[mythtv-users] Is cable going widescreen?

Tom Dexter digitalaudiorock at gmail.com
Wed Aug 27 13:43:25 UTC 2008


On Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 9:44 AM, Preston Crow
<pc-mythtv08a at crowcastle.net> wrote:
> On Tue, 2008-08-26 at 09:33 -0400, Tom Dexter wrote:
>> I've always wondered why all the networks choose not to broadcast 4:3
>> shows in 4:3.  Instead, they broadcast their usual resolution (720p or
>> 1080i) with black bars build into the signal to the left and right.
>> Perhaps they don't want to change resolutions during broadcasting or
>> something...maybe there's even a good reason for that.
>
> Yes, there's a reason for it.  Apparently some TVs don't handle changes
> mid-stream very nicely.  I know that CRT computer monitors don't change
> resolution cleanly, and I've heard that some TV projectors have similar
> issues.
>
> Personally, I really wish they would shift resolution based on the
> source material.
>
>> For anyone with a 4:3 TV it really sucks, as you get black bars all
>> the way around when you could be filling the screen.
>
> Then record the 4:3 version of the channel for those shows.
>

Well...I have a widescreen TV, so it doesn't affect me
personally...but we're talking about broadcast TV here.  In these
cases there won't _be_ any 4:3 version after February.

I'm not surprised that changing resolution could be an issue on many TVs.

Tom


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