Determining aspect ratio of an lcd computer moniter?

[MTboatguy]

They are going to have to invest the money to produce and then broadcast 4K signals, which is still a few years away and then it will take a few years for it to really catch on. For what I can get these days at good prices, I am sure not worried about 4K really impacting my life.

I don't even really consider 4K to be the next generation yet, just not enough out there to take advantage of that technology.

 

[Boomyal]

Well, what was the common broadcast signal when they first came out with 1080 TV's?

 

[bruceb58]

Satellite, cable and phone broadcasters can't even currently deliver 1080P without tons of compression artifacts. Only way to have reliable 4K content is going to be a new format of BluRay. Anything that has a lot of motion like sports is going to look choppy so there is no point in having it 4K currently.

 

[MTboatguy]

Well, what was the common broadcast signal when they first came out with 1080 TV's?

480 was the broadcast signal when Satellite became mainstream, but the technology has not even kept pace with what we currently have, as Bruce pointed out, they can't deliver HD TV yet, it is going to take new satellites and equipment to even get to the current standard of 1080, let alone the investment to broadcast 4K. Blu Ray is not even up to the standard that 4K is yet and that is where it will first come from is being able to purchase 4K discs.

4K is still a long ways off for normal consumers, fortunately you can still watch the lower resolutions on them, but it does not look as good as the current generation of HD TV.

Another thing to take into account, as we age, our eyes loose the ability to see the slight color variations and resolutions, so those who can most afford it, are not going to benefit by it. Heck with my eyes, I barely benefit by having a 1080!

 

[Boomyal]

.......so there is no point in having it 4K currently......

Well that is all good to know. As soon as my 42" Toshiba Rear Projection TV gives out I will be in the market for a new flat panel; somewhere around 50". The maximum width has to be no more than 45" to fit in the allotted area. However, I was recently in a local store called Video Only and I was certain that there was a noticeable difference in the pictures between the same brand in 1080 and 4K.

 

[MTboatguy]

Yes, there is a noticeable difference when you have the content made for that particular technology, a lot of what you see on the 4K TV's in the video stores is prerecorded content for those demonstrations. Remember Boom the 3-D craze? It was not ready for prime time yet and now they are sitting on the shelves and many of them are being sold for less than cost. With the new algorithms that have been developed we can make a blurry picture look sharp, does not make it a better picture in reality. It is just a technology that does not quite have the support of the market yet.

 

[bruceb58]

However, I was recently in a local store called Video Only and I was certain that there was a noticeable difference in the pictures between the same brand in 1080 and 4K.

How big was the screen and how close were you to it? Were you at your normal viewing distance?

 

[southkogs]

With the new algorithms that have been developed we can make a blurry picture look sharp, does not make it a better picture in reality. It is just a technology that does not quite have the support of the market yet.

Part of that is a combination of two things: 1) the frame rate that much of the content is recorded in - the motion smoothing effect tries to smooth it out too much and the image becomes too sharp. It's a nice effect when you're watching football or hockey and you wanna' keep up with the ball/puck. But not so nice when you've got an action movie going on with a big melee scene.

The other is 2) the eye does't rely on detail as much as you might think it does. Your brain fills in the gaps on a lot of things for you - it allows you to ignore things that aren't important to what you want to take in and focus on important stuff. In a car chase in a movie, that background going past can be a real mess as long as it sufficiently suggests enough to get you to see what they want you to see.

Take a hyper accurate image, smooth all of the motion so that the detail is complete and THEN sit only 16' away so the 80" screen fills most of your vision field ... for me personally, I can get physically tired watching a movie that way.

 

[bruceb58]

16' away is way to far away for an 80" screen.

Supposedly, you divide the diagonal inches by 0.6 to get optimum viewing distance. I am too far away from my TV for optimum but it's the way my room is. Next TV will be 70"

 

[southkogs]

At 70" and 80" we're not really talking about TVs anymore ... these are wall dimensions

 

[MTboatguy]

Take a hyper accurate image, smooth all of the motion so that the detail is complete and THEN sit only 16' away so the 80" screen fills most of your vision field ... for me personally, I can get physically tired watching a movie that way.

Some of it makes me physically sick to my stomach to watch, the newer 3D stuff, I can't watch, it takes about 15 minutes and I am heading to the restroom, I also can't do the virtual TV stuff, full immersion graphics, ain't my cup of tea, had a heck of the time during training in the latter part of my Military career.

 

[southkogs]

Boom - we've totally butchered your topic now: but I think you got what you were lookin' for, right? :sorry:

... had a heck of the time during training in the latter part of my Military career.

I've gotten to play with a couple of those systems: AvCATT and DSTS. They can wear you out ... but they are pretty cool while you're immersed in 'em.

 

[Boomyal]

Boom - we've totally butchered your topic now: but I think you got what you were lookin' for, right? :sorry:.......

Yeah it did get butchered but it was OK! In the interim, after finding out how to determine monitor shape, I ended up with one 19" NEC 1280 x 1024 (for $30, from a local recycler) that had a beautiful picture....while it worked. After a few hours, it would just switch off, including its power light. I then found a 19" ViewSonic, on Craigslist, for $15. That is what I am using now. I already have the same model (except in 17") that I use for my internet PC . It has worked reliably for a number of years now.

 

[MTboatguy]

Boom, did you return the monitor to those guys? I am curious, I didn't know if they will accept a return or just give you a credit?

 

[Boomyal]

How big was the screen and how close were you to it? Were you at your normal viewing distance?

These were 50" units and I was probably about 2/3rds of my normal viewing distance (about 12") away from the screen. The wall area available, when I finally get one, will accomodate a maximum 45" wide unit, IE, 50ish" diagonal.