I am curious as to why new televisions have a rectangle screen. I am talking about the flat-screen TVs.

I have a regular TV which is about 7 years old and it has a square viewing screen. I don't know if I could get used to a rectangle screen. What is the purpose of it?

Progress.

http://www.audioholics.com/education/display-formats-technology/hdtv-past-present-and-future-part-i-history

They have a rectangular screen because the picture on high definition programs is wider and fits the screen of flatscreen TVs.--The only problem is the older TV shows (programs made 10-15+ years ago) were not filmed in high definition and were not made for those newer TVs and in my opinion(perhaps I'm in the minority here) -look better on regular TVs.Personally I still prefer CRT TVs or in other words the regular TV sets.

I once had an antique tv set from the 40s that had a round screen. The thing was heavy even though the screen was only about 6 inches.

I once had an antique tv set from the 40s that had a round screen. The thing was heavy even though the screen was only about 6 inches.
Yes, the old TVs were heavy!

Fleet, if you don't already have one, I'd advise you to get a nice antenna. Depending on your location, you should be able to get plenty of crystal-clear HD channels free via good, old-fashioned rabbit ears or a roof antenna. If you don't live in a good signal area, you can subscribe to HD service from your cable/satellite company, usually at an extra charge. Standard-definition to high-definition really is as big a difference in quality as color was to black and white.

AntennaWeb (http://www.antennaweb.org/) is a good resource for finding out what over-the-air channels are available from your home.

Fleet, if you don't already have one, I'd advise you to get a nice antenna. Depending on your location, you should be able to get plenty of crystal-clear HD channels free via good, old-fashioned rabbit ears or a roof antenna. If you don't live in a good signal area, you can subscribe to HD service from your cable/satellite company, usually at an extra charge. Standard-definition to high-definition really is as big a difference in quality as color was to black and white.

AntennaWeb (http://www.antennaweb.org/) is a good resource for finding out what over-the-air channels are available from your home.
I have cable. Standard cable. I can always call the company and ask about HD.

i've tried 3 different antennas and at least 2 different digital boxes, and we can't get more than 2 or 3 local channels.

my theory on the rectangular screen is marketing;they need to change what is working perfectly fine every so often to force you to buy new stuff.

...next they will tell us that an oblate rhomboid is ABSOLUTELY necessary for the next-generation 3D-HD TV's

I have cable. Standard cable. I can always call the company and ask about HD.
Even if you choose not to subscribe to HD service, you can still decide to get an antenna so you can watch ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox; etc. in HD. I know a few people who subscribe to cable or satellite, but still receive their local stations over the air.

i've tried 3 different antennas and at least 2 different digital boxes, and we can't get more than 2 or 3 local channels.
Yeah, I live in a small town that relies on out-of-town signals and translators. Even with a roof antenna, I can only reliably get two stations. One drawback to digital television is that you either receive the signal or you don't. There's no such thing as a "fuzzy" picture anymore; only crystal-clear or no picture at all.

my theory on the rectangular screen is marketing;they need to change what is working perfectly fine every so often to force you to buy new stuff.
The "rectangular" screen is hardly new, though. The move to 16x9 HDTV has been in the works since the 1980s (after a few false starts the preceding decades), and HD sets have been on the market for about 15 years.

And widescreen just makes more sense than the old analog 4x3 standard: it more closely mimics our own field of vision, and catches television up with the film industry, which has mostly produced their product in one widescreen format or another since 1954.

I'm kind of surprised that you don't seem to be a fan of HD technology.

The "rectangular" screen is hardly new, though. The move to 16x9 HDTV has been in the works since the 1980s (after a few false starts the preceding decades), and HD sets have been on the market for about 15 years.

And widescreen just makes more sense than the old analog 4x3 standard: it more closely mimics our own field of vision, and catches television up with the film industry, which has mostly produced their product in one widescreen format or another since 1954.

I'm kind of surprised that you don't seem to be a fan of HD technology.

Perhaps TV manufacturers changed to rectangular so they would look more like the screens at movie theaters?

It would give people the impression that they have a theater-type screen at their own homes?

I'm kind of surprised that you don't seem to be a fan of HD technology.
really? I've tried my best to come across as a grumpy old crank whenever new-fangled gizmos are bandied about...

I don't have a problem with HD technology per se, but the way they've implemented it with multiple hardware standards, no singular standard resolution for digital transmission, and the way that basically everything they have done benefits the big companies like Sony at the expense of consumers.

Perhaps TV manufacturers changed to rectangular so they would look more like the screens at movie theaters?

It would give people the impression that they have a theater-type screen at their own homes?
Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. And really, if you think about it, going wide is an evolutionary step from the old square ratio for reasons I mentioned above.

really? I've tried my best to come across as a grumpy old crank whenever new-fangled gizmos are bandied about...
That's true. :) I just thought you'd be on board with HDTVs for some reason. Maybe it's because of the fact that your a TV fan and your reputation as the computer fix-it guy. ;)

I don't have a problem with HD technology per se, but the way they've implemented it with multiple hardware standards, no singular standard resolution for digital transmission, and the way that basically everything they have done benefits the big companies like Sony at the expense of consumers.
I do agree that they should have done a better job coming up with a broadcasting standard. The fact that some channels broadcast in 720p and most others in 1080i bothers me, and annoys me when I flip around and my TV has to switch resolution between channels.

Still, I'm happy with the change. I'm a big fan of high-definition and rarely watch SD channels anymore.

I am still researching TVs. May go with a Samsung.

I found something strange... amazon.com has a 37" Samsung LCD TV for $497 and a 40" for $477. Why would the smaller one cost less? :confused:

Maybe the smaller one is a newer and UN-improved model,it's anybodys guess.--Unless you are really interested in high definition,which if you ask me is over-rated,if your regular TV still works well,why look for a new TV.

Maybe the smaller one is a newer and UN-improved model,it's anybodys guess.--Unless you are really interested in high definition,which if you ask me is over-rated,if your regular TV still works well,why look for a new TV.
You do realize you're in the minority, right? You're the technological equivalent of a cranky old man yelling out the window at the damned kids on his lawn.

If Fleet wants to get a high-definition set, there's no need to rain on his parade. We get it: you're happy with your console set, candlelight and Glenn Miller on the ol' Victrola. There's nothing wrong with that, just like there isn't anything wrong with wanting to upgrade to present-day technology.

I'm not trying to rain on his parade,just giving my opinion.If flatscreen TVs were able to show a standard definition picture as clear as regular TVs do,I'd have no problem with them.But they don't.

You do realize you're in the minority, right? You're the technological equivalent of a cranky old man yelling out the window at the damned kids on his lawn.
i will admit to being cranky and wanting the kids off my damn lawn, but at least I'll offer some fair advice to Fleet:

go to your local Best Buy/Sears/Target/whatever and LOOK at them, better yet find a friend that has one in their living room (which will look at lot different than in the showroom) and look at one there, and see what you think before you buy.

I stopped by Sears today. They have a good buy on a 40" LCD Samsung TV. (Because it's a discontinued model.) $509.93.

I'm going to see what Best Buy and Wal-mart have tomorrow.

I'm not trying to rain on his parade,just giving my opinion.If flatscreen TVs were able to show a standard definition picture as clear as regular TVs do,I'd have no problem with them.But they don't.
My current TV has a 27" screen. A 40" screen would be much more enjoyable.

I will put my current TV in the living room.

It's good that you're doing your homework, and that you're using your own eyes as judge. That's the most important thing.

I have a 47" Sharp Aquos LCD. I bought it nearly four years ago now. It took me about a month to decide on that one, but I don't regret it. It still works as well today as it did when I bought it in January of 2009.

It's good that you're doing your homework, and that you're using your own eyes as judge. That's the most important thing.

I have a 47" Sharp Aquos LCD. I bought it nearly four years ago now. It took me about a month to decide on that one, but I don't regret it. It still works as well today as it did when I bought it in January of 2009.
Yes, I am taking my time researching before I decide. There is no rush.

A 47" TV would be nice but it would be too big for my room. The room is something like 14x12 feet.

It may be a good idea to post a photo of where the new TV will be going.

What do you think... a 40" TV should fit in well, I think. But no bigger than that.

I am going to move the printer (seen on the far right) to a bookshelf just to make sure there is enough room. And that swivel table the printer is on will really come in handy for the TV.

I'm really terrible when it comes to measurements and such, so take this with a grain of salt, but I think 40" is just about perfect for that space.

I'm really terrible when it comes to measurements and such, so take this with a grain of salt, but I think 40" is just about perfect for that space.
Yes, I think so.

I've read that some people regret buying a smaller size once the TV is in the room.

Yes, I think so.

I've read that some people regret buying a smaller size once the TV is in the room.
That's what return policies are for. ;)

That's what return policies are for. ;)
Yes, I suppose they can do that. Some probably don't bother, though.

Well, I ordered and received the TV I chose.

A 40" Samsung LED TV. Bought from Amazon.com and I opted for the 2-day delivery (so I could enjoy it for the weekend).

It fits in the room very nice. Not too big and not too small. I do like the big screen compared to the former 27" TV I had. I am still making some adjustments to tweak the picture. For one, I set the picture on "dynamic," which added much needed brightness. I've read that the settings on the TV from the factory are almost never set for best viewing.

Here is a photo of it to compare with the earlier photo of the old TV. And that unit on the right side of the dresser is known as a "VCR." :D

"VCR," eh? I read about those in history class. ;) You're going to have to treat yourself to an HD-DVR next!

It's very easy to have buyer's remorse with a purchase such as this, which makes me glad you've found a television set that you really like. It looks good in its new habitat!

"Dynamic" is absolutely the way to go. That's how I have mine set up, as well. To me, there's no other way to view high-definition; all the other factory settings "bland" up the picture.

A few other tips: most HDTVs allow you to zoom and stretch the picture to your liking. For some reason, mine defaults to a setting with a bit of overscan, so a tiny portion of the edges are cut off on all four sides. I'm not sure who the heck prefers this setting, but you should play with the aspect ratio (or "zoom") settings, if you haven't already, to make sure you're seeing the whole picture. On my set (Sharp Aquos), this mode is called "Dot-by-dot," but unfortunately, viewing mode terminology isn't universal across different brands. It really should be, though.

Also, you can set your TV to pillarbox (opposite of "letterbox") non-HD channels that still use the old 4x3 (square) aspect ratio. Many people like to watch these channels "stretched" to fit their rectangular screens, which baffles me. It makes people appear shorter and fatter than they really are, and causes them to drive cars with oval wheels. If you don't mind "black bars" on the sides of your screen, I'd recommend watching standard-definition channels unstretched.

Now that you have a 16x9 TV, you probably need to adjust your DVD player. If it still "thinks" it's connected to a 4x3 set, your picture will either be stretched or pillarboxed, depending on your TV's settings. On most DVD players, these settings can be found by pressing the "menu" or "settings" button while there is no disc in the player. If you find that it's set to 4x3, change it to 16x9. You may need to adjust your TV's aspect settings for the DVD input "channel" after you're done adjusting the player. Once that's set up correctly, most DVDs that used to be in letterbox on your old television set will fill up the entire screen on your new set.

You won't be entirely free of the "black bars" on the top and bottom of your screen, though. Many movies, especially 1950s "CinemaScope" films, are shot even wider than your TV's 16x9 ratio. So those movies will still appear in letterbox format, but the "black bars" will be proportionally smaller than they would be on a 4x3 set.

Anyway, there's a good chance you've figured out this stuff on your own already. If not, I hope this post helps you. I live for helping people set up their A/V equipment.

Welcome to the world of HD, Fleet! There's no going back. :) Your excitement with your new set tells me you already know that. Enjoy!

Looks like you made a good choice Fleet. I had my HD-TV for a couple of years now and I love it. Mine's slightly bigger than yours at 48" and it's also a Samsung. They make great TVs.

All you need now is a Blu-ray player and you're good to go. :cool: They are way cheaper now over when they first came out. I don't know what's up with some people but you do notice the difference in quality over a standard non-HD DVD.

I also have VCRs and I'm always glad to see others hanging onto them.

Thanks, Brad. A lot of useful information, especially about the VCR settings.

JamesG, thanks for the tip. I think there are probably quite a few people who still have VCRs, even if they don't use them much.

My pleasure! Let me know if those tips help, or if you have any other questions. I'll try my very best to help if I can.

My pleasure! Let me know if those tips help, or if you have any other questions. I'll try my very best to help if I can.
The available settings do make a big difference.

And I am really enjoying watching some of my favorite shows on the bigger screen...

Keep in mind I'm no expert,although you almost have to be an expert with these new TVs.--From that photo it looks like you are either zooming in or stretching the picture.Either way the program is not going to look right.There should be black bars on the left and right sides of the picture when viewing non-high definition programs.You may want to get an hdmi cable(I think that's what it's called).The lowest price one should do fine.Before I returned our flatscreen,I found that the hdmi cable made everything work better.

And BTW in no way am I trying to discourage you,I hope you enjoy the TV.I just think there must be a lot of people who do not know how complex those TVs can be.I certainly had no idea until I got one.--And why should someone have to be some kind of an expert,afterall it's just a TV.Good technology in my opinion SHOULD be simple to use/setup.Unfortunately,they are not like regular TVs where you just turn them on and you're good to go.

Cause the people that made them are squares

It makes a HUUUUUUUGE difference playing video games on a HDTV as opposed to a SDTV. Until earlier this year, my bedroom TV was a SDTV that was from 1997. It'd always served its purpose well -- I had it die on me once, back in around 2006 or so (a picture tube in it went kaput and I couldn't get a picture anymore - it was just snow). But I knew that if it died on me for a second time, I'd really be better off just replacing it entirely. New parts for my SDTV would cost more than what my TV was worth. So, now I have a 32" Samsung, and love it! I was pretty much squinting at the screen every time I would play a video game on it - my TV was so old, that even with sharpness turned all the way up, text on the screen was still fuzzy. Forget about red-colored text... It just bled together and made my eyes hurt. :lol: I'm happy to say -- MUCH better now on my Samsung! :D Although I'm still trying to figure out how to get Super Mario Sunshine to not look like total crap on my TV (I just got it in August, so it's still a learning process for me). Oh well. :)