Is wide-screen television a miserable failure?

Question

Personally I detest wide-screen television because it distorts the images, particularly faces, and I can't believe that this is considered to be progress! I'd like to know what others think about this. I know you can alter the image - and have normal size - but what's the point of having it in the first place if it distorts? The elongated screen shape doesn't please me either.

Answer 1

Wide screen TVs are simply another case of an overlap of media formats, ushering out the old while ushering in the new. Wide screen has an aspect ratio of 16:9, conventional TVs have an aspect ratio of 4:3. Eventually all new material will be shot in 16:9 format, at least partially as a method of standardization between film (traditionally shot in 16:9 aspect ratio) and video (traditionally in 4:3). It just turns out that it's easier (read "more cost effective") to change TVs than to change the entire movie industry.

There are multiple methods of dealing with formats not intended for a particular machine. This gives us the horizontal bars on 4:3 TVs and either stretching of the picture or vertical bars on 16:9 TVs. We just happen to live in the period during which the transformation from 4:3 to 16:9 is taking place. We will continue to complain about the present imperfections we witness, but 16:9 will most surely be the viewing format of the near future.
As for the more distant future - who knows???

Answer 2

Most people who don't have a freeview, sky or cable box, buy a widescreen tv and expect the picture to be just that.
But the picture transmitted by analogue tv, is either a 14:9 picture which is a hint of wide, or it is a standard picture of 4:3.

Then when the tv is plugged in and the picture is stretched to fill the screen, the picture is distorted, leaving the person who spent £x on the tv feeling a bit angry that the pic is distorted. All i'd say is to try a digital signal on it before dismissing widescreen as a failure. And make sure the STB is set correctly to output on wide!

Answer 3

it doesnt always distort images, depends on what the picture is recorded in. Anyway it should matter on alot of widescreen tv's you can change the screen size for each program if it is wrong. Such as Super Wide, Widescreen, 4:6 and others.

Answer 4

Well said bigpete, crts have a much better picture quailty than lcd,s and plasma crap. At the moment you will only pay an extortionate amount just for a gimmick. And dont be taken in by HD, the picture quality will depend on how much data compression your service provider uses, usually resulting in less than clear pictures.

Answer 5

Well, since almost every major movie filmed since the 50's has been done so in some sort of widesreen format, I'd have to say no.

Widescreen is the standard for film makers, and is fast becoming popular of tv as well (HD signal, many primetime shows etc...)

16X9 is the actual demensions of what your eye sees, so if the elongated shape doesn't please you, you are in big trouble!

Answer 6

Yes why do people buy big screen tv's to view half of it with wide screen movies

Answer 7

Good idea i think they should scrap rectangles and not only have wide screen but have tall screen so its a huge square!

Answer 8

normal crt pictures are the best picture anyway, lcd tv and plasma tv pictures are very poor.
If u want a great tv picture get a normal 100 hz cathode ray tube tv, there's nothing better.

Answer 9

it's a bit crap and HD is coming anyway

but then the programming is pretty useless I'll probably not replace the tv when it breaks

Answer 10

No, it's great - I prefer it.
But interested in your views.