HD Widescreen TV Dimensions Question

I have a 48" Mitsubishi Rear Projector Widescreen HD TV whose actual screen screen size (where you see the picture) is 24" X 42". My 30" Samsung Widescreen CRT HD TV actual screen size is 15" X 26" Aprox. Does the widescreen dimensions for the 30" seem a little small or is that my imagination or can this vary amongst brands even if the size is the same?

don't you measure diagonally?

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Originally Posted by vxaudio

don't you measure diagonally?

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Huh? The dimensions I listed were the vertical and the horizontal that I used with a ruler. I'm not talking about the borders of the TV but the actual picture screen where the picture is broadcast on for you to see.

What he's trying to tell you is the quoted TV screen measurements are diagonal measurements. The 42" measurement is measured between opposite corners.

Using Pythagorean's Theorem: The hypotenuse C = sqrt( A^2 + B^2 )or C = sqrt( 24^2 + 42^2 ), or C = sqrt( 576 + 1764 ), or C = sqrt( 2340 ), or 48.37.

and

For the 30" the hypotenuse C = sqrt( A^2 + B^2 )or C = sqrt( 15^2 + 26^2 ), or C = sqrt( 225 + 676 ), or C = sqrt( 901 ), or 30.02.

Since the measurements are pretty darn close, it must be your imagination.

It may very well be my imagination.

EG- Someone on a previous thread was asking about the same thing. I think it's interesting because even with a 30 inch viewing area, it may not be that since you have the chance of still seeing black bars. Is it still correct in stating some widescreen DVDs still show black bars on different widescreen TVs? I heard it's something about how the size format being used on the DVD.

Also, do you ever see black bars while watching you HDTV? Maybe when you watch regular TV on you HD set?

Just wondering- I'm still not in the HD world.

Thanks.
Eric

I definately recommend you do get HD TV but one over 42" widescreen at first. For all regular broadcasts you will get black bars regardless of your TV model. In my case they are actually gray bars. That's OK, I don't have a problem with that. My 30" Samsung widescreen HD TV is for my bedroom & the picture itself is excellent. However, when I compare it to the picture on my 48" MItsubishi Rear Projection HD TV, there is a night & day difference & the size of the picture seems much more proportionally bigger & the picture much better as well. I may if I get more cash in the future & the price of HD TV's goes down alot, get a 34 or 37" CRT Widescreen HDTV instead for my bedroom.

What are the actual screen dimensions for a 42" wide-screen tv? I know the picture is measured diagonally, but I need to know the vertical and horizontal measurements of the actual viewing area. Thanks.

At least as far as I know. That 16:9 ratio was developed as a terrerestial TV standard and movies don't adhere to this.

Also, as far as I know, not all movies are recorded on DVD in 16:9 ratio and could result in black bars on the top and bottom of the screen, such as a movie recorded in 2.35:1. It may fill the screen from side to side but will still have bars on the top and bottom.

Here's some additional reading if ya want to learn more.

http://www.flattvpeople.com/tutorials/aspect-ratios.asp

EVERYTIME YOU ADD an ince to your diag measurement you double you double your screen area, this is something that the human brain has trouble comprehending, like the fact that the world of color is just an illusion that our brain creates out of three primary colors.
I had a 30in samsung tau series, BTW a very nice viewing machine.
AND a lot of movies are shot in 16:9, but a lot are shot in 235, which will give you a letterbox on your screen

For regular broadcasts, most sets now have some type of fill mode. About the only time I see bars on a broadcast is on HD when it's shown as 4:3