DVR Chatter

CommTech · 04-02-2007 7:14:04 PM

Just a little poll to fill my curiousities having dealt with this very issue many times in the field.

Would you rather have a non-HD (4:3 image) stretched to get the most out of your 40+ inch Widescreen or risk full screen for quality and watch your 4:3 image on a 16:9 TV (not stretched; maintains aspect and quality)?

Personally, I can't stand watching short, fat people run across my screen during a sporting event or have human heads and faces misproportioned on a good flick, so i watch 4:3 content on 50" set in 4:3 mode, while watching HD content at the full 16:9.

LowLight21 · 04-02-2007 7:40:29 PM

I'm with you--I can't stand a stretched picture, so I watch all non HD content in 4:3.

Frank · 04-02-2007 11:15:38 PM

I personally cannot stand burn-in of the side pillars, so I use my TV's "Wide Zoom." Stretches the edges, leaves the center in tact.

Unless I'm watching a channel with a bright and/or colored logo. Then I use "ZOOM" which does no stretching, just zooms.

Then again, I don't watch much 4:3 stuff anymore anyway. Either way, most modern TVs have pretty good stretching that leaves the image's focal point in tact.

shj · 04-03-2007 1:19:40 AM

I can't stand the distortion caused by stretching, even the mode where it leaves the center undistorted. So, I watch SD programs in 4:3 mode.

My TV is a CRT (Sony KD34XBR960), and it shows no signs of burn-in after 2 years of watching a fair amount of SD stuff. Supposedly, modern plasma screens aren't nearly as susceptible to burn-in as the first models, but I don't have any experience with them. I don't think burn-in would be a problem with LCD screens or DLP projection models.

jganyard · 04-03-2007 9:56:38 AM

I don't stretch 4:3 content either. However widescreen content that is broadcast in a 4:3 format I do stretch (e.g. Battlestar Gallactica on Sci Fi). The only pain is having to go into the service menu to change the output on 4:3 from normal to 480p so my TV will zoom. If I leave it on all the time then all 4:3 content is actually narrower for some odd reason (4in bars instead of 3in).

... native passthrough would be so nice.

andyross · 04-03-2007 10:36:58 AM

Burn-in is only an issue for CRT and Plasma's. Even then, if you avoid hyper-bright modes, and watch a mix of 4:3 and wide, then you should be OK. My CRT TV (see .sig below) is 3 years old now, and shows no problems. I watch most 4:3 in NORMAL, and use ZOOM for letterboxed material. I never use WIDE ZOOM. FULL is only used for anamorphic material, only from DVD's so far.

ghoofie · 04-03-2007 1:36:16 PM

I do the partial side stretch too.

Georgia Guy · 04-03-2007 1:55:46 PM

We mostly watch HD for all primetime tv, but when we watch an SD 4x3 we watch higher quality shows with the sidebars. When watching everyday average quality shows, like Jeopardy, or This Old House, or Dog Whisperer, etc, we'll use stretch.
Stretch doesn't bother me much, except when it makes good looking women look fat....instant sidebars in that case.

andyross · 04-04-2007 10:51:45 AM

My Sony's WIDE ZOOM is a non-anamorphic stretch. The middle is more or less normal, but the sides stretch out. The top and bottom also have more overscan than normal. It looks OK on static images, but you get a fishbowl effect when panning to the sides.

DVR Chatter

#1 04-02-2007 7:14:04 PM

Poll: Stretch or 480?

#2 04-02-2007 7:40:29 PM

Re: Poll: Stretch or 480?

#3 04-02-2007 11:15:38 PM

Re: Poll: Stretch or 480?

#4 04-03-2007 1:19:40 AM

Re: Poll: Stretch or 480?

#5 04-03-2007 9:56:38 AM

Re: Poll: Stretch or 480?

#6 04-03-2007 10:36:58 AM

Re: Poll: Stretch or 480?

#7 04-03-2007 1:36:16 PM

Re: Poll: Stretch or 480?

#8 04-03-2007 1:55:46 PM

Re: Poll: Stretch or 480?

#9 04-04-2007 10:51:45 AM

Re: Poll: Stretch or 480?

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