Plasma Resolution and Aspect Ratio

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Plasma Resolution and Aspect Ratio

lyonrouge

1993 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 20

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#7938 23-May-2006 10:45

Does anyone know what technique is used to render a 16:9 image with 1024 x 768 (4:3) resolution?

Current opinion is Plasma for screen size greater than 32", but I'm unclear as to what tricks are used to produce the image and if there are gottchas as a result.

Mutly

250 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 1

#36374 23-May-2006 11:51

I'm not sure of the technical side of things, but it would depend on the manufacturer. For instance, my Grundig Xentia has an Autoformat mode where normal 4:3 is rendered with the center of the screen at almost normal 4:3 and blends out to 16:9 at the edges. This gives a viewing mode where you don't suffer from the 16:9 stretch over the whole screen. Also, any letterboxed 4:3 content is automatically zoomed out to 16:9 with the letterboxing cropped.

slinkytrips

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#36638 25-May-2006 22:46

most plasmas will only give you a stretch or black (grey for pioneer) bars on the side if you use a PC input. They usually cant handle wide screen PC (1280x768for example) formats either. Remember TV uses 16:9 PC uses 16:10. If you need to get big PC images your best bet is a large LCD panel, try for the multimedia models.

lyonrouge

1993 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 20

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#36661 26-May-2006 09:01

The answer I have found is that the 42”, 1024 x 768 plasma, uses a simple algorithm to drop pixels when displaying a 4:3 image from a 4:3 input. The same algorithm is used to display a 16:9 image from and 16:9 input, therefore, 42" plasma's only produce a reasonable image if a 4:3 input is displayed at 16:9. I tested this theory with 2 Panasonic commercial panels 42" 1024 x 768 and the 50" 1366 x 768, head to head, on 4:3 input the difference was dramatic, with the 50" giving a clear crisp image, while the 42" inch was jagged and blurred. This discounted my initial assumption that a smaller screen with the same vertical resolution will give a sharper image. Conclusion, 42” plasmas (all of which I have found at 1024 x 768) are good for TV input (4:3) that you want to watch “stretched” to a 16:9 display, if you prefer to watch the image in it’s correct proportions, go up or down a size that supports a native 16:9 resolution. In the end I purchased the 50” Panasonic panel. The TV & Panel have the same screen, but I chose the panel as the chassis is smaller (no speakers or front mounted inputs) and supports a WiFi presentation adapter.