Most 16:9 displays (when set to Auto mode) will output 4:3 material in the correct ratio within black bars either side of the screen. Many sets also offer various zoom modes so that 4:3 material will be artificially distorted to fill a 16:9 screen (to cater for the "I've bought a widescreen telly therefore I want a widescreen picture" people). In my experience though, most people with widescreen sets cannot cope at all with getting the aspect ratio correct - leading to confusion and distorted images all round!
Instead of locking the TV to 16:9, switch the TV to 4:3 and set your digibox to 16:9 letterbox.
4:3 material will then fill the screen, 16:9 material will be letterboxed and will remove the problem of 4:3 material having black all round (apart from on some sport).
A 16:9 LCD will be able to display 4:3 material with black at either side allowing you to watch the programme in the correct aspect ratio, and will also have various zoom/stretch modes to fill the screen, depending on the manufacturer. If you're buying an LCD, make sure it's 16:9. Some are 15:9. Seriously. Some cheap ones made in the Far East are designed to be PC monitors, not TV's.
GM
nodnirG kraM
I normally have it cropped to 16:9, lowered slightly to remove DOGs (although UKTV DOGs often attempt to jump into the top of the frame!). If it's something which requires I see the whole screen I will switch to 4:3 pillar box. I did go through a phase of watching 14:9 pillar box, but I eventually got over it!!
Always annoys me in shops with almost all widescreen TV's having 4:3 pictures streched to 16:9.
I've still got a 4:3 TV, with it set up to letterbox 16:9 programmes. The annoying thing though is though ITV, C4 and now five have no problem switching ratios, the BBC (and most sports coverage) screen 4:3 pictures in a 16:9 frame, so you end up with an image in the centre.
The Daewoo set top box has the problem of forcing a 16:9 picture on some channels - lately Five, ITV3 and for a brief time, ITV2, not allowing you to zoom in to 4:3 - but it does allow you to stretch a 16:9 picture to 4:3.
Watch 4:3 as 4:3 with bars at the side. Seriously though, most people do NOT have a single clue how widescreen TV works. I don't think I've come accross single person with digital widescreen who wasn't watching the 4:3 cut-out stretched to fill the screen! At least not until I've set it upcorrectly. Many people just seem to think widescreen is the normal picture stretched out. No-one is prepared to give them the technical details which has lead to this situation. the shops have TVs set up wrong, the broadcasters do NOTHING to inform people how to watch properly (even though they bang on about digital widescreen, they don't give any proper details) and even many SKY & Cable installers leave digital boxes set up to 4:3 cut-out even if you have a widescreen TV. In fact, everyone I've known was suprised to know that there even is any aspect ratio settings. To them, stretchyvision is the norm, and that's it.
Always annoys me in shops with almost all widescreen TV's having 4:3 pictures streched to 16:9.
I've still got a 4:3 TV, with it set up to letterbox 16:9 programmes. The annoying thing though is though ITV, C4 and now five have no problem switching ratios, the BBC (and most sports coverage) screen 4:3 pictures in a 16:9 frame
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Only on 4:3 sports coverage which is contained within a 16:9 programme.
On my 4:3 TV I have it set up so that the (Pace Twin DVR) Freeview box outputs 16:9 (as if to a widescreen TV), and the TV automatically letterboxes it. 4:3 pictures still fill the screen as usual.
We've just bought our first widescreen TV but because we've got to build a new cabinet haven't been able to set it up yet. But I intend to set it so that 4:3 pictures are centered with black bars on the left/right sides. I can't stand stretchvision.
Always annoys me in shops with almost all widescreen TV's having 4:3 pictures streched to 16:9.
You need to pay a visit to Argos in the Queens Arcade, Cardiff. There they regularly have one or two widescreen TVs correctly showing the output from a DTT box in 16:9 FHA. The problem is they also have several shelves full of 4:3 TVs displaying..... 16:9 pictures compressed to 4:3! I thought this was a novel adaptation of the usual curse of electrical retailers.
Watch 4:3 as 4:3 with bars at the side. Seriously though, most people do NOT have a single clue how widescreen TV works. I don't think I've come accross single person with digital widescreen who wasn't watching the 4:3 cut-out stretched to fill the screen! At least not until I've set it upcorrectly. Many people just seem to think widescreen is the normal picture stretched out. No-one is prepared to give them the technical details which has lead to this situation. the shops have TVs set up wrong, the broadcasters do NOTHING to inform people how to watch properly (even though they bang on about digital widescreen, they don't give any proper details) and even many SKY & Cable installers leave digital boxes set up to 4:3 cut-out even if you have a widescreen TV. In fact, everyone I've known was suprised to know that there even is any aspect ratio settings. To them, stretchyvision is the norm, and that's it.
Well in theory the problem weill go away when the manufacturers pull their fingers out and start making tellys with freeview built int (waits for the Freeview DTT lecture).
I have mine set up for pillarboxing. The mother however uses analogue downstairs due to the complete slowness of the ITVdigital box.
My friend, on a related note, does understand widescreen but his telly is quite an old widescreen so it just chooses a random mode with every new show. He's long given up trying to make it work.
Well I have a small 14" Inch TV and I have my NTL box set to 16:9 Widescreen, I used to have it set to Letterbox mode, but some of the channels became pixelated in that mode such as ITV2, ITV3, E4, E4+1, The Amp and Sky Mix for example, but my TV automatically goes into Letterbox mode when a 16:9 signal is recieved.
Downstairs we have a 28" Inch Widescreen TV and again we have the NTL box set to 16:9 widescreen, but quite often it has a tendancy to go into 4:3 Normal mode or even Letterbox.
