LCD or plasma flatpanel, around 35" ---> 4:3 ratio

[Taurus]

I've seen these on the sets of a few news broadcasts & other places - can they be bought somewhere? A google search turned up nothing. Actually a 50" HDTV version would be nice.

Seems like a good way to watch all those 1,976,598 :) TV shows shot in 4:3, but without 200+ pounds of CRT monitor to do so.

[Larry Mc]

I've seen these on the sets of a few news broadcasts & other places - can they be bought somewhere? A google search turned up nothing. Actually a 50" HDTV version would be nice.

Seems like a good way to watch all those 1,976,598 :) TV shows shot in 4:3, but without 200+ pounds of CRT monitor to do so.

It'd harder to steal a tv that weighs 200lbs.:)

[SamS]

You're not going to find anything like that for sale.

Just get a 42" LCD, and you can watch 4x3 programming with black bars on either side and you'll have effective picture area around 35" diagonal.

[Taurus]

I guess those I saw were just for commercial purposes then. Seems like a good idea as far as a "transition" monitor (I can tolerate pillarboxing but don't like it & I won't use any stretch mode). Though obviously, all those 4:3 TV shows on dvd starting back in the early 50s up til around......now ;) would look more natural without the image floating in between black or grey bars.

[93curr]

Though obviously, all those 4:3 TV shows on dvd starting back in the early 50s up til around......now ;) would look more natural without the image floating in between black or grey bars.

Considering how many people still find the idea of black bars on the sides of the screen to be so annoying, I'm surprised that no-one's tried to market a widescreen TV with an adjustable frame; you could physically move it in and out to match the picture ratio.

[Taurus]

^ along those lines: I've actually thought that if the black bars (letterbox or pillarbox) were replaced by some kind of muted/abstract pattern - something resembling a solid surface of some sort - this would seem to "anchor" the image in the middle of the screen, rather than it seeming to just......appear.....there. An actual example of this is what ESPN does on their HD channel during 4:3 presentations, which is to use that pattern of thin black & white vertical bars for pillarboxing. That pattern to me is actually quite annoying and is much too garish(?) & distracting but I'm just using that as an example. And along with the pattern, maybe use a thin & just-visible "frame" of some sort around the entire image to anchor it further.

[apileocole]

Considering how many people still find the idea of black bars on the sides of the screen to be so annoying, I'm surprised that no-one's tried to market a widescreen TV with an adjustable frame; you could physically move it in and out to match the picture ratio.

Like a theater screen? Bring more meaning to Home Theater. Only getting ushered out for talking on the cell phones and spilling a drink have greater gravity. ;)