Aspect Ratios

[Bascule]

A question for any CRT techies out there.

I have a Philips 22" Matchline 100Hz CRT TV. Great RGB pic and no hurry to go to flat widescreen just yet.

I've just bought an Inverto IDL-7000 PVR and am now a pig in poo! However, playing around with this has left me with a question.

PAL employs 625 horizontal lines per frame. When my TV switches to its own widescreen mode does it then squeeze those 625 lines into the space between the bars? If so, this could give me a better definition picture than using the Inverto's 4:3 letterbox mode which would leave the TV in 4:3 mode so using precious lines to draw the black bars.

Any advice gratefully received.

[Chris Frost]

Originally Posted by Bascule

When my TV switches to its own widescreen mode does it then squeeze those 625 lines into the space between the bars?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Bascule

If so, this could give me a better definition picture than using the Inverto's 4:3 letterbox mode which would leave the TV in 4:3 mode so using precious lines to draw the black bars.

Yes, exactly right.

Put the Inverto in to 16:9 mode and use the Philips TV in widescreen mode too for the best definition image.

[Bascule]

Excellent, many thanks for the reply.