Question:
As I posted a week or so back, my Philips telly's up the scoot -- the tube's gone.
I was wondering what one to get now, and have plumped for another Philips (flatscreen this time), because I was so used to the manual zoom.
Do any other makes have this function? I know it seems trivial but a lot of tv shows on analogue have got different aspect ratios, and that zoom function is very handy so you're not cropping anything!
All sony TVs have manual adjustment of screen modes. I would imagine that most manufacturers have this facility.
I'm on my second Philips widescreen, a 28in in 1994 and the current 32in which I bought in 1998. Both had this feature. When I bought the 32in the guy in the shop had no idea about the variable zoom.
Ive not seen it on any other make, but it's such an obvious feature when you're used to it.
The Panasonics have the variable zoom;you can adjust the width/position in zoom mode and it is very useful,nay essential.I would not like to have to rely on auto zoom.
Sharps also have manual zoom.
I'm not sure the first poster has described manual zoom clearly (sorry :) )
I've got a philips set, and what he's referring to is the ability to gradually zoom in and out of the image - so the set will go from 4x3 to 16x9 in maybe 100 steps. This way, if you have a broadcast that's in a mode something between 4x3 and 16x9 you can still zoom to get it to EXACTLY fill the screen.
I've not seen this on any other brand - I think the manual zoom referred to by the other posters is the ability to manually choose 4x3, 14xwhatever and 16x9 modes...
Thanks Warren, I don't think I did describe it properly!
It's certainly a useful function IMO, but presumably if you have digital it's useless -- wouldn't it all be anamorphic?
I don't have digital, so I like it.
Originally posted by Dene
Thanks Warren, I don't think I did describe it properly!
It's certainly a useful function IMO, but presumably if you have digital it's useless -- wouldn't it all be anamorphic?
I don't have digital, so I like it.
this works well in mtv and the like, which features a wide variety of aspect ratios, all in non-anamorphic form :thumbs:
Originally posted by Warren Alexander
I'm not sure the first poster has described manual zoom clearly (sorry :) )
I've got a philips set, and what he's referring to is the ability to gradually zoom in and out of the image - so the set will go from 4x3 to 16x9 in maybe 100 steps. This way, if you have a broadcast that's in a mode something between 4x3 and 16x9 you can still zoom to get it to EXACTLY fill the screen.
I've not seen this on any other brand - I think the manual zoom referred to by the other posters is the ability to manually choose 4x3, 14xwhatever and 16x9 modes...
Nope, what you described is exactly what I thought the poster meant. IE - The ability to manually increase and decrease all non-anamorphic material step by step.
I can confirm that Sharp, Sony, and Panasonic sets also have this feature. In fact Sharp and Panasonics are even better because they give you the option to manually raise and lower the image as well as increase and decrease the image size - The Philips doesn't have this option.
You are correct JimmyBoy.You have won a gold star. :dork:
Originally posted by Jimmyboy
I can confirm that Sharp, Sony, and Panasonic sets also have this feature. In fact Sharp and Panasonics are even better because they give you the option to manually raise and lower the image as well as increase and decrease the image size - The Philips doesn't have this option.
My Sony lets me manually raise and lower the image in zoom mode. Never seen a set that doesn't allow this (although there must be some) because it's essential for viewing subtitles.
My Sony (LS60) doesn't have a variable zoom however, as described above. Neither does the LS35. So if it is still available on Sonys, it's certainly not all models.
I think variable zoom is pretty redundant except in one or two exceptions. Most non-anamorphic widescreen material is 1.66:1 (where 14:9 or 16:9 zoom will do) or 1.78:1/1.85:1 (where 16:9 zoom is what you want anyway). As long as your TV doesn't have too much overscan, you'll want either 14:9 or 16:9 and not anything in between.
If you rely on variable zoom, you're therefore just compensating for too much overscan in your set, which would be better fixed in the service menu :)
Originally posted by Squirrel God
I think variable zoom is pretty redundant except in one or two exceptions. Most non-anamorphic widescreen material is 1.66:1 (where 14:9 or 16:9 zoom will do) or 1.78:1/1.85:1 (where 16:9 zoom is what you want anyway). As long as your TV doesn't have too much overscan, you'll want either 14:9 or 16:9 and not anything in between.
If you rely on variable zoom, you're therefore just compensating for too much overscan in your set, which would be better fixed in the service menu :)
In theory maybe - but in practise the issue of correct over scan becomes more complexed when you realise that two films with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 can potentially be off different size.
In such cases manually zoom is essential, especially if subtitles are required.
My dvd of II Mare requires the TV to be zoomed out a fraction to get the image to fit the screen size perfectly on my old Panasonic 16:9 set, yet my dvd of Freeway has a black border at the top and bottom of the screen and the TV needs to be zoomed in slightly.
Both films have an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
Choosing manual zoom helps on films where the auto zoom starts pinging,a technical term meaning constantly changing position due to scene changes.Taxi is a good example of this.
I was wondering what one to get now, and have plumped for another Philips (flatscreen this time), because I was so used to the manual zoom.
Do any other makes have this function? I know it seems trivial but a lot of tv shows on analogue have got different aspect ratios, and that zoom function is very handy so you're not cropping anything!
Answers:
All sony TVs have manual adjustment of screen modes. I would imagine that most manufacturers have this facility.
Answers:
I'm on my second Philips widescreen, a 28in in 1994 and the current 32in which I bought in 1998. Both had this feature. When I bought the 32in the guy in the shop had no idea about the variable zoom.
Ive not seen it on any other make, but it's such an obvious feature when you're used to it.
Answers:
The Panasonics have the variable zoom;you can adjust the width/position in zoom mode and it is very useful,nay essential.I would not like to have to rely on auto zoom.
Answers:
Sharps also have manual zoom.
Answers:
I'm not sure the first poster has described manual zoom clearly (sorry :) )
I've got a philips set, and what he's referring to is the ability to gradually zoom in and out of the image - so the set will go from 4x3 to 16x9 in maybe 100 steps. This way, if you have a broadcast that's in a mode something between 4x3 and 16x9 you can still zoom to get it to EXACTLY fill the screen.
I've not seen this on any other brand - I think the manual zoom referred to by the other posters is the ability to manually choose 4x3, 14xwhatever and 16x9 modes...
Answers:
Thanks Warren, I don't think I did describe it properly!
It's certainly a useful function IMO, but presumably if you have digital it's useless -- wouldn't it all be anamorphic?
I don't have digital, so I like it.
Answers:
Originally posted by Dene
Thanks Warren, I don't think I did describe it properly!
It's certainly a useful function IMO, but presumably if you have digital it's useless -- wouldn't it all be anamorphic?
I don't have digital, so I like it.
this works well in mtv and the like, which features a wide variety of aspect ratios, all in non-anamorphic form :thumbs:
Answers:
Originally posted by Warren Alexander
I'm not sure the first poster has described manual zoom clearly (sorry :) )
I've got a philips set, and what he's referring to is the ability to gradually zoom in and out of the image - so the set will go from 4x3 to 16x9 in maybe 100 steps. This way, if you have a broadcast that's in a mode something between 4x3 and 16x9 you can still zoom to get it to EXACTLY fill the screen.
I've not seen this on any other brand - I think the manual zoom referred to by the other posters is the ability to manually choose 4x3, 14xwhatever and 16x9 modes...
Nope, what you described is exactly what I thought the poster meant. IE - The ability to manually increase and decrease all non-anamorphic material step by step.
I can confirm that Sharp, Sony, and Panasonic sets also have this feature. In fact Sharp and Panasonics are even better because they give you the option to manually raise and lower the image as well as increase and decrease the image size - The Philips doesn't have this option.
Answers:
You are correct JimmyBoy.You have won a gold star. :dork:
Answers:
Originally posted by Jimmyboy
I can confirm that Sharp, Sony, and Panasonic sets also have this feature. In fact Sharp and Panasonics are even better because they give you the option to manually raise and lower the image as well as increase and decrease the image size - The Philips doesn't have this option.
My Sony lets me manually raise and lower the image in zoom mode. Never seen a set that doesn't allow this (although there must be some) because it's essential for viewing subtitles.
My Sony (LS60) doesn't have a variable zoom however, as described above. Neither does the LS35. So if it is still available on Sonys, it's certainly not all models.
I think variable zoom is pretty redundant except in one or two exceptions. Most non-anamorphic widescreen material is 1.66:1 (where 14:9 or 16:9 zoom will do) or 1.78:1/1.85:1 (where 16:9 zoom is what you want anyway). As long as your TV doesn't have too much overscan, you'll want either 14:9 or 16:9 and not anything in between.
If you rely on variable zoom, you're therefore just compensating for too much overscan in your set, which would be better fixed in the service menu :)
Answers:
Originally posted by Squirrel God
I think variable zoom is pretty redundant except in one or two exceptions. Most non-anamorphic widescreen material is 1.66:1 (where 14:9 or 16:9 zoom will do) or 1.78:1/1.85:1 (where 16:9 zoom is what you want anyway). As long as your TV doesn't have too much overscan, you'll want either 14:9 or 16:9 and not anything in between.
If you rely on variable zoom, you're therefore just compensating for too much overscan in your set, which would be better fixed in the service menu :)
In theory maybe - but in practise the issue of correct over scan becomes more complexed when you realise that two films with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 can potentially be off different size.
In such cases manually zoom is essential, especially if subtitles are required.
My dvd of II Mare requires the TV to be zoomed out a fraction to get the image to fit the screen size perfectly on my old Panasonic 16:9 set, yet my dvd of Freeway has a black border at the top and bottom of the screen and the TV needs to be zoomed in slightly.
Both films have an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
Answers:
Choosing manual zoom helps on films where the auto zoom starts pinging,a technical term meaning constantly changing position due to scene changes.Taxi is a good example of this.
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