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Which national HD channels distort 4:3 content and which ones don't? - Page 3

post #61 of 310
9/28/07 at 1:57pm
I understand that we don't want to help programmers stretch content. And I understand that commercials on Discovery channels are being stretched. No problem, just more impetus not to watch them.

Still, the reality is that I have changed all my Discovery Season Pass-like things to the HD channels and I have deleted all my A&E/History Season Passes on my HR20.

That's the difference. I really don't mind the 10% Zoom so badly. It's infinitely preferable to linear or non-linear stretching, because at least everybody and everything looks OK.

Tell me the truth. Would you rather see A&E as is or with what Discovery is doing? If they would even change to what Discovery is doing, I might watch. As it is right now, it's too hard to tell what you're going to get (real HD or stretch-o-vision). So I deleted them.
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post #62 of 310
9/28/07 at 1:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PRMan View Post

I understand that we don't want to help programmers stretch content. And I understand that commercials on Discovery channels are being stretched. No problem, just more impetus not to watch them.

Still, the reality is that I have changed all my Discovery Season Pass-like things to the HD channels and I have deleted all my A&E/History Season Passes on my HR20.

That's the difference. I really don't mind the 10% Zoom so badly. It's infinitely preferable to linear or non-linear stretching, because at least everybody and everything looks OK.

Tell me the truth. Would you rather see A&E as is or with what Discovery is doing? If they would even change to what Discovery is doing, I might watch. As it is right now, it's too hard to tell what you're going to get (real HD or stretch-o-vision). So I deleted them.

Sure, there are degrees of bad, doesn't mean that the better one is good. I'd still rather watch 4:3 programming in 4:3.
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post #63 of 310
9/28/07 at 2:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sleeks View Post

Sure, there are degrees of bad, doesn't mean that the better one is good. I'd still rather watch 4:3 programming in 4:3.

Yes. Discovery is less bad than A&E, but it is still bad.
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post #64 of 310
9/28/07 at 10:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PRMan View Post

I really don't mind the 10% Zoom so badly. It's infinitely preferable to linear or non-linear stretching, because at least everybody and everything looks OK.

The Discovery channels still stretch. Not as much as A&E, TNT, etc., but they still do, and it's pretty obvious and annoying.
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post #65 of 310
9/29/07 at 2:40am
"Stretch-O-Vision"!!

Has anybody thought of and or started an online petition to the networks to stop the use of "Stretch-O-Vision"!!

We could send the network exec's silly putty or better yet the head of the FCC where progrming must be sent in native / orignal screen format?

And does anybody here have an address(es) where to send such a petition??


Found following email address:
A&E's viewer relations email to: ae.viewerrelations@AETV.com.
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post #66 of 310
9/29/07 at 5:14am
Check out this thread:

http://avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=914099
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post #67 of 310
9/29/07 at 5:29am
Can't complain since I don't have AEHD.
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post #68 of 310
9/29/07 at 6:06am
Both are bad. Zooming also means cropping and it results in the remaining picture resolution being degraded even further.
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post #69 of 310
9/29/07 at 6:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CPanther95 View Post

Both are bad. Zooming also means cropping and it results in the remaining picture resolution being degraded even further.

And of course, part of the image is missing also. I would guess we are missing ~15% of the image on some channels.
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post #70 of 310
9/29/07 at 9:06am
Threads merged.
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post #71 of 310
9/29/07 at 10:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by old_man View Post

What about Universal HD? I don't see them mentioned.

Personally I think they leave everything alone but I know Jack about HD

Universal is up there w/ HDNet in terms of quality. They are completely OAR along w/ the Voom channels (Kung Fu HD will even show older high definition 4:3 films like The Seven Samurai with decorative pillarboxes!) and Showtime HD.

HBO and Cinemax HD both crop. They don't stretch. They crop 2.35:1 to 16x9. However, they don't stretch or zoom 4:3 content which is what this thread is about.
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post #72 of 310
9/29/07 at 10:37am
This petition is for the content providers (Cox, Comcast, DirecTV, ect,)network executives (ABC, A&E, TBS, ect), program producers (Joss Whedon, David E. Kelley, Mark Burnett, Jerry Bruckheimer, Donald Bellisario, ect) and program providers (Viacom, King World Productions, ect) to stop the current practice of showing programs on "HD-TV" in other than their "Original Aspect Ratio" produced screen size and not to "Stretch-O-Vision" programing just to fill a 16X9 HD TV screen.

I also suggest that, if you agree, you send silly putty to your favorite program provider and / or the head of the FCC, asking that programs must be sent in their native / orignal screen format?

Wiki page about aspect ratio.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_ratio_(image)


Link to online petition:
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post #73 of 310
9/29/07 at 11:07am
What do cable companies, producers and providers have to do with it?
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post #74 of 310
9/29/07 at 11:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amnesia View Post

What do cable companies, producers and providers have to do with it?

They can put pressure on the networks.
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post #75 of 310
9/29/07 at 12:28pm
Can someone explain something to me. Was watching dirty jobs earlier and it was letterboxed on the SD channel. Flipped to HD hoping it would be full 16:9 HD, but it was shrunk down to a window that did not fill the screen in any direction (vertical or horizontal) It was both letterboxed and pillarboxed.
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post #76 of 310
9/29/07 at 4:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidEC View Post

...stop the current practice of showing programs on "HD-TV" in other than their "Original Aspect Ratio" produced screen size and not to "Stretch-O-Vision" programing just to fill a 16X9 HD TV screen.

Link to online petition:

Please cross post this petition on your blog or other sites to help get the 'word' out.
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post #77 of 310
9/30/07 at 2:48pm
Thread Starter 
This page has been created that is nicher than this. I've asked the person who created it to add some of the info in this thread.

http://digitalcaffeine.com/hd/
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post #78 of 310
9/30/07 at 2:53pm
Watching the Denver vs Indianapolis game, a commercial with Peyton Manning promoting Sony HDTV's was 4:3 stretched to fill 16:9. It looked terrible and made me never want to buy a Sony HDTV.
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post #79 of 310
9/30/07 at 3:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mx6bfast View Post

This page has been created that is nicher than this. I've asked the person who created it to add some of the info in this thread.

http://digitalcaffeine.com/hd/

Your list clearly defines those networks that handle aspect ratios correctly though.
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post #80 of 310
9/30/07 at 3:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mx6bfast View Post

This page has been created that is nicher than this. I've asked the person who created it to add some of the info in this thread.

http://digitalcaffeine.com/hd/


I pretty sure TBSHD is 1080i.
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post #81 of 310
9/30/07 at 3:30pm
TBS is 720p.
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post #82 of 310
9/30/07 at 3:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CPanther95 View Post

TBS is 720p.

Which is odd, aren't TBS and TNT from the same company?

I just checked, they are both from "Turner Network Television - A Time Warner Company"
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post #83 of 310
9/30/07 at 3:47pm
Its real odd, especially considering that local TBS Braves broadcast were 1080i...
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post #84 of 310
9/30/07 at 3:52pm
It's a shame as I've seen some really nice looking HD from TNT on Dish before they crushed down the rez on it. I was hoping for the same from TBS, but my initial thoughts are it really doesn't look all that good.
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post #85 of 310
9/30/07 at 8:14pm
Link to online petition:

As of 09/30/07 : 10pm CST the petition has been online for 30hours and only has 200 signatures

I was hopping for at least 300 by now..
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post #86 of 310
9/30/07 at 8:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidEC View Post

Link to online petition:

As of 09/30/07 : 10pm CST the petition has been online for 30hours and only has 200 signatures

I was hopping for at least 300 by now..

I just signed it. Have you posted on Dbstalk and satelliteguys also? If not, please do so.
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post #87 of 310
9/30/07 at 9:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidEC View Post

Link to online petition:

As of 09/30/07 : 10pm CST the petition has been online for 30hours and only has 200 signatures

I was hopping for at least 300 by now..

It says 119 signatures right now.
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post #88 of 310
9/30/07 at 9:26pm
A couple of hundred "signatures" don't have a chance to alter the decisions of the powers that be behind the HD stretch/zoom decisions.

How many signatures do you think will be needed? 10,000? 25,000? More?
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post #89 of 310
10/1/07 at 2:25am
^ Millions, could is just be that they haven't filmed shows in HD??
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post #90 of 310
10/1/07 at 2:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CPanther95 View Post

TBS is 720p.


It's 1080i on my TWC system. 1920x1080i.
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