That's actually a reasonable compromise to fill the screen, but not to what I refer. I'm thinking of the more common practice I see out and about where the 4:3 image is stretched laterally where images are visibly distorted - not just having the screen content cropped.
Anyone else not into surround sound?
- Thread starter Neo-Luddite
- Start date
I'm apparently not making myself clear. With many 16:9 capable TVs, there are three ways you can view a 4:3 image: 4:3, zoomed, and 16:9.
With 4:3, the image is unaltered. What is noticeable is that the image does not fill the screen in either direction:
The "zoomed" view retains the image's 4:3 aspect ratio and completely fills the screen, but necessarily crops some of the image. This Samsung supports two flavors depending upon what parts of the screen get lost. Note there is no image distortion, - just a loss of content. This is most noticeable while watching sports where scores are frequently displayed in a strip at the bottom, but not obviously "wrong" or weird looking.
And finally, the 16:9 view to which I refer. This approach fills the width by laterally distorting the image, but nothing is chopped off. Do you see how her face and even the text at the upper left corner is "stretched" vs. the other two modes?:
This is the way my father-in-law does it and the way you see it in a range of public places where there is a TV monitor.
Attachments
Last edited:
KrisM
Lunatic Member
There's something off with those images. A native 4:3 image should fill the screen top to bottom(on a 16:9 display), and have 'black' bars on the sides. Why does the first pic have black bars on all four sides?
Only Samsung knows the answer to that question.
KrisM
Lunatic Member
I guess that's why I bought an LG.Only Samsung knows the answer to that question.
Seriously though, the aspect ratio thing drives me bonkers. It shouldn't be that big of a deal.
I worked for Sony way back, and had people pissing and moaning about getting ripped off because their 4:3 screens weren't 'full' when watching a movie that was in some sort of widescreen format. I also recall watching movies during the early days of DVD, and having to try and stomach some cropped and panned/scanned DVD that made you feel like you were on a friggen' Tilta a Whirl.
Honestly, it cracks me up that people can't get over the fact that their screens aren't completely full.
JoeESP9
ESL's & tubes since 83
I routinely see people who have expanded a 4:3 image with black bars on the side to fit a 16:9 screen. Many of those images are distorted. It usually makes peoples faces look fat. Maybe it depends on how the TV handles zoom or whatever mode it is. The 4:3 images with a black surround on all four sides do not exhibit the same distortion when zoomed.
whoaru99
Epic Member
The broadcaster is sending a 16:9 format picture to view in 4:3 format which means it is letterboxed. But then when the 4:3 format hits the 16:9 TV (or maybe cable box), that doesn't know it is already letterboxed, it just knows it is 4:3 so it adds the pillars on each side to fill the 16:9 format. Viola, you end up with a letterboxed and pillared "postage stamp" image.
I get the same thing when I tune PBS on SD channel (bars top, bottom, and sides) but when I watch the same program on the PBS HD channel it fills the 16:9 screen normally, with no change in aspect ratio setting of the TV.
Last edited:
Champco
Super Member
Well that opens another discussion. Mastering. A lot of movies are over done. What I am referring to the surround effects. For example.
Most movies have dialog. And if you cannot hear the dialog you cant follow the movie right? So you have the sound level up to hear the dialog and then some sound engineer thinks it's cute to WAAAAY over amplify the effect you may be watching weather it is a explosion of a crash or whatever, they screw it up being so damn loud.
I cut my teeth on a Pioneer VSX9500. Ran it for years on everything. I could easily control the sound mode and all speaker levels from the remote. It was Dolby SS and had three elements. Front LR. Center, Rear. The rear were tied to the same signal. Not stereo and were heard mostly in some certain sequences and were appreciated. The Shower in Top Gun for instance as well as the jet noise and other fades effects. The dialog ie all the voice came from the center so when there was dialog it was somewhat and mostly separate. you could hear it and the other stuff could come in loud it still could be heard.
Then came THX. Everyone had to be THX certified and then it was 5.1 then 7.1 and the movie makers were trying to out do each other. The irritation is the dialog comes from everywhere and the volume issues that come with any effects they choose to impress us with. I have to constantly turn up and down the volume. I do not enjoy it as much as the ol Dolby Surround sound. I bought a used Pioneer VSX-915 about 10 years ago and use it everyday. It's a THX 7.1 which I only use 5.1. Thats plenty. The ol Dolby movies sound better to me then the newer THX movies for the reasons stated above. Again it's the Mastering IMO. Like comparing CD sound to Vinyl. Audio Engineering is everything. But that being said having a good surround sound system with real speakers, not these puny packaged bose whatever soundbar excuse for SS is sooo much better on a daily business. Both of my kids HAD to get their own systems after leaving the nest. Flat screen speakers do not compare.
I like the directional dialog that came from the onscreen location of the character that was used on magnetic multi track movies of the 50s and 60s. Fox seemed to especially favor it as heard on movies like “”Demetrius and the Gladiators” and “Cleopatra.” That was when stereo was novel and the movie theater was the first place many people heard stereo.
Stefus_Prime
Member
In my experience surround sound is a cool novelty and works in certain applications, but overall I prefer a solid 2 or 2.1 setup.
KrisM
Lunatic Member
Ah, that makes sense. I didn't notice that letterboxing.
Not the best pic to show what a zoomed 4:3 image can look like, I'd say.
IMO the better that music sounds the worse it is.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
A few years ago I really got into Frugal Horns and ended up building a pair for me and a pair for a friend. To make a long story short I ended up with my friend's pair. I didn't know what to do with two pair and then suddenly I was inspired to build a matching center and go 5.1. Good decision on my part as I absolutely love this diy surround system. Still crazy about OB's in stereo but for concerts like Diana Krall's "Live in Paris" or "Rio" they're an almost out of body experience. No reason folks shouldn't enjoy both stereo and surround systems.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
"Frugal Horns" = Radio Shack Super Tweeters?
http://diyaudioprojects.com/Drivers/40-1310/40-1310.htm
http://diyaudioprojects.com/Drivers/40-1310/40-1310.htm
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
The RS tweets aren't required but added for a bit more sparkle on the top end.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
So much dialogue comes from the center channel and the 4.5" Fostex is such a detail freak my aged ears don't miss much with this system. I built the center speaker based on the Fostex site plans but massaged the volume dimensions so that it fits on the shelf below the Vizio 65". There may be some out there but this is the only surround system using all full range single drivers I've seen.
The sub in the corner is a Bob Carver Sunfire. The AVR is a Yamaha RX-V377. Other components include a Roku 4, Firestick, IVIEW DVR/tuner, Panasonic Blu-ray BD80 and Belkin Clean Power surge protector. On pre-order is the new Channel Master Stream+ to replace the dodgy IVIEW. I started a thread on this soon to be released android DVR/OTA tuner. I cut the cable several years ago thanks to a big boom antenna mounted in the attic. FWIW my monthly bill is $60 for high speed internet and $10 for Netflix which represents a major saving over my former cable bill.
The sub in the corner is a Bob Carver Sunfire. The AVR is a Yamaha RX-V377. Other components include a Roku 4, Firestick, IVIEW DVR/tuner, Panasonic Blu-ray BD80 and Belkin Clean Power surge protector. On pre-order is the new Channel Master Stream+ to replace the dodgy IVIEW. I started a thread on this soon to be released android DVR/OTA tuner. I cut the cable several years ago thanks to a big boom antenna mounted in the attic. FWIW my monthly bill is $60 for high speed internet and $10 for Netflix which represents a major saving over my former cable bill.
Similar threads
