SONY WEGA and component video .........

I have a friend who has given up on using DVD with her 36-inch Sony Wega.She does not like the letterbox format so VHS will be the mode for watching movies.

CORRECTION!!! (egad, I feel like an oaf...) For confirmation, I went to the US Patent & Trademark office website to find out once and for all if it's Wega or Vega. Drumroll please... it IS, in fact, Wega. I have NO idea why. My only guess is that Wega is Japanese for "easily confusing to foolish Americans". Cheers!

Hi Korgwave:

The issue with the letterbox vers.the full screen...I guess that it is a personal preferance. I like when i can see a bigger picture myself. The letterbox format allows viewing more of the picture as it was in the theater but leaves the top/bottom with black bands. It sorta downscales the whole movie theater screen size to fit it all left to right on our 4:3 tv size. This get accomplished but there is all the info there is for the picture top to bottom in the format so the blank spots are black. Full screen sometimes cuts the sides off the original screen size. Seems much like zooming in on the original theater screen size but only cartain spots of it leaving out what is going on at the left to right sides. Seems this is why the whole screen is filled. This is where you see the "this movie has been formatted to fit your tv screen" flash on the tv with vhs tapes.
When it gets down to the resolution matter....regular vhs for me (after viewing dvd for a good year) is so awful by comarison. So much grain and washed out look that it now distracts me too much to watch. I also have the same problem with watching "off air" tv programs -looks so fuzzy. I sigh relief when I pop a dvd in.
Some movies are in both full screen and letterbox
on the same disc. You just need to look at the menu and if it has it -select full screen (pan and scan). At least she (your friend) will have the joy back with some movies. Again some movies are only in the letterbox format. I have to squint sometimes to see everything. I would guess that the 36" screen your friend has might help when viewing the
letterbox type movie though.
I do have to ask..how far away from the tv is she sitting?
I think I read somewhere that you have to sit five times the screen height back from the tv to get the benifit of it without seeing scan lines. Maybe that could help?

Earhertz:

Did I get that right? It is Wega not Vega? Okay we will say it is so then. I think the Sony people want us confused -that way we all wonder about it so much the Wega brand sticks in your heads...so we will all rush over to the Sony tvs and look at them first. Chances are we will buy one too. You hear it enough you will want one..that kind of thing. Thanks for the re-correction.

Have two Sony 36" Wega TVs, one XBR the other not. Both look great on component DVD and C-Band video. Have not seen any of the problems being reported here. Not likely AC power line will cause restricted blurring on selected parts of screen. Except for ground loop humm bars moving up the screen, AC power contamination on video is a high end myth.
Save your money. Had a friend who sold a special green felt pen ($20.00)to mark CDs to make them sound better. Sold a lot.