Why are manufacturers doing this?

We have been looking for a widescreen LCD for a second room, around the 20 inch size. However, what has struck me apart from the prices, ouch! is how many manufacturers are making these smaller screen LCD t.v.s not in widescreen but in 4.3 aspect ratio. Can someone explain as widescreen is the future why manufacturers are making the latest technology LCD televisions in this old format? I also noticed a huge price jump between the 4.3 and widescreen t.v.s with some prices almost twice as much for the widescreen model of similar size.

 

Maybe it's because a 20"< LCD in 16:9 format might look too small? They might look too small and narrow at that size?

Also, most 20" TVs would be used in places like a kitchen, or a bedroom, where almost all of the content would be regular 4:3 TV channels. Not many people would use a 20" LCD as their main screen for watching movies.

They're just guesses by the way. I have no idea really. :\

 

I suspect they are making panels up to 20" for PC use and then modding them for TV, makes economic sense if people will buy them.

 

My hunch is that small TVs are largely bought by people who don't really want a TV but feel they ought to have one for when there's an interesting political discussion on. Otherwise it's a glass and plastic object that interferes with the look of the Habitat furniture. Accordingly, having a widescreen would look as if you were dangerously interested in technology and enjoyment and so get black looks from visitors next time they hosted an environmentalist pressure group meeting at their house.

Oh okay, I'll be serious. I think Skiny's right. Last year we had an enforced stay in a hotel between moving houses and we only had a minute portable TV to watch (yeh, tragic). Watching widescreen movies was painful - the image was just too small to be meaningful. Conventional fullscreen was however bearable.

 

Just done a quick calculation and the screen height of a 20" 4:3 tv is the same as the screen height of a 24" 16:9 tv (300mm).

For a 20" widescreen, the height would be equal to a 14" 4:3 tv. Suppose it's possible, but when you get films in 2.35:1 (Troy for example), you get black bars top and bottom on widescreen even when you zoom.

Richie.

 

I agree with Tenex here, it's economy of scale. Many more panels are made in 4:3 for the laptop/pc monitor market. It's way cheaper to source one of these panels than use a 16:9 version.