[mythtv-users] Why won't Fox do 16:9 in SD?

[Jerome Yuzyk]

On Monday, February 15, 2016 09:42:35 AM Rob Davis wrote:
> 
> On Sat, Feb 13, 2016 at 9:50 PM, Jerome Yuzyk <jerome at supernet.ab.ca> wrote:
> 
> >
> >
> > Does anyone know why Fox seems to be the only network that doesn't
> > broadcast in 16:9 on SD? All the other channels I have take their HD signal
> > and down-scale it to fit the SD box, but Fox just clips it like in the
> > early days of HD.
> >
> >
> Not quite sure what you mean.  Fox itself is normally in HD 16:9.  The
> local station may produce their own content, outside of Fox Networks
> primetime schedule, which may be HD or SD depending on the level of
> investment at the station.  This signal is then, normally sent to a cable
> company, which may produce and SD and an HD version for cable companies.
> 
> There used to be an old Fox multiplexer which broadcast the Fox uplink in
> 720p with 5.1 audio, but if you wanted to add anything to that stream, it
> would only allow overlay in SD at 4.3 in stereo.  Hence, if you ever had a
> weather overlay or storm warning, it would switch and sound terrible.
> Local content would also be broadcast in this format - and sound really bad!
> 
> However, as the majority of local stations now show syndicated and news in
> HD, the Fox multiplexer has improved and allows overlay and local content
> in 720p with 5.1 audio.  The easiest way to show you don't like the SD
> downmix is to switch to a competitor and use Hulu for Fox content.  Hit the
> local station where it hurts, their viewership!  It will hit their bottom
> line and force their holding company to upgrade.
> 
> However, if OTA looks good, the blame lays with the cable company
> downmixing shoddily.

When I capture from Fox (KAYU) on my SD cable tuner, HD programs like NASCAR and NFL are clipped right and left rather than being letterboxed. Commercials aren't. When I see other stations use Fox content, like news reports, the picture is similarly clipped. So it seems that Fox is just chopping their HD content rather than scaling it.

When I capture from NBC, ABC, CBS, or pretty much any other cable channel, HD programs are letterboxed on my SD cable tuner.

It's only Fox that chops rather than scales.

I was wondering if any broadcast-knowledgeable readers here know why that is.

-- 
A little of Jerome's MythTV World: http://mythtv.bss.ab.ca