptops, they look bloody awful.

Personally, I like my widescreen laptop and Panasonic TV. The laptop does display jpg banners and things badly, but working on two spreadsheets or a web site and spreadsheet, is fantastic, watching a movie on a plane, better than those crappy seatback screens.

Whats wrong with the panny TV, the Tau ones are better than Sony in mine and What Hifi sound and visions opinion.

Originally Posted by Xaccers

My 28" 4:3 toshiba was perfect.
Massive 4:3 image, and a big 16:9 image too.
Parents have got a Panasonic widescreen.
Total waste of £600
Fine if you're watching a widescreen transmission (although its only a 32" screen so the image isn't that big anyway)

The latest pain in the backside fad is widescreen laptops, they look bloody awful.

I much prefer the shape of our widescreen telly. To get a 16:9 picture of the same size, I would have a great big square box in the corner of the room sitting far higher than necessary.