720p & 1080i in letterbox on 4:3 TV?
05-25-03, 12:27 PM
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720p & 1080i in letterbox on 4:3 TV?
Hopefully someone can answer this for me. I just got a 4:3 tube set (Sony 36HS500) which supports 720p and 1080i (720p is converted to 1080i).
I don't have any 720p games, but I read that an HDTV will display a high-def signal in 16:9 format. Is this the case with XBOX games in 720p? Or will the games be displayed in 4:3?
I'd like to get Soul Caliber 2 when it comes out, but I'd rather use the whole TV instead of being forced to run it in 16:9 while using 720p. Obviously this is different than with DVDs, which are meant to be viewed at 16:9.
I don't have any 720p games, but I read that an HDTV will display a high-def signal in 16:9 format. Is this the case with XBOX games in 720p? Or will the games be displayed in 4:3?
I'd like to get Soul Caliber 2 when it comes out, but I'd rather use the whole TV instead of being forced to run it in 16:9 while using 720p. Obviously this is different than with DVDs, which are meant to be viewed at 16:9.
05-25-03, 12:32 PM
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I have the 32HS500.
You'll see 720p and 1080i in 16:9 letterbox format. Actually it converts 720p to 1080i, so anything above 480p will be 16:9 1080i.
SC2 looks really weird. Namco didn't do 16:9 support, so you have black bars at the top/bottom and the sides. It's like a small window within your TV (Japanese version at least).
You'll see 720p and 1080i in 16:9 letterbox format. Actually it converts 720p to 1080i, so anything above 480p will be 16:9 1080i.
SC2 looks really weird. Namco didn't do 16:9 support, so you have black bars at the top/bottom and the sides. It's like a small window within your TV (Japanese version at least).
05-25-03, 01:04 PM
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Thanks for the reply. That really kind of sucks, though. Maybe I'll return the set.
You'd think there would be a way to disable 1080i content being displayed in 16:9. After all, it is a 4:3 TV.
I guess the alternative is to turn off 720p support in the XBOX. But that really seems like a waste. Why does it have to be so hard to find the "perfect" TV? Gahh, I'm really bummed now.
You'd think there would be a way to disable 1080i content being displayed in 16:9. After all, it is a 4:3 TV.
I guess the alternative is to turn off 720p support in the XBOX. But that really seems like a waste. Why does it have to be so hard to find the "perfect" TV? Gahh, I'm really bummed now.
05-25-03, 06:54 PM
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Turning off 720p and 1080i support on the Xbox is the way around it that I'm aware of.
Not that I've really compared a lot of sets, but I love the line doubler on this TV. I can never tell the difference between 480p turned on or off on the Xbox, PS2 or Cube.
Not that I've really compared a lot of sets, but I love the line doubler on this TV. I can never tell the difference between 480p turned on or off on the Xbox, PS2 or Cube.
05-26-03, 12:47 AM
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All HDTVs will display 720p and 1080i signals in 16:9 format, regardless of whether it is a 4:3 or 16:9 TV. The following is from the HDTV Myths, Misnomers, and Mysteries sticky thread in the DVD & Home Theater Hardware Forum:
(from table A3 of the ATSC Digital Television Standard, Revision B):
480 interlaced (i), 4:3 aspect ratio
480 progressive (p), 4:3 aspect ratio
480i, 16x9 aspect ratio
480p, 16x9 aspect ratio
720p, 16x9 aspect ratio
1080i, 16x9 aspect ratio
1080p, 16x9 aspect ratio
As you can see, there is no standard for displaying hi-def signals in 4:3 format. So... you will NEVER see a hi-def image fill the whole screen on a 4:3 set. Ever. The 4:3 space is for standard images, not HD. Which is why IMO it makes no sense to buy a 4:3 HDTV.
(from table A3 of the ATSC Digital Television Standard, Revision B):
480 interlaced (i), 4:3 aspect ratio
480 progressive (p), 4:3 aspect ratio
480i, 16x9 aspect ratio
480p, 16x9 aspect ratio
720p, 16x9 aspect ratio
1080i, 16x9 aspect ratio
1080p, 16x9 aspect ratio
As you can see, there is no standard for displaying hi-def signals in 4:3 format. So... you will NEVER see a hi-def image fill the whole screen on a 4:3 set. Ever. The 4:3 space is for standard images, not HD. Which is why IMO it makes no sense to buy a 4:3 HDTV.
