Samsung: 16:9 Aspect Ratio and Letterboxing on Samsung HDTVs
16:9 Aspect Ratio and Letterboxing on Samsung HDTVs
by AARRGGHHH - 11/12/08 1:07 AMI've been reading up on 16:9 versus Just Scan I have one question:
In 16:9 Aspect Ratio on Samsung HDTVs, do you usually get letterboxing? On the Samsung 22" (LN22A450) that I'm checking out, 16:9 is showing letterboxing, which doesnt really make sense to me. It seems that with HD content such as Satelitte HDTV and DVDs, 16:9 should fill up the entire screen.
Many Thanks
Letterboxing
by Samsung_HD_Tech
- 11/12/08 3:20 PM
In reply to: 16:9 Aspect Ratio and Letterboxing on Samsung HDTVs by AARRGGHHH
It depends on what the source content is. Using the features in the television, you can manipulate the picture so that it fills the screen, however, by eliminating the black lines, you may also eliminate some of the width of your picture.
While widescreen is 16:9 for many television broadcasts, there are several other formats that are also considered widescreen. The "flavors" of widescreen are plentiful, and compounds with, say, foreign films where the expected aspect ratio can be different.
Here are the two most common flavors of "widescreen" that movies are traditionally filmed in:
http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp60/samsung_hd_tech/AspectRatiosWidescreen.jpg
I wish I had a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio that I could layer on top of those for illustration, but many movies will be filmed in different aspect ratios. The Samsung televisions will by default show the boxes around the picture becaause then you see the full screen - which is the way the film was intended to be seen as decided on by the filmmaker. If this is not your preference, naturally, we give you the option to change it.
I hope that sheds a little perspective on why you're seeing what you're seeing.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
--HDTech
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Reply from Original Poster to Samsung_HD_Tech
by AARRGGHHH - 11/12/08 6:41 PM In reply to: Letterboxing by Samsung_HD_Tech
Hi Samsung_HD_Tech
I appreciate your reply, it's good to see a company taking the time to monitor forums such as this.
One thing I read earlier today, before reading your reply, totally confused me: "The 22 has a resolution of 1680x1050, which is a 16:10 ratio, so 16:9 material will have small letterboxing.
My understanding is that this HDTV has a 16:9 aspect ratio. Can you clarify?
Thanks
Clarify...
by Samsung_HD_Tech - 11/13/08 3:24 PM
In reply to: Reply from Original Poster to Samsung_HD_Tech by AARRGGHHH
Absolutely.
We were discussing computer monitors, which have some similarities, but some major differences in the Information Technology market that don't apply to the Consumer Electronics market.
But I'll engage anyway. 
That user was attempting to view 1600x900 content on a monitor whose native resolution was 1660x1050 and didn't specifically support that resolution. Letterboxing on a computer monitor in that case would be a result of the picture resolution not being supported. You won't get that on a television by accident.
Televisions today have set resolutions, particularly 1080p. So while you can view a compatible 480i/p Standard Definition signal, it may not look ideal, but it is supported and shown. You will not have unnecessary letterboxing issues with televisions as a result.
Totally off subject, have you ever seen that "This movie has been modified to fit your screen" warnings before movies?
That's another example of how formats can be changed and viewed.
What they've done is re-recorded the movie by placing the viewable 4:3 aspect ratio box INSIDE of the 16:9 box. It's a process called "pan and scan", and what they do is digitally move the 4:3 box left-and-right within the original widescreen edition of the movie. So if there are two people facing each other on opposite ends of the screen, you'll see a movement back and forth as they converse.. movement that doesn't exist on the widescreen edition, naturally because on the widescreen edition, both faces are shown without movement as it was recorded.
Now if you watch the 4:3 version of the above movie on a widescreen television, you'll have the black bars on the sides... the very part that was cut out of the pan-and-scan edited version of the movie. Again, you could stretch that to fill the screen, but it's not going to improve the picture, and will widen and distort the picture. But the black bars would then be considered an issue inherent with the recording or transmission of the picture, and not a limitation of the television. It can only show what it has been given.
I saw a western yesterday on my old 4:3. It was filmed in one of the widescreen formats, and had the black bars on the top and bottom. Since the studio never made a Pan-and-Scan version of that film, it was transmitted with the black bars by my content provider.
Informed people are happy people. And between the SD-to-HD conversion, and the 4:3-to-16:9 conversion, there's a lot to know. That's what this is about.
--HDTech
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Clarify...
by AARRGGHHH - 11/13/08 6:26 PM In reply to: Clarify... by Samsung_HD_Tech
Sorry, you misunderstood the question.
"We were discussing computer monitors, which have some similarities..." Actually, I never saw that discussion. This was a completely separate discussion on another board.
The comment that I read stated: "The 22 inch has a resolution of 1680x1050, which is a 16:10 ratio, so 16:9 material will have small letterboxing.
So, my questions:
My understanding is that this HDTV has a 16:9 aspect ratio. Can you clarify?
Also, is that comment correct, will this TV show small letterboxing when viewing 16:9 content? Or will the content be stretched to fit the 16:10 ratio?
"Informed people are happy people" - I agree, so thanks very much for your time.
Confusing topics....
by Samsung_HD_Tech - 11/13/08 7:30 PM
In reply to: Clarify... by AARRGGHHH
Okay, the other thread where i wrote about 1680x1050 was a different discussion. That resolution doesn't exist in televisions.
That was the thread that you noted caused some confusion. I don't mind if you quote me at all... but if you want me to address what confused you, I'll need to know where you found that statement.
YOUR 22" television has a different resolution.
That said, your television is 16x9 aspect ratio. Depending on the source content, and how that picture is broadcast, you may or may not see letterboxing, as all content is not filmed or transfered in exact 16x9 standards. You CAN stretch the content to fit, and you can zoom to fill the picture, however, by zooming, you may lose some of the picture as you zoom, whereas stretching will just stretch to fill the black bars.
Sorry about any confusion I may have caused. Ask away, that's what I'm here for.
--HDTech
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Confusing Topics
by AARRGGHHH - 11/14/08 4:51 PM In reply to: Confusing topics.... by Samsung_HD_Tech
I fail to understand why it is so hard for you to answer this simple question. I have asked it twice. Now I will ask it a third time. This is the statement that was made:
******* "The 22" has a res of 1680x1050, which is a 16:10 ratio, so 16:9 material will have small letterboxing." *******
It does not matter what forum this discussion occurred in. The resolution of 1680x1050 for this TV is confirmed on the Samsung web site.
1. What I want to understand is this: If the TV has a resolution of 1680x1050, which simple math tells us is 16:10, then why is the TV advertised as having a 16:9 ratio?
2. What I also want to understand is whether the person who made that statement is correct: will 16:9 content have small letterboxing on the sides, because the TV is really 16:10?
I require an answer before purchasing. If I can't get a straight answer to this, I'll forward our conversation to Samsung Customer Service, with the explanation that your help is the reason that I did NOT buy a Samsung HDTV.
Understood.
by Samsung_HD_Tech - 11/17/08 2:30 AM
In reply to: Confusing Topics by AARRGGHHH
I did review the thread, and I apologize for not answering your question, as I came at it from a different angle.
I have sent your question up for clarification, because I'm not sure why either. I am awaiting an answer, and as soon as I get one, I will deliver to you here.
--HDTech
imagine the possibilities
- Click here to visit the Samsung forum
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How do you change it? Should I just by 4:3 aspect ratio
by Pinboozie - 11/17/08 5:15 PM In reply to: Understood. by Samsung_HD_Tech
re:"If this is not your preference, naturally, we give you the option to change it. "
How do you change the option to fit the entire screen if you don't want the letterbox? Also, is it best just to buy a standard, non-widescreen version of the movie if you do not want a leterbox at all and do not want to zoom in, etc. Is the only benefit of widescreen to see more of the left and right sides of the film or is it actually a better picture? thanks.
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