# HDTV Questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358 "2003-12-16T18:16:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358/21 "2003-12-17T22:18:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xizor \* > \*\*The new satellite system Vroom has like 23 HD channels (including Playboy in HD) and will have 35 or so by next year. \*\* Sorry for the typo, that should be [voom](http://www.voom.com/index.jsp) . ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358/22 "2003-12-17T22:47:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xizor \* > **I believe a standard has already been adopted. According to this [site](http://www.atsc.org/aboutatsc.html):** That’s the standard for DTV, not HDTV… AFAIK broadcasters and manufacturers are still bickering over HDTV. The FCC is ready to impose one. But then, lately I haven’t been following Slashdot as closely as I used to. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358/23 "2003-12-17T23:38:04Z")
ATSC covers all digital broadcast television, HD and standard definition. Speaking as someone who is in the television industry, the only bickering I know of that is currently going on is over digital cable standards, not HDTV. ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358/24 "2003-12-17T23:41:28Z")
As for burn-in, modern CRTs just don’t burn-in anymore, barring extreme conditions. Plasma displays are very vulnerable to burn-in, watching much programming with black bars will result in the area of the bars appearing brighter, as the rest of the screen has dimmed due to burn-in. LCD displays will also burn-in, but not nearly to the extent that plasma displays will. [This dansdata article](http://www.dansdata.com/danletters057.htm) (scroll down) has more information. ---
**Author:** ![GreyWanderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@GreyWanderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreyWanderer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358/25 "2003-12-17T23:45:34Z")
Just a quick question. Are there any other formats than 16:9 or 4:3? I see widescreen TVs have a whole lot of different choices, and movies come in various formats with bars in different sizes. ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358/26 "2003-12-18T00:52:54Z")
Widescreen TV is 16:9, “standard is 4:3. Some computer monitors (17/18/19” LCDs) come in 5:4 (1.25:1), but otherwise these are the only choices. ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358/27 "2003-12-18T00:54:59Z")
> [@](#): > > modern CRTs just don’t burn-in anymore That’s not quite true. It’s true that TV CRTs are less prone to burn-in than before. Today’s _computer monitor CRTs_ (which would otherwise be _very_ prone to burn-in) are almost immune to it, but many modern CRTs, including expensive ones, are still prone to possible burn-in. For example, the extra-bright CRTs used in special applications and many contemporary large screen TVs (especially rear-projection units, which you may have been deliberately excluding, but which are still CRTs) are prone to burn-in. As recently as a year or so ago, I saw channel logo burn-in on an nearly new CRT RPTV (Apparently their kids often left the TV on Disney all day in the summer.) Many ‘better’ large screen CRT RPTVs have electronics that move the image around slightly over time, to minimize burn-in. ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358/28 "2003-12-18T01:03:26Z")
The 4:3 (1.33) aspect ratio is a pretty close match for the old “Academy” aperture (1.37). The 16:9 (1.77) aspect ratio is a prettu good match for the current standard aperture or VistaVision (1.85). Several formats, like Cinemascope, Warnerscope, Panavision, Techniscope, etc. have apertures with aspects ratios of 2.35. A few movies have even wider apertures (projection aperture isn’t exactly the same as a image aspect ratio, but it’s close) Of course the DVD makers often fudge a bit. There are tons of film standards which have nothing to do with the TV standards. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![hyjyljyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@hyjyljyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyjyljyj)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358/29 "2004-01-07T20:28:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*I believe “burn in” with projection TVs is a remote possibility, but not one to be really concerned about…I imagine the “windowbox” bar wouldn’t be a problem. \*\* Apparently the engineers at Philips (Magnavox) beg to differ: The owner’s manual that came with my brand-new, $1700 55-inch HDTV I got for Xmas stresses in bold type and all caps that no more than **15%** of your viewing time weekly should be spent in the 4:3 aspect with the border bars, because they will definitely burn permanently into your picture. It is a huge problem with projection TVs. After reading this whole thread and the whole link on digital TV, I am no closer to an answer to my basic question: Since I hate the fuzziness and graininess of my new “HD” TV set and do not wish to be held up for an extra 13 clams a month by my cable provider, should I trade it back in for a nice, clear, normal, albeit slightly smaller, TV (for over a grand less), or keep it and hope things “clear up” in the future? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358/30 "2004-01-07T21:19:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hyjyljyj \* > Apparently the engineers at Philips (Magnavox) beg to differ: The owner’s manual that came with my brand-new, $1700 55-inch HDTV I got for Xmas stresses in bold type and all caps that no more than **15%** of your viewing time weekly should be spent in the 4:3 aspect with the border bars, because they will definitely burn permanently into your picture. It is a huge problem with projection TVs. I dunno, I think that’s a disclaimer all the TV manufacturers put out so they’re not liable if you crank your brightness and contrast to maximum and watch windowboxed stuff all week long. From everything I’ve heard from actual users, if you properly adjust your brightness/contrast (e.g., don’t leave them set to the factory maximum defaults), and don’t watch eight-hour-long _Twilight Zone_ marathons (or play the Nintendo all weekend), you’re okay. > [@](#): > > After reading this whole thread and the whole link on digital TV, I am no closer to an answer to my basic question: Since I hate the fuzziness and graininess of my new “HD” TV set and do not wish to be held up for an extra 13 clams a month by my cable provider, should I trade it back in for a nice, clear, normal, albeit slightly smaller, TV (for over a grand less), or keep it and hope things “clear up” in the future? Depends on where the fuzziness is coming from, I’d say. If it’s the signal source, after all, a different TV won’t do you any good. Have you tried hooking up a good DVD player and playing a crisp progressive-scan DVD on the HDTV to see if it’s the TV that’s the problem? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-questions/219358.md?page=1)