Widescreen TV

Televisions have come a long way over the last couple of years with the introduction many new technologies such as plasma, LED and also the change in the shape of the television screen from a relatively square shape to what has become known as a wide screen television.  This change from the older style square televisions to the newer wide screen televisions has occurred and has been driven by the consumer wanting a television that is more closely shaped to the movie screen at a theatre.  The wide screen of these newer style televisions is suited perfectly for the viewing of DVD shows and movies and is also a great format for viewing other TV programming such as sporting events.

Traditional television have screen size that is a ratio of 4 units to 3 units which gives the screen and the television an almost square look.  Wide screen televisions by contrast have a ration of 16 units to 9 units which gives these televisions a rectangle screen.  A wide screen television can have a different ratio for the screen size however the length will always be considerably longer than the height to provide the wide viewing screen.

One of the main reasons that consumers have embraced these styles of television is that the larger screens and larger pictures have provided a clearer and sharper picture.  The popularity of wide screen televisions is not restricted to one type with LED, LCD and plasma televisions all having a share in this growing market.

Another reason that wide screen televisions have become popular as the screen size is closely matched to the size of the screen at a movie theatre.  With the traditional 4 units to 3 units ratio of the older style televisions the movie has to be converted from wide screen to fit the traditional square shape.  Wide screen movies can be show on a wide screen television without the need to convert or change the picture in any way.

Sports lovers have also seen the benefits of a wide screen television with a crisper picture that can cover more of the game.  Currently only a select few television programs are broadcast in a widescreen format however the demand is growing as consumers continue to purchase wide screen televisions.  Currently most people with wide screen televisions only use the full features of their television while watching movies on DVD.