Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: HD broadcasts and Original Aspect Ratio

This is topic HD broadcasts and Original Aspect Ratio in forum The Afterlife at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 02-23-2008, 07:56 PM:

This evening while channel surfing I found ABC was broadcasting Forrest Gump in 720p and letter-boxed to 2.39:1. I was pretty surprised by that. Does ABC do that very often?

The few times I've watched HBO HD they've usually cropped movies to fill the 1.77:1 frame. Showtime and HD Net seem to preserve 2.39:1 aspect ratio on widescreen movies in their HD broadcasts.

What other networks are good or bad in this regard?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 02-23-2008, 09:08 PM:

This is the first time I've seen this happen, I think. The picture seems slightly off-center (too low), though. The sound is awful since they aren't broadcasting the true 5.1 mix (it seems like Pro-Logic'd stereo sent out as a 5.1 stream). The edits are hilarious. They edited out Forrest's massive 'gasm and all of his man-pubes in the shower scene as well.

Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 03-05-2008, 03:56 PM:

All the HD net channels and Voom HD on Dish seem to broadcast in the 16X9 for flat pillar boxed in for pre-wide screen and letter boxed in for scope pictures. Sometimes TNT will broadcast the 4 x 3 version stretched out which is really bad and sometimes they do it right! For the most part network movies tend to be cropped to the 16X9 if they are scope! My Biggest complaint with the Voom Channels they repeat the same 2 or 3 movies all day long!

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-05-2008, 07:14 PM:

Please do not invest in cable/satellite TV. Thanks.

Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 03-05-2008, 07:23 PM:

Joe and you haven't lived in the middle of the country where there are no over air broadcast, no cable. I have and that was when I got hooked on Sat/TV. I still live outside of town and there is little that actually reaches me though if my hd antenna was outside and higher I would probable get more!

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-05-2008, 09:01 PM:

I have the best of both worlds. I have cable TV, but I hardly ever watch it.