Widescreen TV and a 4:3 TV

KenJavo · 06-08-2009, 03:26 PM

I want to make sure the converter that I purchase is capable of putting out 16:9 picture to my widescreen TV and I need another one that's capable of 4:3. Which ones should I get and I'd like to know of one that has both capabilities.

1inxs · 06-08-2009, 04:02 PM

I believe most of the CECBs are capable of both 4.3 or 16.9. Here is a link with all the CECBs available. You can do a google search to verify the specifications you want.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenJavo

I want to make sure the converter that I purchase is capable of putting out 16:9 picture to my widescreen TV and I need another one that's capable of 4:3. Which ones should I get and I'd like to know of one that has both capabilities.

divxhacker · 06-08-2009, 04:14 PM

(I stand corrected - I blame post-Califur fatigue)

I'll go an invade another board, I'll come back when the dust has settled.

Jay · 06-08-2009, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by divxhacker

Unfortunately, the coupon eligible converters can only put out 480i - for other definitions, you would have to get one that can do those outputs.

You may be able to set your TV's screen dimensions so that it can "letter-box" the 480i picture. Won't be as pretty as the picture you'd get from a full-featured (not coupon-eligible) converter box, though.

Your a little off Div, but that's ok, I forgive ya

According to the CECB Wiki,

Quote:

[edit] NTIA absolute requirements

A digital TV converter boxThese requirements are absolutely required, but may vary in the way they are provided by the box.

CECBs must convert all ATSC formats to NTSC.

The units must support a 4:3 center crop of a 16:9 transmitted image, and a letterbox rendition of a 16:9 transmitted image.

An RF output, as well as baseband video and stereo audio outputs must be supplied.

All CECB's outputs must produce video at an ITU-R BT.500-11 quality scale of Grade 4 or higher.

CECBs must include a remote control and be controllable by universal remote controls.

Must support decoding of Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages and Parental Control (V-Chip) descriptors and Closed Captioning streams.

Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP) data must be decoded, and the units must provide the user with tuned channel and program information.

CECBs must consume no more than an average of 2 watts of power when passive (no video or audio display).

CECBs must provide an automatic power-down feature [that can be turned off] when operator input has not been detected for a certain time.

Various RF sensitivity and interference rejection performance parameters are also required.

Piggie · 06-08-2009, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by divxhacker

Unfortunately, the coupon eligible converters can only put out 480i - for other definitions, you would have to get one that can do those outputs.

You may be able to set your TV's screen dimensions so that it can "letter-box" the 480i picture. Won't be as pretty as the picture you'd get from a full-featured (not coupon-eligible) converter box, though.

Whoa horsies!! divx is on the money at least with this part of the post I can still see because Jay referenced it.

===

1) CECB boxes only put on 480i
2) CECB (most) can do 4:3 full screen or 16:9 in a letter box output. Some do a side cropped and some do a stretch (what ever good this does).
3) CECB can only have an RF or composite output, neither of which is capable of HD output.

---------

480i, 720p, 1080i have nothing at all to do with the shape of the picture. They describe how many equivalent horizontal lines or a way to horizontal resolution of the picture. But they don't mean it has any given shape.

Now widescreen usually refers to a 16:9 ratio or the shape of the picture. As does 4:3.

So you can have a 1080i signal that is 4:3. Example, HD station transmitting SD program but converting to 1080i before transmitting it. Yes yes, it's still SD but it is in fact being transmitted and received as 1080i.

Then hook a regular DVD player to a widescreen TV and you have a perfect example of 16:9 or widescreen, yet the resolution is 480i.

>>>>>>

Hence resolution and the shape of a picture have nothing to do with each other.

Now that swallowed, when a CECB puts out 16:9, it's done in letter box. If it's shown on a widescreen TV when the TV is in natural or normal zoom, then not only won't it fill the screen vertically, but it won't be any wider than a regular SD 4:3 shown on a widescreen with black bars on the sides.

The only way you get a CECB to fill the screen of a widescreen TV while viewing a station sending a widescreen signal, to also zoom the TV. Often it's a compromise as all TV's and all CECBs don't zoom the same.

===============================================

All that said, if the OP has an HD widescreen and wants HD on it but the TV doesn't have a built in tuner they need a fancier converter box that puts out HD in a HDMI or DVI connector or bare minimum on component output.

Just like they were connecting a BluRay player to a HD TV.

His older 4:3 TV can use an inexpensive CECB just fine.

divxhacker you were right one dude.

1inxs · 06-08-2009, 08:49 PM

He never mentioned HD in his post. If you want to get technical he doesn't need a converter box for his HDTV and any CECB will work for his 4.3 SDTV. I try to keep it short and simple.

EDIT
I didn't think about an older HD monitor without the tuner, so hopefully the OP will read to the end of your post for the full story. I didn't think about it from this perspective. I missed this point until I re-read your post

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piggie

Whoa horsies!! divx is on the money at least with this part of the post I can still see because Jay referenced it.

===

1) CECB boxes only put on 480i
2) CECB (most) can do 4:3 full screen or 16:9 in a letter box output. Some do a side cropped and some do a stretch (what ever good this does).
3) CECB can only have an RF or composite output, neither of which is capable of HD output.

---------

480i, 720p, 1080i have nothing at all to do with the shape of the picture. They describe how many equivalent horizontal lines or a way to horizontal resolution of the picture. But they don't mean it has any given shape.

Now widescreen usually refers to a 16:9 ratio or the shape of the picture. As does 4:3.

So you can have a 1080i signal that is 4:3. Example, HD station transmitting SD program but converting to 1080i before transmitting it. Yes yes, it's still SD but it is in fact being transmitted and received as 1080i.

Then hook a regular DVD player to a widescreen TV and you have a perfect example of 16:9 or widescreen, yet the resolution is 480i.

>>>>>>

Hence resolution and the shape of a picture have nothing to do with each other.

Now that swallowed, when a CECB puts out 16:9, it's done in letter box. If it's shown on a widescreen TV when the TV is in natural or normal zoom, then not only won't it fill the screen vertically, but it won't be any wider than a regular SD 4:3 shown on a widescreen with black bars on the sides.

The only way you get a CECB to fill the screen of a widescreen TV while viewing a station sending a widescreen signal, to also zoom the TV. Often it's a compromise as all TV's and all CECBs don't zoom the same.

===============================================

All that said, if the OP has an HD widescreen and wants HD on it but the TV doesn't have a built in tuner they need a fancier converter box that puts out HD in a HDMI or DVI connector or bare minimum on component output.

Just like they were connecting a BluRay player to a HD TV.

His older 4:3 TV can use an inexpensive CECB just fine.

divxhacker you were right one dude.

Jay · 06-08-2009, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piggie

Whoa horsies!! divx is on the money at least with this part of the post I can still see because Jay referenced it.

===

1) CECB boxes only put on 480i
2) CECB (most) can do 4:3 full screen or 16:9 in a letter box output. Some do a side cropped and some do a stretch (what ever good this does).
3) CECB can only have an RF or composite output, neither of which is capable of HD output.

---------

480i, 720p, 1080i have nothing at all to do with the shape of the picture. They describe how many equivalent horizontal lines or a way to horizontal resolution of the picture. But they don't mean it has any given shape.

Now widescreen usually refers to a 16:9 ratio or the shape of the picture. As does 4:3.

So you can have a 1080i signal that is 4:3. Example, HD station transmitting SD program but converting to 1080i before transmitting it. Yes yes, it's still SD but it is in fact being transmitted and received as 1080i.

Then hook a regular DVD player to a widescreen TV and you have a perfect example of 16:9 or widescreen, yet the resolution is 480i.

>>>>>>

Hence resolution and the shape of a picture have nothing to do with each other.

Now that swallowed, when a CECB puts out 16:9, it's done in letter box. If it's shown on a widescreen TV when the TV is in natural or normal zoom, then not only won't it fill the screen vertically, but it won't be any wider than a regular SD 4:3 shown on a widescreen with black bars on the sides.

The only way you get a CECB to fill the screen of a widescreen TV while viewing a station sending a widescreen signal, to also zoom the TV. Often it's a compromise as all TV's and all CECBs don't zoom the same.

===============================================

All that said, if the OP has an HD widescreen and wants HD on it but the TV doesn't have a built in tuner they need a fancier converter box that puts out HD in a HDMI or DVI connector or bare minimum on component output.

Just like they were connecting a BluRay player to a HD TV.

His older 4:3 TV can use an inexpensive CECB just fine.

divxhacker you were right one dude.

and now I stand corrected!

I didn't mean to imply that he was off on the output of 480i

divxhacker · 06-08-2009, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piggie

Whoa horsies!! divxhacker you were right one dude.

Oh, you are far too nice to this silly fool. I'm having a bit of a bad day as I accidentally washed a 4GB flash drive which is now nothing more than a 10 gram paperweight. Nothing lost on it, all copies of stuff on my server's hard drives.

Piggie · 06-09-2009, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by divxhacker

Oh, you are far too nice to this silly fool. I'm having a bit of a bad day as I accidentally washed a 4GB flash drive which is now nothing more than a 10 gram paperweight. Nothing lost on it, all copies of stuff on my server's hard drives.

Oh, I a have those days, divx.

And to all concerned it won't be long till I post something screwed up!

It's why it takes more than one person to be on a board to answer questions.

And if the OP's widescreen is NOT HD, and has zoom in the TV, you can just buy a CECB.

I have a DTVPal Plus hooked to a non HD widescreen at my house right now and it works.

One thing I have never tried is hooking a CECB to a real HD widescreen, to see how it looks. I am sure you would have to use the video output to even get a half decent picture.

staticMHZ · 06-09-2009, 09:09 PM

all of them can do 16:9 and 4:3, but it's standard definition only. Personally, on an older television with a square screen, I keep it at 4:3.

I haven't seen many standard def analog tv's with widescreen, maybe sony did it with the wegas a few years ago, or rear projection.


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