Wide screen verses full screen

***Corey*** · 11-13-2002, 06:15 PM

When I use to rent VHS tapes, I hated it when the movie was in the wide screen format.
Now I like it much better.

I bought a DVD player earlier in the year, and have been buying up good DVDs that I plan on watching several times.

I bought the new Star Wars yesterday, and when I got home I noticed that it said full screen on the top :mad:

I opened it up anyway and sure enough, it was full screen only.
I ended up watch about an hour anyway.
I called up Fred Meyer's and they said yep, the wide screen versions were on the same rack, but on the back side.

I switched it today for the wide screen version.
Even though you can't see as much up & down, you see a lot more side to side with it.
Even with my 27" Panasonic TV from '89.

Funny how I did not like the format at first, but now I won't get a DVD unless it's in that format.

One day I will have a wide screen Panasonic, and they will look killer on it.
Can you tell I like Panasonic

My DVD player is Panasonic too, as well as my two cordless phones.

Well, I'm off to finish the "Attack of the Clones", that is until Enterprise comes on.
Yep, Sci-Fi buff here.

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dukestr · 11-13-2002, 06:23 PM

if you get a widescreen panasonic, make sure your dvd player has progressive scan or else it will not fill the screen..

Beowulf · 11-13-2002, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Corey
Even though you can't see as much up & down, you see a lot more side to side with it.

Actually, you can see as much up and down it's just not filling up your screen height wise to compensate for the width.

The widescreen version is the best way to view a movie IMO because that is the way the movie was shot in its entirety (sp?).

The other full screen aka pan and scan version is a chopped version of the movie, so you never get the picture the way the director intended it to be seen.

I know what you mean about the 2 versions being similar looking, I have grabbed a couple of Pan and Scans by accident too and always have to take them back.

One thing I have noticed is that it is usually Universal or Warner Bros. that put out both versions, so whenever I pick up a movie I always try to double check the company.

Cheers

Hannerhan · 11-14-2002, 02:15 PM

Beowulf, you're right about the full-screen, it's USUALLY just a chopped version of the wide-screen.

But I read in some video enthusiast mag that the Lord of the Rings movies are different - with the widescreen version you actually don't see all the top and bottom, and with the regular version you don't see all the sides. Weird...:confused:

Anyway, I have a regular 4:3 screen TV, not widescreen, but it has some processor that allows it to show the full resolution of widescreen DVD's, by basically squeezing the picture. I don't remember what it's called, but the picture is great.

Word of advice on TV's - shop on-line, and always go with Toshiba instead of SONY. I got the top of the line Toshiba 36 inch, high def ready, the works for $1500, and the comparable SONY was $2000.

Beowulf · 11-14-2002, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hannerhan
I got the top of the line Toshiba 36 inch, high def ready, the works for $1500, and the comparable SONY was $2000.

That is a really good price. I have always liked Toshiba TVs their Theater Wide Projectors are really sharp. And they make really good progressive scan DVD players as well.

The next TV I would like to get is a Pioneer Elite PRO-520HD. I have read a lot of good reviews and feedback on them. But I won't buy another one for at least another year.

Cheers

tomus1000 · 11-14-2002, 08:30 PM

Once again I will offer up my services. I have been selling TV's for about ten years now. If anyone has any questions about what to buy you are more than welcome to ask me.

Progressive scan DVD players have nothing to do with filling a wide screen. Progressive scan DVD players output a progressive signal to a high def tv. A regular DVD player puts out an interlaced signal that a HD tv must then convert into a progressive picture. The progressive picture will be much better if the tv does not have to use it's built in "line doubler" to "create" a progressive picture.

Progressive vs. Interlaced

A tv picture is made up of horizontal lines. To make a complete picture the tv must "scan" each line starting at the top and moving down.

An analog tv (interlaced), like the one that you probably have now, skips everyother line when it makes the picture. First it will show the even lines, then it will come back and do the odd numbered lines. There is always a dead line in between. Go look closly at your tv and you will see the "dead" lines. They will show as black, horizontal lines in the picture. They have always been there. You probably havn't noticed because that is all you were used to. These are called "scan lines". Now some jerk like me has to come along an point out the shortcommings of your tv.

A high definition tv is progressive scan. Just like the computer monitor that you are looking at right now. No scan lines. The tv starts at the top and scans every line to build the picture. You get a very clean picture that looks twice as good as an analog tv, with the same signal. That is the advantage of buying a HD tv now. Everything (cable, vcr, dvd, video games) looks twice as good because you are seeing twice as many lines in the picture.

Hope that makes some sense...

A word of advice... Never shop on-line for a tv. Most e-tailers are not authorized dealers for the product that they are selling. You run the risk of getting "grey" market goods that do not have any kind of manufacturer's warranty. The other problem is shipping. It may seem like a good deal until you have to pay to ship a 275lb. tv across the country by common carrier who will not even unbox or plug in the tv.

Another work of advice... You can't buy by brandname alone. Toshiba does make some very nice tvs but they also make some total crap! It is the same with every manufacturer. They all make a top-of-the-line which is very good. If you buy the "best" from any reputable manufacturer (Sony, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, JVC, Hitachi, Samsung) you are almost guaranteed to get a great tv.

If you buy the cheapest tv from any of the same companies listed above...you got what you paid for, a piece of crap!

Sorry to get off on a rant. I take it kind of personal since this is what I do for a living.

Noel

Beowulf · 11-14-2002, 10:27 PM

Hey Noel, I'm glad you chimed in ... I was wondering what you thought of the Pioneer Elite HD TV. My wife and I have had our eyes on one for awhile now and they seem to be coming down to a reasonable price. What are your impressions? Also do you have a favorite widescreen HDTV Projection set that you recommend as far as picture quality and reliability? As far as width is concerned we want something under 60" anything bigger than that and it wouldn't fit in our living room nicely.

Thanks

11-14-2002, 11:00 PM

i'm gonna get flamed for this but...

i just can't enjoy widescreen version unless it's on a big enough tv. having a 27" tv, that's not big enough. watching Pearl Harbor, i had to get right up next to the screen to see what the Japs were saying. give me a tv made for the widescreen viewing, and i'll enjoy it better. until then, i want full screen for my 27".

Mohamed · 11-15-2002, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Churnd
i'm gonna get flamed for this but...

i just can't enjoy widescreen version unless it's on a big enough tv. having a 27" tv, that's not big enough. watching Pearl Harbor, i had to get right up next to the screen to see what the Japs were saying. give me a tv made for the widescreen viewing, and i'll enjoy it better. until then, i want full screen for my 27".

I agree actually with you. I have a 27" outside and a 20" in the bedroom so I can totally relate to you when watching a DVD.

Hannerhan · 11-15-2002, 07:34 AM

Churnd, I agree with you as well. I had the 27 inch in my living room, and hated widescreen, but the 36 inch makes a HUGE difference...

Tomus1000, thanks for the advice. I agree with you about quality of each brand, I should have said to go with the best Toshiba instead of the best SONY. Don't you think the WEGA XBR tv's are way overpriced?
But as for not buying over the internet, I don't really agree. I have had worse experiences with Best Buy than you could possibly imagine when it comes to getting a FUBAR'd TV fixed under their warranty, so I just decided to go with a cheaper TV on-line. Maybe I don't have the warranty, but to me it's worth it to take the chance of it having problems (especially since I know a very good TV repair place who is reasonable) to save $400.

Example - my Toshiba 36HF71 was $1650 including shipping last March. The best price at the stores around here was $2000 plus tax. That's a $500 difference! I'm not sure what you mean about the grey market TV's, but mine is under the 1 year manuf. warranty. If it wasn't, that's a different story, I probably would have bought from a store.

I basically bought everything for my home theater on-line, and probably spent $3500. I think I saved about $1000 off what I would have spent if I had gone to a major retailer, so to me it's worth a little extra risk. Just my opinion though...

tomus1000 · 11-15-2002, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Beowulf
Hey Noel, I'm glad you chimed in ... I was wondering what you thought of the Pioneer Elite HD TV. My wife and I have had our eyes on one for awhile now and they seem to be coming down to a reasonable price. What are your impressions? Also do you have a favorite widescreen HDTV Projection set that you recommend as far as picture quality and reliability? As far as width is concerned we want something under 60" anything bigger than that and it wouldn't fit in our living room nicely.

Thanks

Ok, here goes...

The Pioneer Elite is a fantastic tv. Great quality picture and functions along with a very attractive cabinet. They are one of the few companies that puts as much effort into the cosmetics of the tv as they do the function.

Make sure that you take a look at the new Samsung DLP (digital light processor) projection tvs. They come in 43" and 50" widescreen. I put one on display in my store yesterday, and to put it lightly, I was FLOORED with the picture quality. Right now there is NOTHING that can produce the picture quality of a DLP. Not CRT projectors, Plasma, or LCD. They also are not that expensive (compared to the Elite) . The 50" retails for about $4200, but I'll let you in on a little secret... You should be able to buy one for $3100-$3500. If a customer came in to my store and offered me $3200 for one I would take it. The 5065 is 48" wide.

I would be happy to consult you on any tv that interests you. I'll answer any questions and let you know what you should pay for it. Being the store manager gives me access to the cost of every product.

Yea Hannerhan, the Sony Vega's are a little overpriced. Somebody has to pay for all that advertising. However the XBR is the best 36" HD tv on the market. The other advantage of charging so much is that Sony has the largest research and developement team in the business. In most cases they are building a better product, it's just too bad that they have to charge so damn much for it. I agree with you, it is not worth the extra $500 for the Sony. It is worth about an extra $150-$200. You made the right choice. If it were my money, I would have bought the Toshiba Cinema Series too.

Noel

11-13-2002, 06:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
dukestr Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: CA Posts: 326	if you get a widescreen panasonic, make sure your dvd player has progressive scan or else it will not fill the screen.. __________________ 1999 4Runner SR5 Highlander To view Interior/Exterior and Performance Modifications, please visit 4Runner Gallery SOLD March 15 '03

11-14-2002, 08:30 PM	#6 (permalink)
tomus1000 Contributing Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Wallingford, Ct Posts: 1,595	Once again I will offer up my services. I have been selling TV's for about ten years now. If anyone has any questions about what to buy you are more than welcome to ask me. Progressive scan DVD players have nothing to do with filling a wide screen. Progressive scan DVD players output a progressive signal to a high def tv. A regular DVD player puts out an interlaced signal that a HD tv must then convert into a progressive picture. The progressive picture will be much better if the tv does not have to use it's built in "line doubler" to "create" a progressive picture. Progressive vs. Interlaced A tv picture is made up of horizontal lines. To make a complete picture the tv must "scan" each line starting at the top and moving down. An analog tv (interlaced), like the one that you probably have now, skips everyother line when it makes the picture. First it will show the even lines, then it will come back and do the odd numbered lines. There is always a dead line in between. Go look closly at your tv and you will see the "dead" lines. They will show as black, horizontal lines in the picture. They have always been there. You probably havn't noticed because that is all you were used to. These are called "scan lines". Now some jerk like me has to come along an point out the shortcommings of your tv. A high definition tv is progressive scan. Just like the computer monitor that you are looking at right now. No scan lines. The tv starts at the top and scans every line to build the picture. You get a very clean picture that looks twice as good as an analog tv, with the same signal. That is the advantage of buying a HD tv now. Everything (cable, vcr, dvd, video games) looks twice as good because you are seeing twice as many lines in the picture. Hope that makes some sense... A word of advice... Never shop on-line for a tv. Most e-tailers are not authorized dealers for the product that they are selling. You run the risk of getting "grey" market goods that do not have any kind of manufacturer's warranty. The other problem is shipping. It may seem like a good deal until you have to pay to ship a 275lb. tv across the country by common carrier who will not even unbox or plug in the tv. Another work of advice... You can't buy by brandname alone. Toshiba does make some very nice tvs but they also make some total crap! It is the same with every manufacturer. They all make a top-of-the-line which is very good. If you buy the "best" from any reputable manufacturer (Sony, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, JVC, Hitachi, Samsung) you are almost guaranteed to get a great tv. If you buy the cheapest tv from any of the same companies listed above...you got what you paid for, a piece of crap! Sorry to get off on a rant. I take it kind of personal since this is what I do for a living. Noel __________________ -Noel- 2002 Tacoma Double Cab Impulse Red w/ color keyed package...2nd generation supercharger...TRD off road package...TRD boost guage...TRD tranny cooler...Borla exhaust...Speed Liner spray in bed liner

11-14-2002, 10:27 PM	#7 (permalink)
Beowulf Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: San Diego Posts: 470	Hey Noel, I'm glad you chimed in ... I was wondering what you thought of the Pioneer Elite HD TV. My wife and I have had our eyes on one for awhile now and they seem to be coming down to a reasonable price. What are your impressions? Also do you have a favorite widescreen HDTV Projection set that you recommend as far as picture quality and reliability? As far as width is concerned we want something under 60" anything bigger than that and it wouldn't fit in our living room nicely. Thanks __________________ Beowulf ... 2001 Sports Edition SR5 4WD 4Runner Last edited by Beowulf; 11-14-2002 at 10:29 PM.

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11-14-2002, 02:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
Hannerhan Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 182	Beowulf, you're right about the full-screen, it's USUALLY just a chopped version of the wide-screen. But I read in some video enthusiast mag that the Lord of the Rings movies are different - with the widescreen version you actually don't see all the top and bottom, and with the regular version you don't see all the sides. Weird...:confused: Anyway, I have a regular 4:3 screen TV, not widescreen, but it has some processor that allows it to show the full resolution of widescreen DVD's, by basically squeezing the picture. I don't remember what it's called, but the picture is great. Word of advice on TV's - shop on-line, and always go with Toshiba instead of SONY. I got the top of the line Toshiba 36 inch, high def ready, the works for $1500, and the comparable SONY was $2000.

11-14-2002, 11:00 PM	#8 (permalink)
Churnd Guest Posts: n/a	i'm gonna get flamed for this but... i just can't enjoy widescreen version unless it's on a big enough tv. having a 27" tv, that's not big enough. watching Pearl Harbor, i had to get right up next to the screen to see what the Japs were saying. give me a tv made for the widescreen viewing, and i'll enjoy it better. until then, i want full screen for my 27".

11-15-2002, 07:34 AM	#10 (permalink)
Hannerhan Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 182	Churnd, I agree with you as well. I had the 27 inch in my living room, and hated widescreen, but the 36 inch makes a HUGE difference... Tomus1000, thanks for the advice. I agree with you about quality of each brand, I should have said to go with the best Toshiba instead of the best SONY. Don't you think the WEGA XBR tv's are way overpriced? But as for not buying over the internet, I don't really agree. I have had worse experiences with Best Buy than you could possibly imagine when it comes to getting a FUBAR'd TV fixed under their warranty, so I just decided to go with a cheaper TV on-line. Maybe I don't have the warranty, but to me it's worth it to take the chance of it having problems (especially since I know a very good TV repair place who is reasonable) to save $400. Example - my Toshiba 36HF71 was $1650 including shipping last March. The best price at the stores around here was $2000 plus tax. That's a $500 difference! I'm not sure what you mean about the grey market TV's, but mine is under the 1 year manuf. warranty. If it wasn't, that's a different story, I probably would have bought from a store. I basically bought everything for my home theater on-line, and probably spent $3500. I think I saved about $1000 off what I would have spent if I had gone to a major retailer, so to me it's worth a little extra risk. Just my opinion though...