1. Do I need any additional equipment to watch HDTV broadcasts on my HDTV-compatible TV?
In order to view over-the-air (OTA) HDTV broadcasts, you need to be within the reception area of a TV station broadcasting HDTV signals. Your TV requires a set-top HDTV tuner and an external antenna to receive the broadcasts. Your cable or satellite provider may also offer HDTV channels as a part of their service, eliminating the need for a separate tuner.
2. Why do I still see black bars on my widescreen TV when viewing certain widescreen DVDs and HDTV broadcasts?
Your widescreen TV has an aspect ratio of 16:9 (1.78:1), which is the aspect ratio of HDTV. However, movies are filmed at several different aspect ratios, including 2.35:1. Also referred to as "scope", 2.35:1 is a very panoramic aspect ratio that provides a wide field of view in the theater. Scope is much wider than your widescreen TV, so it still requires the use of letterboxing ("black bars") to fit the entire image on screen. Some TVs and DVD players have a zoom function that allows you to blow up the image so it fills the screen, but the sides of the image must be cropped in order to do so.
3. Why do some of your HDTV monitors have a 4:3 aspect ratio? I thought HDTV had a widescreen (16:9) aspect ratio.
Panasonic manufactures HDTVs and HDTV monitors with both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios so you can buy the TV that best suits your viewing habits. If you watch mostly widescreen DVDs and HDTV broadcasts with minimal 4:3 content, a widescreen TV makes the most sense for you. If you watch a lot of standard analog broadcasts and only view widescreen DVDs occasionally, a 4:3 HDTV is a better match to your program material. It will allow you to watch the bulk of your viewing material in its native format, maximizing your screen size, while also providing the option of watching widescreen DVDs and HDTV broadcasts in letterbox format.
4. What's the difference between 720p and 1080i HDTV broadcasts? Does my Tau™ Series HDTV monitor support both?
HDTV signals can be broadcast in either 720p and 1080i. It's up to the broadcaster which signal format to use, and both have their benefits. Our Tau™ Series HDTV monitors display 1080i signals in their native format. For 720p broadcasts, you can use the settings on your HDTV set-top tuner, cable box, or satellite tuner to convert a 720p signal into a 1080i signal that your TV can display.
5. What will 4:3 broadcasts and DVDs look like on a widescreen TV?
There are multiple settings for adjusting the appearance of 4:3 material on Panasonic widescreen TVs. It can be viewed with black bars on the sides, preserving the way it was originally intended to be viewed. Some viewers find the black bars distracting, so they might prefer one of the stretch modes that lets you fill the entire TV screen with the image. One such mode is the JUST (justify) mode, which stretches only the outer portion of the picture while leaving the center untouched.
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