A silly question.....

[davidhk129]

Why does a computer monitor, or a TV screen is measured diagonally ?

If we say, "measure the length of this table", or "measure the width of the window", we don't measure diagonally. Right ?
So, why monitor or TV screen measured that way?

 

[whoosh]

Why does a computer monitor, or a TV screen is measured diagonally ?

If we say, "measure the length of this table", or "measure the width of the window", we don't measure diagonally. Right ?
So, why monitor or TV screen measured that way?

This method of size measurement dates from the early days of CRT television when round picture tubes were in common use, which only had one dimension that described display size. When rectangular tubes were used, the diagonal measurement of these was equivalent to the round tube's diameter, hence this was used.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_display_unit

Link Removed

 

[davidhk129]

Thank you.
It still does not make sense to me.

We are now in 21st Century. How it was done in "stone age" is irrelevant.
But, thank you for the explanation.

 

[Pauli]

I agree with you, davidhk129. It wouldn't be too difficult to say the screen is "this times that", that would also give a clear information about what the dimension width / height is = is it widescreen or whatever. The term widescreen is kind of vague, it's like the term wide angle in my profession, photography.

Off topic: I remember the comedy pair Smith & Jones had a very nice sketch about old black & white TVs, I can remember the TVs of 1960's, the picture went distorted and then it went in and out and you got all sorts of blips and blops... Tried to find it, but couldn't. Don't know if whoosh could? He seems to be a searcher.

 

[whoosh]

I agree with you, davidhk129. It wouldn't be too difficult to say the screen is "this times that", that would also give a clear information about what the dimension width / height is = is it widescreen or whatever. The term widescreen is kind of vague, it's like the term wide angle in my profession, photography.

Off topic: I remember the comedy pair Smith & Jones had a very nice sketch about old black & white TVs, I can remember the TVs of 1960's, the picture went distorted and then it went in and out and you got all sorts of blips and blops... Tried to find it, but couldn't. Don't know if whoosh could? He seems to be a searcher.

I did a search and for some considerable time but with no success.

 

[badrobot]

And speaking of TV...

..

Sent from my Nexus 7 using WindowsForum mobile app

 

[Pauli]

Thanks whoosh. I went through Youtube, took some time. It's probably to be found on some DVD collection - need to figure out if I'll buy one. The guys are a bit like a modern version of Laurel & Hardy and, loving comedies and such, it might not be the worst of investments?

@davidhk129, there are no silly questions. The silly, to make it a verb, is not to make questions. Cheerio.

 

[whoosh]

Thanks whoosh. I went through Youtube, took some time. It's probably to be found on some DVD collection - need to figure out if I'll buy one. The guys are a bit like a modern version of Laurel & Hardy and, loving comedies and such, it might not be the worst of investments?

@davidhk129, there are no silly questions. The silly, to make it a verb, is not to make questions. Cheerio.

Yes they were very funny. I missed them when they stopped working together.

 

[seekermeister]

The reason the screens are measured diagonally is because it makes them sound bigger than they are. Like some food producers uses bigger boxes than necessary to give the impression of a greater quantity than the amount on the label. Marketing, marketing & marketing.

 

[Pauli]

The reason the screens are measured diagonally is because it makes them sound bigger than they are. Like some food producers uses bigger boxes than necessary to give the impression of a greater quantity than the amount on the label. Marketing, marketing & marketing.

So correct, so correct. I've been doing PR and marketing for quite a few years, and the issue is not what you sell, but how you sell it. Adolf Hitler stated in his book Mein Kampf, If you want to lie to people, lie big. A small lie people will recognize, but a big lie they will not recognize.

@whoosh: I headed to the HQ = BBC. I wrote them and asked... hopefully, somehow, a senior employee will hear it, get inspired and... who knows? The archives will open? We have a saying in Finland, Toivossa on hyvä elää sanoi lapamato, it goes like It's good to live in Hope said the tapeworm, where Hope is a name of a person.

Go figure. Cheers everyone.

 

[seekermeister]

I think that the more accurate method of representing these screens would be by their aspect ratios, that would eliminate any confusion relating to the term wide screen, regardless of how small or large that one might be. Actually, I'm glad they don't change the method of screen measurement, even though it is misleading, because once understood, it works as well as any other method and changing it now would just add to the confusion factor.