[mythtv-users] Is cable going widescreen?

[Allen Edwards]

On Mon, Aug 25, 2008 at 12:57 PM, Jay R. Ashworth <jra at baylink.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 25, 2008 at 12:47:41PM -0500, Kevin Kuphal wrote:
>> >  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 picturebut what about cable? They have not mentioned
>> >  anything in their ads except that you'll be just fine with cable.
>>
>>    Digital != 16:9
>
> It doesn't, but that doesn't entirely answer his question, either.
>
> And I don't think there *is* an answer that derives from anything else.
>
> I think whether each program source continues to send 4:3, or at least
> protect for 4:3, is going to be up to them, and we won't find out until
> they do it.
>
> I would hope that converters would do P&S in addition to LB; I don't
> much like it but other people will scream.
>
> Cheers,
> -- jra
> --
> Jay R. Ashworth                   Baylink                      jra at baylink.com
> Designer                     The Things I Think                       RFC 2100
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>
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My Zenith OTA converter box has a setup so that you can tell it you
want 4:3 and it will crop left and right if needed to fill the
picture.   Myth has a similar feature, so you can zoom to fill
(almost) the 4:3 tube.  Myth also has the nice feature of half zoom so
you can compromise for a show that is native 16:9 but you want 4:3 but
it is not 4:3 protected.  You get small black bars and loss of some
right and left picture.  This works well for "The News Hour" which is
16:9 and not 4:3 protected.  Most shows are fine with full zoom.

The ATSC specification is wide open and broadcasters can do pretty
much whatever they want.  Some broadcast the same show 16:9 and 4:3 on
different sub channels.  Some broadcast 16:9 on X.1 and 4:3 on X.2 but
a different show.

Cable?  Dump it and get an antenna :-)

Allen