KEG

I am in the early 'shopping' stages for projection tv. Although a lot more expensive I was considering the newer HDTV sets with their elongated shape suited ideally to 2:35/1 viewing.

However, while recently looking at a new Mitsubishi set I noticed a warning label prominently displayed on the front of the set which stated something like:

Limit 4:3 aspect viewing to no more than 15% of the time. Otherwise, permanent side-bar burn-in could result from extended 4:3 viewing.

Since there is a limited amount of actual HDTV broadcasts available, and only my DVD's would play at the 2:35/1 aspect I quickly dropped HDTV models from my short list of models to explore further. However, I am not sure whether or not I should have done that. Those HDTV's do look great playing a DVD.

What I would like to know more about is that label warning consumers to limit 4:3 viewing to only 15% of the time. Otherwise, sounds like the gray-bars would very likely permanently 'burn' into the display.

Any comments regarding other's experiences, or knowledge, regarding this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your input.

X

I saw that too when I was looking at the Mitsubishis and was concerned. I think they say 15% because they use dark bars on the side. You can get around this by using the stretch modes to fill the screen.

I have a Pioneer that has light grey bars and it allows more than 15% because of their lightness. I believe Toshiba has lighter bars too. And I never use 4:3 mode, always the stretch modes which are the best on Pioneers.

KEG

X,

Does stretch mode 'distort' the picture very much?

Sounds like a simple enough 'fix.' Maybe I can put HDTV back on my 'list.' I will check it out.

ZenDog

quote:<HR>Originally posted by KEG:
X,

Does stretch mode 'distort' the picture very much?

Sounds like a simple enough 'fix.' Maybe I can put HDTV back on my 'list.' I will check it out.<HR>

It doesn't distort it too bad at all. It really depends on the set though. I have seen some widescreen sets do an outstanding job of stretching while others have almost been unbareable. Of course this is just my opinion but I am sure others would agree that stretch mode looks pretty good. When it comes to Widescreen HD RPTVs I would stay with either Toshiba Theater Wide or the Pioneer Elites. I feel the Toshibas offer the most bang for the buck while the Pioneers offer higher quality with many features.

X

I agree with ZenDog. The Pioneer's stretch mode is very good. the middle stays the same, the side thirds get slightly stretched so you hardly notice. The only problem is when the people are not in the center, but on the sides. They look a little wide. So you go into the next mode which blows up the whole picture (some loss, mostly on top) occasionally. It really is never a problem. I never use 4:3 and would rather have the filled screen picture.

I have no experience with Toshiba, but I've heard their stretch is almost as good. If you will be watching a lot of TV, you might want to consider the Pioneer x10HD series due to its superior signal processing. TV and satellite really looks smooth and good and never a scan line! But expensive.

broadwayblue

I would personally go with either a pioneer elite or a mitsubishi. Most other brands use plastic lenses while the mits uses glass....they will not "melt" over time. The mits crt's only lose 10% of their brightness over 10 years. The pioneer elites are sweet too!

Movie_Man

I just got a Mitsubishi a few weeks ago, and I assure you, you will not want to watch anything in 4x3 mode anyway. The stretch mode works great, and it is barely noticeable for most programming, unless you know it is there.
Basically, the middle section of the screen remains the same, while toward the edges, the picture gets a bit stretched.
Do not let this minor point stop you from upgrading to a widescreen, you will not regret getting one!
I also understand that Mits is the only brand that is guaranteeing their TVs to be "future-proofed" with their "Promise Module"