screen formats

Our crt portable 14" tv is on its last legs and we are thinking of buying a
Sony Bravia KDL15G2000U with built in freeview tuner which is 4:3 aspect
ratio.Will programmes transmitted in 16:9 show as letter box or do all
programmes convert to 4:3 automatically. .Or am I better off looking for a
16:9 widescreen version.

On Sun, 26 Nov 2006 11:44:11 -0000, "rocky"
wrote:

Our crt portable 14" tv is on its last legs and we are thinking of buying a
Sony Bravia KDL15G2000U with built in freeview tuner which is 4:3 aspect
ratio.Will programmes transmitted in 16:9 show as letter box or do all
programmes convert to 4:3 automatically. .Or am I better off looking for a
16:9 widescreen version.

The boxes give you a choice. I would expect that the integrated sets
would use the same software and give the same choice. Have you looked
at Sony's website? I would be surprised if this was not shown as part
of the specifications.

Scott

rocky wrote:
Our crt portable 14" tv is on its last legs and we are thinking of
buying a Sony Bravia KDL15G2000U with built in freeview tuner which
is 4:3 aspect ratio.Will programmes transmitted in 16:9 show as
letter box or do all programmes convert to 4:3 automatically.

Neither. Broadcasters set a 'flag' which tells a 4:3 set how to
display 16:9 material. Sometimes it will be letterbox, sometimes 14:9.
Many boxes allow you to override the flag and set it to suit yourself,
including centre cut-out, which uses the full height of the screen and
throws away the sides. The Topfield PVR doesn't allow the override and
you get what the broadcasters give you. You would need to check the
spec. if you are concerned about this.

Or am I better off looking for a 16:9 widescreen version.

IMO, yes.

André Coutanche

"rocky" wrote in message
...
Our crt portable 14" tv is on its last legs and we are thinking of buying
a Sony Bravia KDL15G2000U with built in freeview tuner which is 4:3 aspect
ratio.Will programmes transmitted in 16:9 show as letter box or do all
programmes convert to 4:3 automatically. .Or am I better off looking for a
16:9 widescreen version.

You really need to find out for definate but you usually have the choice
of format, my TV has 4:3 P&S, 4:3, and 16:9. However it would be nice
to have 14:9 or whatever they use for terrestrial broadcasts (safe area).
I find most programs are prefectly acceptable in 4:3 though.
You tend to notice the lack of height more on the smaller widescreen sets,
unless you sit with your nose pressedupon the screen!!

You will have a job finding a widescreen less than 19" anyway, that seems to
be
the smallest Currys do. Comet do one for £300 though. but it has a built in
DVD player.

:

Broadcasters set a 'flag' which tells a 4:3 set how to
display 16:9 material. Sometimes it will be letterbox, sometimes 14:9.
Many boxes allow you to override the flag and set it to suit yourself,
including centre cut-out, which uses the full height of the screen and
throws away the sides. The Topfield PVR doesn't allow the override

Hit the '0' button while watching the programme and it'll switch between
16:19, 4:3 extract and 4:3 letterbox.

Simon.
--
http://www.hearsay.demon.co.uk

Simon Slavin wrote:
Broadcasters set a 'flag' which tells a 4:3 set how to
display 16:9 material. Sometimes it will be letterbox, sometimes
14:9. Many boxes allow you to override the flag and set it to suit
yourself, including centre cut-out, which uses the full height of
the screen and throws away the sides. The Topfield PVR doesn't
allow the override

Hit the '0' button while watching the programme and it'll switch
between 16:19, 4:3 extract and 4:3 letterbox.

Yes and no. It will cycle through the options *which are allowed by
the broadcaster at that moment*. It won't always allow 'deep
letterbox' or 14:9, whereas my old Goodmans GDB3 box will always
permit these settings. The Topfield is apparently doing what the DTT
specs say it should do, but many of us wish it would also allow users
the extra flexibility which other boxes offer to see the programme as
we want to. An earlier version of the Topfield firmware *did* allow
this 'non-standard' flexibility.

André Coutanche

On Sun, 26 Nov 2006 11:44:11 -0000, "rocky"
wrote:

Our crt portable 14" tv is on its last legs and we are thinking of buying a
Sony Bravia KDL15G2000U with built in freeview tuner which is 4:3 aspect
ratio.Will programmes transmitted in 16:9 show as letter box or do all
programmes convert to 4:3 automatically. .Or am I better off looking for a
16:9 widescreen version.

Yes (to your last question)!

Charlie
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