[mythtv-users] Is cable going widescreen?

Brad DerManouelian myth at dermanouelian.com
Mon Aug 25 17:55:15 UTC 2008


On Aug 25, 2008, at 10:40 AM, Steve Peters - Priority Electronics wrote:

> When the digital cutoff comes in feb of next year…I'm kinda curious  
> about the standard over the air channels that cable companies carry.
>
> Will they be going widescreen on me?
>
> Right now, I can have a 4:3 tv and watch the 4:3 local channels from  
> my cable company, as oppossed to the 16:9 hd locals.
>
> But after feb of next year, will those 4:3 channels even exist? I  
> know that if I was doing just OTA, then with a converter box, the  
> answer would be yes, only widescreen, leaving black bars above and  
> below the picture…but what about cable? They have not mentioned  
> anything in their ads except that you'll be just fine with cable.
>
> -Steve
>

Your cable provider knows what will happen. It's up to each cable  
company to decide what they will send and how they will send it as  
long as it fits within the FCC regulations. FCC has not mandated that  
everything be sent in widescreen or high definition or 5.1 surround or  
anything like that.

Also, your assumptions are wrong about OTA digital. OA digital doesn't  
necessarily mean wide screen. It doesn't necessarily mean high  
definition, either. My local PBS station provides a few subchannels  
that are 4:3 and standard definition broadcast over the air digital.  
NBC sends along a weather sub-channel with these specs, too. You will  
find that *most* stations will broadcast in widescreen and high  
definition because the spec allows them to and they want to keep  
people watching. :)

-Brad

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