My experience watching a movie with non A/V people...

[Hitman Horton]

Originally Posted by chip75

I remember the folks I explained letterbox to, back in the day, "But we're seeing less!", when they were seeing more. Same people who complained about pillar boxing when they bought 16:9 tellies, "We must be losing bits on the side!"

I'm gonna assume they ask about Mona Lisa's feet when they wander into the Lourve.

People didn't like letterbox so they changed the name to wide-screen.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by CatBus

In an attempt to get this train back on the rails, I'll share a success story, in a way. I am the AV guy at my house. My oldest son is also a pretty good understudy. Nobody else gives a rat's ass what the display settings are, as is normal.

This is all just fine and dandy in the privacy of your own home, but don't visit someone's home, and criticize how their TV look. Remember, you are guest! You're not there for a work order as a home theater specialist to calibrate, to offer nor give advice about the improper video quality on a person's TV, unless you've been asked for your advice by the host. Professionals doesn't take their work home or anywhere else with them. They leave their profession at the workplace. For instance: professional painters don't go to people's houses to inspect and criticize other people's paint job inside of their house when they're off from work. They are enjoying their leisure time as themselves, not as a painter.

[roar]

Good clarification by the OP, pretty harmless to make a suggestion and then if it doesn't land to leave things alone. At the end of the day here though we are talking about Yes Man... on DVD... right? That movie gets no benefits from any visual or audio improvements . It's a Jim Carrey flick worth a couple of laughs with some buddies.

I was at a friends place not too long ago and there was clearly something broken with her backlighting, it was a hot mess. I made a comment and she rolled her eyes at me knowning my taste for all things audio video and said it's fine. I pressed her and asked where she bought it and she said Costco, I suggested she call them and have it replaced, which was met with more eye rolling... and a couple of more glasses of wine. A few weeks later my wife was talking with her and she did take my advice and called Costco and had it replaced and sent her apologies and thanked me for pointing out the flaw as the new set looked much better.

I could have approached things better, I'm certain of it, whole thing was kind of awkward in the end but she has a new tv that looks much better!

[Hitman Horton]

Originally Posted by roar

Good clarification by the OP, pretty harmless to make a suggestion and then if it doesn't land to leave things alone. At the end of the day here though we are talking about Yes Man... on DVD... right? That movie gets no benefits from any visual or audio improvements . It's a Jim Carrey flick worth a couple of laughs with some buddies.

I was at a friends place not too long ago and there was clearly something broken with her backlighting, it was a hot mess. I made a comment and she rolled her eyes at me knowning my taste for all things audio video and said it's fine. I pressed her and asked where she bought it and she said Costco, I suggested she call them and have it replaced, which was met with more eye rolling... and a couple of more glasses of wine. A few weeks later my wife was talking with her and she did take my advice and called Costco and had it replaced and sent her apologies and thanked me for pointing out the flaw as the new set looked much better.

I could have approached things better, I'm certain of it, whole thing was kind of awkward in the end but she has a new tv that looks much better!

A broken TV and one with a picture that's not adjusted to your satisfaction are two completely different things. If I was in your shoes, I likely would have said something too.

[cochon]

Originally Posted by chip75

I remember the folks I explained letterbox to, back in the day, "But we're seeing less!", when they were seeing more. Same people who complained about pillar boxing when they bought 16:9 tellies, "We must be losing bits on the side!"

I don't think it was quite like that, all the people I've met that had a problem with black bars was because they wanted their screen full. It did not matter and they were probably unable to understand that to fill up the screen you must chop part of the picture.
One important thing I have learned is not to push my taste or ideas to people who are not receptive of them, certainly not in their house.
I would never go to a friend's place to watch a movie, if I do it I will just cope with whatever is on offer or politely come up with some excuse to leave but I am not going to come to a public forum to critizise them.

It does not seem such an important matter, what would happen if they discuss politics instead

[yougottaguys]

Originally Posted by singhcr

the whole thing just looked like some weird melted video that wasn't at all real

I've now seen a real example of this. To think there are normies out there who watch stuff like this *shudder*
It looks like there's also some AI garbage mixed in which is another blight on picture quality & video presentation that now exists.