HDTV Aspect Ratios

[Raj Asarpota]

Hi all - I am new to HDTV and hopefully this is not a dumb question...
The programming on HD Net always fills the entire 16:9 screen on my Pioneer RPTV.  However most of the other HD programming on CBS, NBC (excepting Jay Leno), and even HBO HD appears as 4:3 with black bars on the side which I would rather not watch (causes burn in as well).  So what gives?  Is that ever going to change to all widescreen or...?
Thanks for your anticipated responses

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Pioneer Elite 610HD
Hughes Platinum HD
Vandersteen Fronts & Surround

[Gregg Lengling]

What you are seeing is an upconvert.  When the stations such as 4 and 58 are transmitting a standard 4:3 480i broadcast in a 16:9 mode (you can't change it they have formatted it), they place black bars on the side for the fill.  Yes this can cause burn in on rear projection sets ect.  However there really isn't anything you can do right now.  When they transmit a true HDTV signal (like HDNET) it fills the whole screen.  They can transmit in STDDEF which would give you gray bars and allow you to fiddle with it and do a full or fill screen but both 4 and 58 do the letterboxing so you are stuck with it.  I usually just go to the analogue station to watch these programs to protect my screen.  If you go and watch channel 6's digital (which almost no one can receive cause it's so weak), they don't even have the equipment to format it in 16:9 so you always get a standard 4:3 without the upconvert.


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Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
glengling@ameritech.net

[Raj Asarpota]

Thanks Gregg...guess I'll have to pass on the Pseudo HD from CBS & NBC and hope that more like HD NET come our way...

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Pioneer Elite 610HD
Hughes Platinum HD
Vandersteen Fronts & Surround

[Matt Heebner]

Technically when it is in a "letterbox" or 4:3, it isnt HD, and it isn't supposed to be HD. Some programs are not shot in HD, and then they have to be upconverted for the digital broadcast.
NBC and CBS have some of the best looking HD...turn on the US Open on CBS right now...jaw-droppingly awesome! I am still stunned how great HD looks still ! We will eventually get to the point when all programs are shot in HD...but until then we still have to suffer through some upconverted programming.

Matt