# Does anybody prefer zoomed in viewing to bars? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2013, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-prefer-zoomed-in-viewing-to-bars/670960 "2013-10-11T08:25:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-prefer-zoomed-in-viewing-to-bars/670960/21 "2013-10-11T22:47:25Z")
The only time I’ll use zoom is when there’s black bands on all four sides because the station is only available in SD but their broadcasting is letterboxed. I used to have this problem with Doctor Who on BBC America until my cable company added the HD version. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-prefer-zoomed-in-viewing-to-bars/670960/22 "2013-10-12T04:49:32Z")
> [@lost4life](#): > > It depends on how important the cinematography was in the creation of whatever I’m watching. Most films I watch in their original state. Most TV shows I fill the screen (ours zooms and crops, but doesn’t distort). This. I’ve noticed on most TV shows this makes almost no difference. My most notable exception is whenever there’s dancing, e.g. some episodes of the Dick Van Dyke Show. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-prefer-zoomed-in-viewing-to-bars/670960/23 "2013-10-12T05:00:17Z")
I almost always use the correct aspect ratio, but sometimes if the top and bottom of a 4:3 program aren’t important, I’ll zoom (but not ever stretch). For example, I only get BBC World News in 4:3, so sometimes if I’m watching that I might zoom because almost all I lose is a ticker at the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-prefer-zoomed-in-viewing-to-bars/670960/24 "2013-10-12T07:58:24Z")
I don’t have a digital TV, but I use an over the air digital converter for my analogue TV. I can’t stand black bars, so I zoom in. Most of the shows I watch are old, anyway, so they were filmed to fit the old CRT screens. I’m the same when it comes to movies. If a DVD is available in full screen, I’ll buy it. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-prefer-zoomed-in-viewing-to-bars/670960/25 "2013-10-12T15:41:35Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Not always or with all TVs. My Toshibe essentially splits the screen into thirds and stretches the outer two panels and leaves the center section alone. For a lot if TV shows, it’s hardly noticeable. But obviously, the more stuff there is on screen, the more obvious the stretching is. It’s very noticeable to me, and it just makes my skin crawl. Don’t like black bars? Turn off the lights. The only time they bother me is when the station decides to fill the blank area with junk or make the bars another color besides black. One station here in L.A. (KDOC) briefly put their call letters in big white vertical type on each side of the screen, rendering the channel unwatchable to me. The outrage on their facebook page put a quick end to that. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-prefer-zoomed-in-viewing-to-bars/670960/26 "2013-10-12T15:49:42Z")
I usually change the channel for any movie that shows in the full format. I’d much rather see 65% of the screen full size than 100% reduced to a little area in the middle of the screen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-prefer-zoomed-in-viewing-to-bars/670960.md?page=1)