W i d e s c r e e n

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,386]

Now that the world cup is getting closer, there have been a lot of shows about football. And a lot of old clips of world cup matches of the 70's, 80's and 90's.

I did not notice it at first, but almost without exeption this old footage is broadcast as 16:9, like the rest of the TV show the clips are shown in.

I've also noticed sometimes, especially very late at night, a film of which the TV station only has a 4:3 copy of as broadcasted in widescreen. either by stretching the screen or cutting of the top and bottom.

[King Mark 3,975]

some channels so that sometimes. It's easy to notice when it's not real HD

[Mr. Breathmask 624]

Upscaling 4:3 to 16:9 is a standard in the Netherlands. You'll notice that if you watch the BBC, they'll generally run old sports clips pillarboxed (i.e. with black bars at the side).

It can be rather annoying indeed.

[Ollie 1,375]

For the most part, HD channels show older shows in 4:3 here in the US. Some do stretch them.

However you run the risk of having the side bars burned into your screen if you watch a lot of shows in 4:3. That was one of the warnings that came with my TV. I don't now if it happens on newer TV. But my LCD defaults to stretch on non HD channels.

[Xander Harris 9,674]

I also hate when they crop 2:35 movies to 1:85. They occasionally show Jaws in HD and do this. So stupid.

[King Mark 3,975]

For the most part, HD channels show older shows in 4:3 here in the US. Some do stretch them.

However you run the risk of having the side bars burned into your screen if you watch a lot of shows in 4:3. That was one of the warnings that came with my TV. I don't now if it happens on newer TV. But my LCD defaults to stretch on non HD channels.

This shouldn't be a problem with a LCD,even if they put a warning on it there's no risk of burn in like plasmas. And you just need to change the settings so it doesn't stretch the channels.

And HD channels with 4:3 programs and sidebars can't be stretched because the bars are a part of the picture

[Ollie 1,375]

And HD channels with 4:3 programs and sidebars can't be stretched because the bars are a part of the picture

Yes they can.

[King Mark 3,975]

In my case I can stretch them ,but with the cable box stretch/zoom, not the stretch setting on the TV

[Marian Schedenig 11,694]

However you run the risk of having the side bars burned into your screen if you watch a lot of shows in 4:3. That was one of the warnings that came with my TV. I don't now if it happens on newer TV. But my LCD defaults to stretch on non HD channels.

*Black* bars shouldn't be able to burn into a screen. And if I remember the specifics correctly, nothing can burn into an LCD. Occasionally the crystals can get "stuck", giving a similar effect, but there are tricks to get them unstuck again (I think it's done by quickly alternating between both crystal states).

[King Mark 3,975]

Most stuck pixels are fabrication defects that come with new sets and can't be unstuck . If your new TV is dead pixel free, chances are it will remain that way (you have to inspect it when you buy it...same with PC screens) . I think they can also be caused by power surges but they have nothing to do with burn in.

Burn in is stricly a Plasma problem. I think it's only a remote legal reason why they put that warning on LCD instruction manuals

[BLUMENKOHL 1,110]

Burn in is stricly a Plasma problem. I think it's only a remote legal reason why they put that warning on LCD instruction manuals

I'm typing this to you on an LCD monitor with text burn in RIGHT NOW. You must be listening to salesmen.

[Mr. Breathmask 624]

Truthfully though, I've never seen an entire 4:3 program cropped to 16:9. Just clips (which can be especially annoying when you're watching one of those nostalgia clip shows - that feature nothing but old 4:3 material cropped to 16:9).

I too am disappointed however that there still remains a strong refusal to broadcast films in their original aspect ratio if it was anything wider thatn 1.85:1. I caught a small part of Once Upon a Time in the West on TV yesterday. The 16:9 version may be an improvement over the 4:3 transfer, but it still looks like donkey poo. When will they learn?

[Quintus 6,495]

I fell asleep on the sofa watching Wall-E on Blu a few weeks ago, it was on my brand new plasma. When I eventually woke up, the movie had ended and the static menu screen of the movie was displaying, it had been for about 3 hours... Anyway when I turned it off I suddenly noticed the WORST screen burn I've ever seen - the template of the menu screen was all over my NEW tv!!! Nooooooooo! I was gutted and after waiting a few minutes to see if it faded (it didn't), I went to bed, distraught. Anyway, next morning I got up and immediately turned my tv on to find that the burn marks had completely gone! They had slowly faded away. Phew, I was massively relieved.

Anyway, my point being that apparently screen burn (on plasmas) is much less of a problem than it once was: newer sets are designed with better technology, lessening the chances of serious screen burn ever happening.

Oh and what BBC channels are shown in the Netherlands? I was in Greece recently and they only aired BBC World, which is rubbish.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,386]

Most network providers will have BBC1, BBC 2, BBC World.

Mine also has BBC 3, BBC 4 (apparently aimed at ITV and Channel 4 watchers), and BBC Entertainment (a sort of dumping ground for old eps of Eastenders, Holby City, The Weakest Link and Bargain Hunt)

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I fell asleep on the sofa watching Wall-E on Blu a few weeks ago, it was on my brand new plasma. When I eventually woke up, the movie had ended and the static menu screen of the movie was displaying, it had been for about 3 hours... Anyway when I turned it off I suddenly noticed the WORST screen burn I've ever seen - the template of the menu screen was all over my NEW tv!!! Nooooooooo! I was gutted and after waiting a few minutes to see if it faded (it didn't), I went to bed, distraught. Anyway, next morning I got up and immediately turned my tv on to find that the burn marks had completely gone! They had slowly faded away. Phew, I was massively relieved.

Anyway, my point being that apparently screen burn (on plasmas) is much less of a problem than it once was: newer sets are designed with better technology, lessening the chances of serious screen burn ever happening.

I had trouble with the WALL-E menu screen on my LCD as well. Took ages for it to fade away.

[Quintus 6,495]

Most network providers will have BBC1, BBC 2, BBC World.

Mine also has BBC 3, BBC 4 (apparently aimed at ITV and Channel 4 watchers), and BBC Entertainment (a sort of dumping ground for old eps of Eastenders, Holby City, The Weakest Link and Bargain Hunt)

Wow! I had no idea. So basically you get the likes of The One Show, Strictly Come Dancing and all the other BBC1 stuff, live, as it airs in the UK? Is it a paid for service, like cable tv? Or is it on terrestrial ie, free? I presume there are commercial breaks mid-show etc? And out of interest, how does the Beeb output compare to homegrown Neverlands stuff?

In regards to BBC3 and 4, they aren't actually aimed at the ITV and Channel 4 demographic. BBC3 is targetted towards late teens through to early thirties - lots of comedy and sitcoms (both Little Britain and Gavin & Stacy started out there, before being plucked for primetime BBC1 use) and BBC4 is really more of a niché channel, in that it offers lots of highbrow documentary fair, bios and retrospectives. Naturally, it's viewing figures are the lowest of all in the Beeb. ITV is the big competitor - it has all the Simon Cowell stuff and I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, etc. Channel 4 is generally one of the better channels, it has always been a bit edgy and experimental - indeed it caused controversy with it's live autopsy, among other things. Jonathon Ross was discovered there and it was always the home of Big Brother and lots of the better American Imports, such as The Sopranos, The Simpsons and Futurama. It has great dinner time fair too, like Come Dine With Me, which is freakin hilarious.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,386]

BBC 1 and 2 have for many years been part of regular cable TV, The other ones are extra, paid for service.

I think the only terrestrial, free TV we have here are local TV stations and the our own 3 national, non commercial stations.

Dutch TV is like most TV, especially most commercial TV. 90% of it is pure rubbish.

I mostly watch all the different Discovery Channels, Nat Geo etc...

Also, I don't stay home for a program like I used to.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

ITV3 sometimes shows Quincy. I like Quest, because it has not only Mission: Impossible and Ironside, but also T.J. Hooker.

[Quintus 6,495]

ITV2 is the worst, with it's back-to-back repeats of The X-Factor, American Idol and Britain's Got More Talent. Zzzzzzzzz

[taybo20 0]

I also hate when they crop 2:35 movies to 1:85. So stupid.

This.

[Xander Harris 9,674]

I experienced this again last night. Spike was showing Star Wars in HD so I watched Empire and some of Jedi. In many cases, I think they just auto-cropped out the left and right sides of the frames rather than actually analyzing the shots and deciding on a proper crop. For instance, one scene they changed for the Special Edition where they're running down the corridor to the Slave 1 landing pad. They actually added a window and Slave 1 on the platform outside to the right side of the screen. I'm not condoning these changes by the way, but the Spike version stupidly cropped out Slave 1 when they should have cropped out the left side of the frame.

[Mr. Breathmask 624]

Actually, they shouldn't have cropped out anything.

But yes, all those 16:9 versions of 2.35:1 movies are pretty much just centerscans. No panning involved.

[Naïve Old Fart 13,021]

I also hate when they crop 2:35 movies to 1:85.

...as happened with the European DVD release of "Dracula". It' something approaching 1:75 (!).

Speaking of re-formatting, have the DVD releases of "Babylon 5" been cropped, stretched, or what?