What size HDTV do I need to get a 36" diagonal image in 4:3 ratio?

Question

The reason I ask is a lot of standard definition programming is still presented in 4:3 ratio. I'm used to watching it on a 36" TV.

Answer 1

well if the tv has a 4:3 aspect ratio in Fill then u would need a 36", 16:10 aspect ratio in Fill then u would need a 40" tv, and 16:9 aspect ratio in Fill then u would need a 39" tv.

Answer 2

The guy above that answer this question is well sort of retarded. No offense dude. About your question just get a 42inch tv and why would you want a TV with a 4:3 aspect ratio thats so last dacade. Get with the program and switch the channel. We are in the 16:9 aspect ratio era.

Answer 3

To find the desired (minimum) HDTV size: let the following variables represent the video image dimensions and active screen area dimensions of a given 36-inch SDTV/EDTV and the smallest HDTV, respectively, capable of producing the full equivalent of a 36-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio video image.



     D = Diagonal dimension of the 4:3 SDTV/EDTV image = 36 inches

     x = Width of the 4:3 SDTV/EDTV image

     h = Picture height on a 4:3 SDTV/EDTV = picture height of the 16:9 HDTV screen*

     E = Minimum diagonal dimension of the 16:9 HDTV screen

     w = Width of the 16:9 HDTV screen



*(Note: because 4:3 SD and ED video images will be upscaled and ‘natively’ displayed in a pillar-boxed format on 16:9 HDTV screens the picture height remains unchanged. Hence the picture height of 4:3 SDTV and EDTV images will be equal to the picture height of the 16:9 HDTV active screen area, excluding variables such as overscan.)



We can now derive the required minimum 16:9 HDTV diagonal dimension E as follows.



     x = (4/3)h

     w = (16/9)h



     D² = x² + h²

     E² = w² + h²



     D² = [(4/3)h]² + h²

     E² = [(16/9)h]² + h²



     D = (5/3)h

     h = (3/5)(D)



     E = (√337/9)h = (√337/9)[(3/5)(D)] = (√337/15)(D)



Substituting 36 inches for D we can now solve for E:



     E = 44.06 inches (min.)



Using the appropriate substitutions we can also obtain the remaining approximate display dimensions...



     h = 21.6 inches

     x = 28.8 inches

     w = 38.4 inches



Note: the equivalent of a full 36-inch diag., 4:3 video image will NOT fit on a 42-inch HDTV screen. The HDTV MUST have minimum diagonal dimension of no less than 44.06 inches in order to display a full 36-inch upscaled 4:3 video image.