Comments on: Stretch-O-Vision

By: Doctor Who

Doctor Who — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:12:59 +0000

Technology of HDTV is like a diamond in a goats ass! Who needs HD content of “157 ch. and nothin is on”

By: JET

JET — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:39:14 +0000

I often see widescreen TVs in the public space (sorts bars, display windows) showing 4:3 programming stretched to 16:9. When I point out that it distorts the picture, people are either nonplussed (which indicates that they have something wrong with their eyes) or will say that they want to use all of the screen, which is absurd as always playing your stereo on max volume.

By: briantologist

briantologist — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:09:35 +0000

Late entry, but TNT HD does this to all of their content, and it’s infuriating. Sometimes they’ll show 14:9 programs stretched to 16:9 with black bars on top and bottom, which is truly mind-boggling.

By: Cris

Cris — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 02:16:04 +0000

Joe, he says it was on TNT HD, which I would assume broadcasts all its content in 16:9. (But I don’t have cable, so whaddu I know.) So they really ought to have compensated for the aspect ratio of the picture in their broadcast, placing vertical bars on either side of the image, instead of expecting the viewer to make the adjustment.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:08:16 +0000

I wouldn’t be so sure - there’s a fair chance it was broadcast as full-frame 4:3 and you had your TV screen ratio set to ‘widescreen’. I constantly find myself having to change screen ratio when BBC4 shows classic documentaries from the seventies and eighties.

By: bikerdude9891

bikerdude9891 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:44:30 +0000

Ugh, one of the downsides of HD. Better than cropping the top and bottom, though, which is, unfortunately, what some of the HD networks do.