What's your SD Viewing Preference?

[DBS Commando]

So when you're watching SD, which view do you prefer when watching on a HDTV?

I personally prefer stretched because I like the picture to fill the whole screen.

How about you guys?

Edit: Forgot to add an option for those who have a HD-only package, can somebody add it in there?

 

[kb7oeb]

Just about the only SD I watch anymore is the animated shows on Fox and animated shows don't look too bad stretched.

 

[DishSubLA]

I leave it on normal aspect with gray bars (pillars). I wish USA and even History would just leave it that way.

 

[jerryez]

I have the HD only pacikage and many movies are broadcast in 4x3. I usually hit the stretch button. Even Deal or No Deal is 4x3. I stretch it also. So, we do not need another option, since the 4x3 applies to us also.

 

[HDRoberts]

Depends for me. I'll do a zoom for shows which are 4:3, but broadcast letterboxed (though sometime I find PQ is too degraded). For the remastered Star Treks (in 4:3 HD), I'll watch in partial zoom as PQ is not heavily degraded with this and I want to take advantage of the HD. Most SD I'll leave in normal.

 

[ripnbigc]

I voted partial zoom only because of my CRTRP, ortherwise I would use normal for everything.

 

[Teran]

I use 4:3 and then mask the screen.

I wish they would quit adding static pillars such as graybar or ESPN's bars. If they aren't going to be casting useful information they should quit trying to fake it.

 

[NoWhrMn]

I prefer to watch most things in OAR weather it be 4:3 or 16:9. I even leave it letter boxed if it is letter boxed.

 

[digiblur]

I dont watch any SD channels anymore or SD programs for that matter.

 

[long_time_DNC]

When I watch SD, I watch it stretched. I know what kind of PQ I'm in for when I watch SD, so I may as well just stretch it too...doesn't make it that much worse...

 

[Dirtydan]

Because my plasma tv has overscan, I use the 4:3-#1 setting in the 722 HDTV set up. This sets HD station to normal and SD I set to stretch, this gets the crawlers on the screen, and also gives good PIP results.
Results will vary with different TVs, depending on how they scale their received signals.
Dan

 

[reddice]

Stretched is horrible. I don't watch anything stretched. If it is 4:3 I watch it 4:3 with the pillar bars. If it is 16:9 I watch it the way it is. I sometimes zoom 4:3 if it is letterboxed but it really degrades the picture so I don't do it much.

 

[Ilya]

I don't watch too much SD, but when I do I leave it at normal. Can't stand stretched images. I'd rather have black bars.

 

[CubsWin]

I use partial zoom by default, unless a program is letterbox then I may switch to full zoom.

 

[RandallA]

Stretched for me, it doesn't bother me.

 

[whatchel1]

SD?

What's SD, LOL. I'm an HD only sub. so very little SD at my home. Whne I do have SD on in most cases it's partial zoom. I just crops a small bit of the top and bottom. I really don't like stretch. It streches people to make them look freaky.

 

[psychicmind]

I used to keep the 4:3 with black matting on my first HDTV.

Years later the black matting BURNED into the TV, distorting the color on full 19:6 HD features.

My new HDTVs are either partial or full zoom, but occasionally I leave the OAR which I prefer.

 

[TalonDancer]

I voted "normal" because we dislike the distortion/clipping you usually get with stretch, partial or zoom. But...

we do use "zoom" for SOME SD TV -- when the "SD" is actually HD letter boxed. If the normal SD has black bars top and bottom we use "zoom" to fill the screen without distorting or clipping the image.

FWIW Our local PBS station broadcasts a lot of HD letter boxed into the SD format.

Talon Dancer

 

[MikeD-C05]

ON the sd news channels I watch in stretch , since they are just talking heads. ON movies in sd , I will use partial zoom unless the pq is to degraded . ON hd channels, I will zoom to fit the screen on any sd program over the hd channel, since the pq doesn't degrade in hd resolutions. I really liked the way Directv had a certain resolution called origional resolution on sd channels and the screen looked filled the set without distorting the people or making short fat squat people. I wish DISH could copy this resolution for the sd channels .

 

[riverdog]

I have a Toshiba 62" DLP and I use the TheaterWide mode. It looks great - kind of a progressive stretch. The middle of the picture stays normal while it stretches a little more as it approaches the edges. It only looks funky during a quick pan across the screen ~ then it's kinda fisheye like......