The Sharp Aquos television delivers a wide-screen aspect ratio of 16:9, which means it's ideal for viewing movies that were made for the big screen. Watching a DVD in an older television with the square (4:3) format may result in either a distorted view, or seeing the movie with the left and right edges clipped, while watching a standard broadcast on a wide-screen TV may result in black bars on both sides. An easy fix is to stretch or zoom the image, although this may result in a distorted view. To deliver the best and most accurate picture possible, the Sharp Aquos television allows for changing the aspect ratio, which fills the screen without distortion so you can enjoy that wide-screen experience just like in the theater.
Adjust the Aspect Ratio
Step 1
Determine whether the source (television broadcast or DVD) is recorded in square (4:3) or wide-screen (16:9) format. If the image looks distorted, or if there are black bars on the screen, you may wish to adjust the aspect ratio setting to get a better picture.
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Step 2
Press the Menu button to call up the menu on your television screen. Navigate using the left and right arrows next to the Enter button.
Step 3
Press View Mode. Select the Up or Down arrows to scroll through the selections.
Step 4
Select the most appropriate Aspect ratio setting. For HD programs, the options are as follows:
Stretch: Best for viewing 1.78:1 aspect ratio programs. May still show black bands at the top and bottom. Dot by Dot: A full-screen option. The image will fully fill the screen with no bars. Smart Stretch. Best for when a 4:3 program is being broadcast. Allows the program to fill the screen. Zoom: For viewing wide-screen 2.35:1 aspect ratio programs to fit the full screen.
Step 5
Select the following settings for standard 4:3 programs:
Side Bar: Best for viewing standard 4:3 programs. Smart Stretch: For viewing 4:3 programs to fill the entire screen. Zoom: View wide-screen 2.35:1 DVDs in full screen. Stretch View 1.78:1 DVDs: May still show some bands at the top and bottom of the screen.
Tip
Four aspect ratio options are available. The "Dot by Dot" option scales sources correctly without stretching or distorting the image, and is recommended for HD sources.
The TV's standard or default mode will show programs as broadcast. That is, a broadcast in 4:3 will be shown as such, even on a wide-screen television.
Movie THX, or "movie mode," will show the picture exactly as the creators of the movie intended and with the appropriate aspect ratio setting.