How to Compare a Widescreen Size With a Standard TV Size

TV screens, no matter their shape, are measured by the diagonal.

Televisions come in two basic shapes, standard screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio and wide screens with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The aspect ratio is the ratio of the horizontal to vertical heights of the screen.

Size of a Standard Screen

The older 4:3 standard screen size is no longer all that standard. All televisions are sized on the diagonal. A 32-inch standard screen offers a picture 19.2 inches high and 25.6 inches wide.

Size of a Wide-screen

Wide-screen TVs are also measured on the diagonal but since they have a different shape than standard screens, equivalent sizes in the two types are not comparable. A 32-inch wide screen has a picture 15.7 inches high and 28 inches across.

Screen Area

Simple math shows that the standard 32-inch screen presents 491.5 square inches of picture and the wide screen offers 439.6 square inches. Even though the wide screen has a name that implies it is bigger, the picture is actually smaller. The effect varies, however. Wide-screen programs, such as movies on DVD, do not take up all the space on a standard screen and will be bigger on the wide screen.

Upgrade Consideration

If you want to watch standard television shows on a wide screen without reducing the size of the image, you will have to replace your standard television with a wide screen of larger size. You must compare vertical sizes in order to avoid a smaller standard image. To replace a 32-inch standard screen, you will have to upgrade to a 39-inch (or larger) wide screen.

References

• ScreenMath
• Best HDTV Screen
• Digital Connection: HDTV Frequently Asked Questions