Curious.....Do you prefer SD content 4x3 or stretched 16x9 ?

towerdude

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May 1, 2010
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Hi, I work with translators and we are encoding signals. I am curious what the preferred format is for SD programming; 4x3 with the black bars on the sides, or 16x9 stretched to fill the tv?
 
Hi, I work with translators and we are encoding signals. I am curious what the preferred format is for SD programming; 4x3 with the black bars on the sides, or 16x9 stretched to fill the tv?
Thanks for the input. I will change these to 4x3 and let they consumer make the aspect change.
 
Good choice.
It seems to me that some stations choose the format on a per program basis. Some are stretched, some 4:3, some have 16:9 windows embedded in a 4:3 window and the very best is the station that takes downconverted 16:9 material and then stretches the letterbox, creating something that simply can't be fixed.
 
ATSC has a 16:9 standard definition format. 704x480 16:9 would be my preferred format with a 16:9 digital subchannel. Of course if you are doing analog, letterbox 4:3 is best and they can just zoom it.
 
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It depends on the station and the programming. Some SD stations are sending out movies that are 16:9 while others are 4:3. You should set each channel separately, if you can, so that the aspect ratio matches the content. Extra skinny or extra fat people means the picture is being distorted. Set it so that things are normally shaped.
 
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4x3
I know most of the subchannels in Minneapolis are 4x3 with black bars. They have a reason though. The ABC station owns an Independent station and between the two they have Antenna, ME, This and H&I. They cross promote each channel on the others and the commercials are 16x9. SO you'll see commercials for ABC programs during the "local insert" on MeTV
 
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Yes, Iceberg and larrykenney are right on here. It depends on the content. If the feed that's coming in is 4x3 native, it should be fed in 4x3. If it is 16x9 native, then run in 16x9. If it's sent 16x9 but has some programming in the 4x3 frame, keep it in 16x9.

You want to keep it in the native format such that you don't make people look either tall and skinny or short and fat.

- Trip
 
Grit showed a 4x3 movie in 16x9 yesterday and there was nothing I could do to make it right so I eventually gave up and turned it off. I don't understand why a broadcaster would do that. If I want it stretched I can do that myself but if they do it I have no control over fixing it. Keep it in native format and let the viewer decide.
 

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