Your TV sucks! (Wrong aspect ratio and shape)

[apricissimus]

Big TVs are so cheap now, who cares if there's "black bars" on the bottom and top, or on the sides?

If you were trying to watch Ben-Hur on an old 19-inch CRT, then yeah, that's more of a problem. But TVs have gotten a lot better since then!

TVs are so good and so cheap now, it's amazing to me that anyone would complain about them.

(Also, I've never understood why people use the phrase "black bars". It's just negative space where there's no image. They're not bars. They're nothing.)

[Warm Gun]

Originally Posted by apricissimus

If you were trying to watch Ben-Hur on an old 19-inch CRT, then yeah, that's more of a problem. But TVs have gotten a lot better since then!

Ben-Hur with its extreme width of 2.76:1 would be far more impressive on a 21:9 TV. You wouldn't be squinting as much.

Originally Posted by PenguinInfinity

Then the issue is that your TV is too small or too far away. The shape isn't the problem.

2.40, 1.33, and 1.78 all look plenty big on my 1.78 screen.

Everyone with a 1.78 TV is equally affected. It wouldn't matter if I replaced my 65 inch TV with an 85 inch TV. It would have the reverse effect of making 1.3 movies and shows too big. You can scoot your seat closer for 2.4 movies, but the flatness of the screen will bulge out in the center more and the sound won't be right.

[apricissimus]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

Ben-Hur with its extreme width of 2.76:1 would be far more impressive on a 21:9 TV. You wouldn't be squinting as much.

I didn't have to squint at all on my 55" 4K TV that I bought for $360.

[Warm Gun]

Originally Posted by apricissimus

I didn't have to squint at all on my 55" 4K TV that I bought for $360.

The filmmakers intended it to take up most of your field of view, which doesn't work when your display width is so narrow that it shrinks the picture. Your experience with Ben-Hur was compromised by the 1.78 prioritization for fullscreen content.

[apricissimus]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

The filmmakers intended it to take up most of your field of view, which doesn't work when your display width is so narrow that it shrinks the picture. Your experience with Ben-Hur was compromised by the 1.78 prioritization for fullscreen content.

I saw it big, and in the correct aspect ratio. And in 1080p. That's good enough for me.

Standard TV dimensions are a good compromise for accommodating a variety of aspect ratios (and for actually fitting in people's living rooms).