Picture Size or Aspect Ratio

PICTURE SIZE OR ASPECT RATIO

There are several different ways to adjust the picture size depending on what type of devices are connected to the television. This is generally corrected by selecting the appropriate aspect ratio of the TV. Access the menu of the television to see if it looks cropped or zoomed.

The Aspect Ratio starts with the television’s dimensions. Nowadays, majority of manufactured televisions feature a 16 by 9 aspect ratio whereas, in the beginning, at the time of black & white cathode ray tube televisions the viewing area was much squarer, referred to as Full Screen, with a 4 x 3 aspect ratio.

The next crucial part is the incoming video source, which can come in just about any shape or form. The most popular formats being the following:

As the flat panel display has no Elasticity properties, different Aspect Ratio options have been developed and integrated to the Video Display Circuitry of the television in order to best match and/or reproduce video image being fed for optimal viewing performance.

Older models, going way back to the introduction of HDTV 16:9 formatted display screens, similar Aspect Ratio options would appear in the Picture Menu:

THE GENERAL IDEA OF EACH OPTION’S SIGNIFICATION :

…and how it got slightly modified with more recent models:

Just be cognizant that the ideal Aspect Ratio option for a DVD/Blu-Ray Disc player, Game Console or PC is “JUST SCAN”. For broadcast TV, “ORIGINAL” (Set by program) or 16:9 for Digital TV is the option of choice, else 4:3 if still receiving analog TV broadcasts.

One final piece of advice, if the picture on screen appears to be enlarged beyond reasonable dimensions when you are watching TV channels from a set-top-box, just make sure you have not accidentally pressed the ZOOM button on the set-top-box remote controller. If so, just keep pressing that button until the image on screen returns to normal. For Example: