Turner no longer the leader in awful HD?

[M Sparks]

After I was done marvelling that Cartoon Network HD was merely stretched and not in "stretch-o-vision", I flipped over to TBS and -GASP- they had Family Guy in regular stretch mode as well. I'm pretty sure I saw it in stretch-o-vision a week or two ago.

Flipped to TNT but they actually had a HD game on. I also haven't watched any live action stuff, so maybe it's only on cartoons.

Is it possible Turner has seen the light?

 

[M Sparks]

And would that make Scripps channels the worst now, since they went from ALL HD to mainly Stretch-O-Vision?

 

[aperry]

At least "normal" stretch looks better than "stretch-o-vision". But, I'd still rather have them leave the bars on the left and right and let me stretch it if I want.

 

[nsps]

What's the difference between "normal stretch" and stretch-o-vision? Is "normal" a partial zoom? Either way I can't watch unless it's in OAR.

 

[kstuart]

I think they are talking about a software process that stetches more, the further from the center of the image.

That looks more sophisticated at first glance, since central parts of the image that have the important parts, are the least stretched.

But, it has a huge problem, which is that when the camera pans from left to right or right to left, objects change the amount they are stretched, which produces a very disconcerting visual image. Some people actually get physically nauseated when watching that effect.

 

[nsps]

Thanks for clearing that up—I get nauseated watching anything stretch, so I didn't know the difference.

 

[LASooner]

Now if we could get a 4:3 squeeze function on the aspect ratio button, we'd be golden.

If you can squeeze down a normal stretched channel the picture is a lot better than any SD channel.

 

[M Sparks]

Now if we could get a 4:3 squeeze function on the aspect ratio button, we'd be golden.

If you can squeeze down a normal stretched channel the picture is a lot better than any SD channel.

Exactly. I was sure Cartoon Network HD would be useless, but it actually looks great! I just need to push one button.

I need to reprogram my remote. Currently, I have a "WIDE" button, that is mapped to the DISH aspect button when on the Satellite page, and mapped to the TV aspect button when on the DVD page. Now I need the TV one on the DISH page too.

No stretch would be better, but I can live with this.

 

[haertig]

Now if we could get a 4:3 squeeze function on the aspect ratio button, we'd be golden.

Except there are many different algorithms used to stretch. You'd have to know how each show was stretched so you could apply the correct "unstretch" algorithm. For example, my TV has a good half-dozen or more different stretch/zoom algorithms I can choose (or course I choose none of them!)

 

[M Sparks]

Except there are many different algorithms used to stretch. You'd have to know how each show was stretched so you could apply the correct "unstretch" algorithm. For example, my TV has a good half-dozen or more different stretch/zoom algorithms I can choose (or course I choose none of them!)

You're missing the point. Turner is now simply changing the pixel aspect ratio. There's no "algorithms" involved anymore. ANY widescreen TV should be able to change the pixel aspect ratio back to normal. (In fact, on my TV, this setting is conveniently labeled "Normal" )

Should we HAVE to change it back? No, they shouldn't mess with it to begin with. Universal doesn't. Disney doesn't.

However, it's nice to have the OPTION to change it back. With "Stretch-O-Vision", the picture was simply ruined permanently.

I was under the impression that A&E channels did the same thing, but they seem to be a straight PAR change as well. If they are applying any Stretch-O-Vision "algorithms", they are minor ones I can't detect from casual viewing.

So that just leaved Scripps channels...going from 100% HD to the worst Stretch-O-Vision offender in a month. Shame on you, Scripps.

 

[haertig]

ANY widescreen TV should be able to change the pixel aspect ratio back to normal. (In fact, on my TV, this setting is conveniently labeled "Normal"

I don't understand the concept you are describing. My TV is always set to "normal". All the other settings are variations of "stretch and zoom". These alternate settings on my TV are labeled with words like "wide", "enhanced wide", "partial zoom", and other meaningless stuff like that. What do you usually keep your TV set at, such that you have to "change it back to normal" to fix these differently distorted pixels (PAR?) you're talking about? Doesn't everybody concerned about OAR always leave their TV set to "normal" in the first place? I must be missing something.

 

[M Sparks]

I don't understand the concept you are describing. My TV is always set to "normal". All the other settings are variations of "stretch and zoom". These alternate settings on my TV are labeled with words like "wide", "enhanced wide", "partial zoom", and other meaningless stuff like that. What do you usually keep your TV set at, such that you have to "change it back to normal" to fix these differently distorted pixels (PAR?) you're talking about? Doesn't everybody concerned about OAR always leave their TV set to "normal" in the first place? I must be missing something.

Well, that's just how it's labeled on mine...

If you feed a natively 4:3 source to your TV...like a VHS machine...what do you set the aspect ratio at?

On mine, you set a 4:3 source to "normal" and a widescreen source to "wide". Those two settings simply change the pixel aspect ratio back and forth.

There are other settings...mine are called Zoom and Panoramic.

Zoom is a zoom, obviously. I use this occasionally on letterboxed 4:3 programming, such as old DVDs that weren't made animorphically. It SHOULD take a standard 16:9 letterbox and zoom in to fill the screen completely.

My TV doesn't do "Partial Zoom", but of course the DISH receivers do. I've never been able to figure out the point of this setting. It distorts the picture, and I don't use any setting that distorts.

Panoramic is like "Stretch-O-Vision", and is probably what your set calls "Enhanced Wide." I avoid this like poison.

Anyway, since I only feed the TV widescreen sources...a DISH 622 and a DVD player...I leave it set for "Wide". HOWEVER, with the DVD player, I often have to switch it back to "normal". For example, DVDs of 4:3 TV shows need to be "squished" back up. In the past, I have never seen a reason to use this 4:3 setting for DISH, because the DISH receivers matte 4:3 channels properly. But with PAR adjusted up-converted HD, it's now a necessary setting to KEEP upconverted programming OAR. (Or rather, to change it BACK to OAR.)

It just occurred to me that this may not be possible with HDMI. I've had a 622 and a 942 and the HDMI never worked on either one. I am using component inputs for everything. Perhaps this is only possible with an analog input.

It would be lovely if DISH would add this feature, then it would work with every TV for sure.

 

[M Sparks]

OK, I just checked my TV. Even though I don't have any working HDMI sources- when I switch the TV to the HDMI input, it allows me to run through the various modes. When switching to "normal", I get a 4:3 blue square matted on the sides. With every other setting, the blue fills the screen.

However, it's possible that this wouldn't work if it was getting a signal. When I try to go through the modes on my component inputs, they all work with the DVD. However, with the DISH 622, "Panoramic" is disabled (can't stretch a source that's already 16:9, I guess), and "Zoom" does nothing.

But again, "Normal" and "Wide" my TV are not settings intended to distort the picture. They simple tell the TV what kind of source material it is receiving. They SHOULD be labeled 4:3 and 16:9, but remember, the CE industry insists on calling 4:3 DVDs "fullscreen", when they are actually the opposite.

Perhaps your TV has the settings in a different place. Maybe you have one button that's just for distorting the picture, and another for setting the aspect ratio. Or perhaps you have to go into a menu, which would be a pain.

I also just realized that DISH receivers label THEIR standard widescreen mode as "normal". Maybe that's what confused you. Yes, when watching HDTV, I leave this set to "normal". However, there are still uses for the other settings. (Except partial zoom)

I have 4:3 monitors in other rooms all fed off the 622s S-Video output. When watching SD programs on these monitors, switching to "stretch" actually makes the programming appear normal. (Though it becomes distorted on the main widescreen.)

And again, hitting "Zoom" on letterboxed 4:3... say TCM... eliminates the side bars, though you will see compression artifacts more.

In any case if you feed the stretched Cartoon Network into your widescreen and tell the TV that it's 4:3, it should appear normal.

I know, there's so many settings and confusing/conflicting labels. I tell my wife "press these two buttons until it looks normal."