measuring TV sceen

[rescuer]

I was always of the opinion that the TV screen measurment was take from diagonal corners.
However, recently, Iwas in a Tesco store and measured a "32"TV". The measurement was the distance from side to side - not diagonaly.
Which is correct?

[boxtops]

I've always understood it to be a diagonal measurement too!

[dothawkes31]

who measured it for you? The screen size should be a part of the TV's catalogue number

[Old_Geezer]

I understand it is the diagonal that holds the picture (smaller than the screen itself).
If they measure width they will be claiming too small a size, which seems odd.

[ABerrant]

Screen size is always the diagonal measurement.

With old analogue CRT tubes it was the diagonal of the entire screen even though the edges of the screen were hidden within the case i.e. a 28" screen may only have had 26" visible.

Modern digital screens have the entire screen visible so 32" means you get to view the entire 32". By sheer coincidence, the style of construction of a widescreen TV often means that the screen width plus the additional few inches of case on both sides approaches the same figure as the screen diagonal i.e. a typical widescreen TV of diagonal 32" may have a case width anywhere between 31" and 33".

[deggers316]

because most of sales people don't know their a..s from their elbow

[redman41]

I have a 40" large screen TV which measures exactly 40" Diagonally ( Viewable Screen)which is how TV screens are measured.
Measured horizontally it is 35"