A Wide-Screen Monitor displaying images acquired in 16:9 format enables surgeons to experience more natural vision. More importantly, visualization is more in tune with human anatomy.

To gain the full benefit of HD imaging and maximize performance, the monitor resolution must be properly matched to the camera head acquisition resolution. High-quality HD flat-panel monitors display image data as a progressive scan. This means that a 1080i HD signal must be deinterlaced to match the monitor format, and a 720p HD signal may be up-converted for an HD monitor with 1200 vertical lines. On the other hand, a 1080p HD signal requires no conversion for a 1920x1200 HD monitor if small black bars at top and bottom are acceptable.

A significant benefit of 16:9 HD monitors is that the images offer a more natural, panoramic view. In humans, our horizontal field of view is wider than our vertical field of view. For surgeons, this wider, more natural view is less fatiguing during procedures. Additionally, during laparoscopic surgery as surgeons are viewing full-screen endoscopic images, trocars and hand instruments that normally approach the surgical area laterally can be seen earlier with a 16:9 monitor than they can on a 4:3 or 5:4 monitor.