Most people will have heard the term “widescreen TV” when TV buying. They will know that the screen of a TV such as the Panasonic TX-P42X10 is wider, but may not be entirely sure what else it means. Here we aim to introduce you to the term and give you an idea of the benefits of buying a widescreen TV.
What is widescreen TV?
The screen aspect ratio of a traditional TV is 4:3, which means that for every 40cm long the screen is, it will be 30cm high.
What a widescreen TV essentially does is to stretch this out, giving a screen aspect ratio of 16:9 – so for every 16cm long the screen is, it will only be 9cm high instead of 12cm. You can think of it as kind of like a panoramic photograph, where the picture is the same height, but longer than a normal photo.
Benefits of a Widescreen TV
1. Viewing Experience
The main benefit to having a widescreen TV is that it offers a better viewing experience for the consumer. When images are shot in widescreen, viewing the footage on a widescreen TV allows the viewer to see a much wider angle, showing more of the surrounding scenery. This generally makes viewing more realistic.For example in fight scenes or other action scenes, you view the entire sequence in one shot rather than as a series of close ups and panned camera shots. This makes it more like viewing a fight right in front of you for real.
2. More Widescreen Shows
More and more TV shows are also now being shot in widescreen, which means that if you look for widescreen when TV buying you are also putting yourself in a better position for the coming years to view these shows as they should be seen.
3. No Extra Cost
Widescreen TVs overall offer a better viewing experience, and often cost no more than a conventional screen. Many other models which are not specifically widescreen also have the option to view the picture in widescreen built in.
