Hi Korgwave:
The issue with the letterbox vers.the full screen...I guess that it is a personal preferance. I like when i can see a bigger picture myself. The letterbox format allows viewing more of the picture as it was in the theater but leaves the top/bottom with black bands. It sorta downscales the whole movie theater screen size to fit it all left to right on our 4:3 tv size. This get accomplished but there is all the info there is for the picture top to bottom in the format so the blank spots are black. Full screen sometimes cuts the sides off the original screen size. Seems much like zooming in on the original theater screen size but only cartain spots of it leaving out what is going on at the left to right sides. Seems this is why the whole screen is filled. This is where you see the "this movie has been formatted to fit your tv screen" flash on the tv with vhs tapes.
When it gets down to the resolution matter....regular vhs for me (after viewing dvd for a good year) is so awful by comarison. So much grain and washed out look that it now distracts me too much to watch. I also have the same problem with watching "off air" tv programs -looks so fuzzy. I sigh relief when I pop a dvd in.
Some movies are in both full screen and letterbox
on the same disc. You just need to look at the menu and if it has it -select full screen (pan and scan). At least she (your friend) will have the joy back with some movies. Again some movies are only in the letterbox format. I have to squint sometimes to see everything. I would guess that the 36" screen your friend has might help when viewing the
letterbox type movie though.
I do have to ask..how far away from the tv is she sitting?
I think I read somewhere that you have to sit five times the screen height back from the tv to get the benifit of it without seeing scan lines. Maybe that could help?
The issue with the letterbox vers.the full screen...I guess that it is a personal preferance. I like when i can see a bigger picture myself. The letterbox format allows viewing more of the picture as it was in the theater but leaves the top/bottom with black bands. It sorta downscales the whole movie theater screen size to fit it all left to right on our 4:3 tv size. This get accomplished but there is all the info there is for the picture top to bottom in the format so the blank spots are black. Full screen sometimes cuts the sides off the original screen size. Seems much like zooming in on the original theater screen size but only cartain spots of it leaving out what is going on at the left to right sides. Seems this is why the whole screen is filled. This is where you see the "this movie has been formatted to fit your tv screen" flash on the tv with vhs tapes.
When it gets down to the resolution matter....regular vhs for me (after viewing dvd for a good year) is so awful by comarison. So much grain and washed out look that it now distracts me too much to watch. I also have the same problem with watching "off air" tv programs -looks so fuzzy. I sigh relief when I pop a dvd in.
Some movies are in both full screen and letterbox
on the same disc. You just need to look at the menu and if it has it -select full screen (pan and scan). At least she (your friend) will have the joy back with some movies. Again some movies are only in the letterbox format. I have to squint sometimes to see everything. I would guess that the 36" screen your friend has might help when viewing the
letterbox type movie though.
I do have to ask..how far away from the tv is she sitting?
I think I read somewhere that you have to sit five times the screen height back from the tv to get the benifit of it without seeing scan lines. Maybe that could help?