What's Up With CH9 & CH10 HD Movies In 4:3?

[NFP]

I was very disappointed to discover recent blockbuster movies on CH9 and
CH10 "HD" channels (especially Long Kiss Goodnight) were not even
letterbox but 4:3, so probably just upconverted windowboxed SD. I won't
even go into the "butchering" of movies to fit in adverts.

What is the point of an HD channel if it is merely upconverted
windowboxed 4:3 SDTV, or is this part of a campaign by the studios to
make HD so unattractive to the consumer that it is forced to be dropped?

This appears to be a departure from the introduction of HD when most
movies appeared to be broadcast in true letterbox HD (when they were
broadcasting true HD that is).

I'm so glad I haven't purchased an HDTV yet if this is what we can expect.

[langerhands]

They need 20 hours per week of HD by law dont they? if they cant supply
enough of the real thing, they ... fake it, i guess?


"NFP" <NFP@my.group.com> wrote in message
news:412b4030$0$8833$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au ...
>I was very disappointed to discover recent blockbuster movies on CH9 and
>CH10 "HD" channels (especially Long Kiss Goodnight) were not even letterbox
>but 4:3, so probably just upconverted windowboxed SD. I won't even go into
>the "butchering" of movies to fit in adverts.
>
> What is the point of an HD channel if it is merely upconverted windowboxed
> 4:3 SDTV, or is this part of a campaign by the studios to make HD so
> unattractive to the consumer that it is forced to be dropped?
>
> This appears to be a departure from the introduction of HD when most
> movies appeared to be broadcast in true letterbox HD (when they were
> broadcasting true HD that is).
>
> I'm so glad I haven't purchased an HDTV yet if this is what we can expect.

[NFP]

langerhands wrote:

> They need 20 hours per week of HD by law dont they? if they cant supply
> enough of the real thing, they ... fake it, i guess?

It seems that the definition of "HD" is very loose and may simply mean a
broadcast where the structure is 1080i or 576p: nevermind that the
content within the structure only occupies a 4:3 area of the total
widescreen window available or that it is often upconverted from SD to boot.

If I was a widescreen TV or HDTV owner, I would be very angry at the
digital TV currently being foisted on the public: promoted as
widescreen but for the majority of programs only windowboxed 4:3.

[Malcolm Taylor]

"NFP" <NFP@my.group.com> wrote in message
news:412bdd69$0$31743$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.a u...
| langerhands wrote:
|
| > They need 20 hours per week of HD by law dont they? if they cant
supply
| > enough of the real thing, they ... fake it, i guess?
|
| It seems that the definition of "HD" is very loose and may simply
mean a
| broadcast where the structure is 1080i or 576p: nevermind that the
| content within the structure only occupies a 4:3 area of the total
| widescreen window available or that it is often upconverted from SD
to boot.
|
| If I was a widescreen TV or HDTV owner, I would be very angry at the
| digital TV currently being foisted on the public: promoted as
| widescreen but for the majority of programs only windowboxed 4:3.

You must watch the wrong shows. The majority of digital TV is
widescreen (and I wish I had a WS TV).

[danfan]

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 21:18:39 +0800, NFP <NFP@my.group.com> wrote:

>I was very disappointed to discover recent blockbuster movies on CH9 and
>CH10 "HD" channels (especially Long Kiss Goodnight) were not even
>letterbox but 4:3, so probably just upconverted windowboxed SD. I won't
>even go into the "butchering" of movies to fit in adverts.
>
>What is the point of an HD channel if it is merely upconverted
>windowboxed 4:3 SDTV, or is this part of a campaign by the studios to
>make HD so unattractive to the consumer that it is forced to be dropped?
>
>This appears to be a departure from the introduction of HD when most
>movies appeared to be broadcast in true letterbox HD (when they were
>broadcasting true HD that is).
>
>I'm so glad I haven't purchased an HDTV yet if this is what we can expect.

Everytime I see a movie in 4:3, I ring the broadcaster to complain
that as a digital TV viewer, I am disappointed and that I have just
switched channels.. I even saw one recently advertised as "available
in widescreen" and it was in 4:3. You've gotta tell them otherwise
nothing will change.