[Coz21]

How can you tell if a TV is widescreen by looking at it? I've been looking at them LCD ones online and they say 'widescreen option', but that doesn't mean they are actual widescreen TVs, does it? I can't tell by looking at them. Do you go by the resolution?

[Teddy Smith]

Widescreen TVs are a rectangle shape and are known as having 16:9 aspect ratios - as opposed to 4:3 for a square-shaped TV.

Basically, if it isn't square-shaped, it's a widescreen.

[paulyoung666]

if you see 1024 x 768 , that is not widescreen , 1366 x 768 is widescreen , does that make sense , from your post i suspect you may have been looking at comet or currys websites , very poor descriptions on those sites i find

[russellelly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulyoung666

if you see 1024 x 768 , that is not widescreen , 1366 x 768 is widescreen , does that make sense , from your post i suspect you may have been looking at comet or currys websites , very poor descriptions on those sites i find

You can have 1024x768 widescreens. Panasonic plasmas are an example. Pixels don't have to be square, so comparing pixel ratios to aspect ratios isn't going to work.

As said before, if it looks wide it's a widescreen - if it looks square then it isn't! Widescreen option usually means a square TV which can add black bands so widescreen sources are shown correctly

[paulyoung666]

Quote:

Originally Posted by russellelly

You can have 1024x768 widescreens. Panasonic plasmas are an example. Pixels don't have to be square, so comparing pixel ratios to aspect ratios isn't going to work.

As said before, if it looks wide it's a widescreen - if it looks square then it isn't! Widescreen option usually means a square TV which can add black bands so widescreen sources are shown correctly

fair enough , i will go back in my box

[Fred Smith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teddy Smith

Widescreen TVs are a rectangle shape and are known as having 16:9 aspect ratios - as opposed to 4:3 for a square-shaped TV.

Unless the panel is based on a monitor when it will be 16:10 and stretched to suit. Samsung amongst others use monitor panels in some (not all) of their LCD TV's as do most no name brands, so checking the resolution is a good idea anyway.

[Coz21]

Thanks guys. Would you say these are widescreen?:

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/pro.../specification

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/pro.../specification

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...29%3D22.22.htm

[Coz21]

Also, what is secam sound and SRS Tru surround digital sound processor? How does it differ from nicam stereo?

[Fred Smith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coz21

Also, what is secam sound and SRS Tru surround digital sound processor? How does it differ from nicam stereo?

Secam is the colour system used in France and some other French discrepancies, no use in the UK. SRS is digital processing of the sound to give surround sound effect.

[Fred Smith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coz21

Thanks guys. Would you say these are widescreen?:

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/pro.../specification

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/pro.../specification

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...29%3D22.22.htm

I bought the Sharp in Asda about two months ago £20 cheaper, I'm pleased with it, but I notice it's no longer on the Sharp UK website, so maybe discontinued? The Samsung has a 16:10 panel as I mentioned above.

[bobcar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coz21

Thanks guys. Would you say these are widescreen?:

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/pro.../specification

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/pro.../specification

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...29%3D22.22.htm

I think the Sharp is widescreen (16:9) but I think the other two are 16:10 - this is quite common with small screens/monitors.

Whether they will let you watch 16:9 properly with little bars top and bottom is not clear from the blurb.

[Fred Smith]

Yes the Sharp is 16:9, that's one of the reasons why I bought one.

[Coz21]

Is this one wide? It looks square to me:

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/stor...ory_oid=-21226

Why does it say no widescreen and no flat screen for this one?:

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/stor...rmationSection

It looks to have both to me.

[bobcar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coz21

Is this one wide? It looks square to me:

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/stor...ory_oid=-21226

Why does it say no widescreen and no flat screen for this one?:

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/stor...rmationSection

It looks to have both to me.

The Philips is not widescreen but the Sony is.

You can clearly see by looking at the Philips that it is not widescreen, it's more difficult to tell whether a TV is 16:9 or 16:10 though.

[Coz21]

So this one isn't either?:

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/pro.../specification

What about this one?:

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/stor...m=null&tm=null

And this one? (Different Philips one):

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/stor...m=null&tm=null

Sorry, it's just that I've made a short list and want to make sure.

[dennisspooner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coz21

So this one isn't either?:

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/pro.../specification

What about this one?:

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/stor...m=null&tm=null

And this one? (Different Philips one):

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/stor...m=null&tm=null

Sorry, it's just that I've made a short list and want to make sure.

All 3 are

[Coz21]

Thanks.