42" 4:3 to a 37" 16.9

[dapex]

well, i currently have a 42" RPTV and it is old fashioned 4:3 aspect. I had been contemplating the 50" sony LCD RPTV but I have also been offered a 37" widescreen LCD TV by a family member who is selling up to emigrate. Now I alwaready think that a widescreen set looks smaller that its 4:3 counterpart (does anyone else agree?)

What do people think to downgrading from 42" square box to a 37" widescreen box???? If I buy the LCD then I wont be ableto buy the sony if I later decide I need a bigger set (the wife wont be happy)

Cheers

[pdbmjb]

If you measure the distance you are currently away from your 42'' , then view the 37'' at the same distance and let your eyes be the judge.Test with a tv programme and a dvd.
Hope this helps

[LV426]

The 37 incher you've been offered is probably the KL37W2U. This set is actually quite old - they stopped selling them maybe 5 years ago. Whilst I thought it was pretty good for its time, by today's standards, it isn't up to much, even if it's "as new".

The measure of any TV screen size is diagonal. So - a 42 inch "square" picture will be taller than a 42 inch "wide" one. Perception of size depends on what you tend to watch and how.

The majority of new TV material is made 16x9*, and the majority of films on DVD are in widescreen ratios - 16x9 or wider. If you watch these things properly on a 4x3 TV then you will have black bars top and bottom, and hence a "smaller" image. If you use a 16x9 TV then much of this material will fill the screen, though some films will still have (smaller) black bars. Only older 4x3 material (or analog transmissions) will not utilise all the screen space (if watched properly).

A 50 inch 16x9 picture will be about the same height as a 42 inch 4x3 picture. The future is widescreen. The past is 4x3.



* and broadcast 16x9 via the digital platforms, but not via analog.

[Sy1441]

As mentioned above the 37" wide will be quite a bit smaller than the 42" 4:3.

A 50" wide has roughly the same amount of screen as a 43" 4:3

Sy