Why Landscape ?

[Dann]

A lot of expensive modern marine chart plotters and radars are now producted with a screen with a "landscape" widescreen style orientation. Is there any advantage in this layout or is it just a fashion trend? I have not used a plotter in ernest; however, would think that, with such a small screen area, one in "portrait" orientation would be much preferable as, in normal track or head up mode, it would show more of where one is going than what one is passing. Grateful for users comments?

 

[jimg]

I must admit I tend to use North Up on the plotter, not sure about what is accepted as"normal".

 

[oceanfroggie]

I think the reason is they now tend to split the display vertically with a column of data boxes on the side, leaving a square(ish) area for the chart (eg Raymarine E&C Series, Garmin 2xx0, 3xx0 and x76 series). The older Raymarine HSB series were portrait (ie RL70, RL80, etc), so the data boxes had to be overlaid on top of the chart. I prefer north up on passage, but switch to heading up for narrow pilotage approaches. Also Landscape shaped plotters are easier to design and fit into nav panals than tall models.

 

[Strathglass]

It's nothing to do with marine requirements.

The real reason that a landscape format is used is because that happens to be where the main market for those screens is.

That is the format of a TV/ DVD screens and those are the most cost effective screens to use. Also more resources are piled into the development of TV/DVD screens than could ever be justified for 'marine' items.

This is also the reason why plotters are becoming more cost effective as there is a huge vehicle market for them and the marine plotters are just a small spin off from that.

Iain

 

[Talbot]

Traditionally charts are always looked at North-up, it is land chappies that have a desperate need to move a map around to the same orientation as the view. Never seen the need cause I have always used the north-up system for both charts and radar.

Latest PBO test on small chart plotters makes a lot of one which has a square display, thus presenting equal chart area whether travelling east/west or north/south

 

[savageseadog]

[ QUOTE ]
That is the format of a TV/ DVD screens and those are the most cost effective screens to use. Also more resources are piled into the development of TV/DVD screens than could ever be justified for 'marine' items.Iain

[/ QUOTE ]
You've got to be joking. LCD screens are pixel addressable there would be nothing to stop a manufacturer taking a consumer display panel and standing it on end.
I reckon the previous reply is correct, the menus fit down the side(s) more conveniently.