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Aspect Ratio

Gonad

Gonad

DON'T FUCK WITH MY TITLE BITCH
You know what I hate? When people with wide screen tvs watch their shows in the wrong aspect ratios. All stretched out and ugly, and they don't even notice! I hate going to hotels and not being able to locate the remote to fix that stupidity. I'd rather not watch at all. I'd rather stab something into the middle of the screen and then shove the whole thing out of a closed window. And when I point it out to friends/family in the extremely polite fashion you all know I am capable of, I get that blank stare and the "But I bought a wide-screen tv! That's how it works! I want to use the whole screen!" It is like the whole pan and scan vs letterbox scenario but in reverse. And worse, because the actual picture is distorted.

I personally don't care if a show is presented in 4:3 or 1.33:1 or whatever the fuck. I don't even care if my widescreen trailer is presented in a nonanamorphic format and I have to watch it in an itty-bitty box in the middle of my decent-sized tv. However, I absolutely hate distorted pictures. Damnit.
 
I had no idea there was that kind of problem with big screen TVs. I was thinking about saving up for one to create a home theater in one of my spare rooms. We already have a surround sound system that is pretty nice.

I wonder if one of those projector TV things are better.
 
It doesn't have to be a big screen tv. Just a widescreen tv. And on new tvs you can adjust the aspect ratio to match what is being presented. My rant is about people who don't adjust the ratio to match the product.
 
Part of the reason some people do it isn't because of stupidity. If you have a rear projection HDTV or most plasmas, you risk serious burn in issues if you watch a lot of 4:3 shows in their proper aspect ratio. I have a rear projection (55' Mitsubishi) and I got used to watching SD shows streatched because it was better than spending $800 on bulbs. However, if someone has an LCD, then they really have no excuse.
 
For that reason alone, I wouldn't go with rear projection or plasma. LCD just seems to be overall better to go to than the other two.

What about LED, though? How do those rank?
 
Well, I got my RPTV about 7 years ago. Although it's dimming slightly, it still has a great picture. I don't even think those are made anymore. I've never liked the picture quality of plasmas. The colors usually seem artificial, and there is usually a pronounced "screen door effect". As for LEDs, they are actually a form of LCD television that uses LED backlighting instead of bulbs. They last longer, are brighter, the colors are better and they can be made much thinner. If you have the budget for it, I'd go with an LED. As surprising as it sounds, Vizio has come along way. They make a fantastic LED model.
 
Gonad said:
You know what I hate? When people with wide screen tvs watch their shows in the wrong aspect ratios. All stretched out and ugly, and they don't even notice! I hate going to hotels and not being able to locate the remote to fix that stupidity. I'd rather not watch at all. I'd rather stab something into the middle of the screen and then shove the whole thing out of a closed window. And when I point it out to friends/family in the extremely polite fashion you all know I am capable of, I get that blank stare and the "But I bought a wide-screen tv! That's how it works! I want to use the whole screen!" It is like the whole pan and scan vs letterbox scenario but in reverse. And worse, because the actual picture is distorted.
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What's doubly irritating is when you see this in public places like sports bars or any such venue that uses them. Normally they are installed by professionals, who, if they are professional, will educate the client as to what the proper aspect ratio is. I'm sure in most of the cases, however, that the owners adopt the attitude you've encountered and change the image to stretch. I understand that in a place larger than your living room, where people might be trying to watch from thirty feet away, there's more motive to completely fill the screen. And Dirk's point about screen burn-in is perfectly relevant. It's still aggravating as fuck, though.

I work with a lot of LED projectors. They're awesome, but there are cons: lamp life (replacement can get expensive) and ambient-light washout (using it in a well-lit room tends to dilute a projected image much more than a monitor image). Also, you need to seriously consider their airflow requirements: no obstructions, regular filter-cleaning, etc.
 
Forget about having to deal with a normal person's ignorance with aspect ratio. On TBS, here in America, they take all non-widescreen shows and stretch them out on their HD channel. They do it in such a way that it's not as offensive as straight stretching, but it's enough to drive me out of my mind.
I'm forced to watch those shows on thier standard channel.
Turner is notorious for fucking with picture quality (ie colorizing those old movies)
 
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