[mythtv-users] Are some HD OTA programs broadcast in 4:3 aspect

[Tom Dexter]

On Sun, Jan 24, 2010 at 9:29 PM, Greg Oliver <oliver.greg at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 24, 2010 at 8:27 PM, R. G. Newbury <newbury at mandamus.org> wrote:
>> On 01/24/2010 09:00 PM, Brent Bolin wrote:
>>>
>>> These are OTA HD programs in the Chicago viewing area.
>>>
>
> The majority of daytime TV in Dallas area is still recorded SD and
> framed into HD resolution and broadcast..  All depends on the show
> here..
>
> -Greg

In the New York area a growing majority of shows are going HD.
However I've never seen one of the network stations actually switch to
SD resolution for any show.  They've always upconverted to SD to 1080i
or 720p (depending on the station) and added black letterboxes on the
sides.

I never understood why they apparently are/were so adverse to
switching resolutions.  It was/is annoying to me for two reasons: 1)
Having SD shows take just as much disk as HD, 2) Forcing me to have
their black letterboxes when I have my TV set to add gray ones when
the aspect is 4:3 (I have an RPCRT).

<ot_rant>What really annoys me is the growing trend toward aspect
ratio blindness everywhere I turn.  It's bad enough that everyone I
know who buys a widescreen TV watches 4:3 shows skewed to 16:9 (oh the
horror) and bars/restaurants all do the same, but even when people do
get it right, the producers of, for example, TV news programs can't.
Now that news is mostly 19:6 they seem to be endlessly skewing news
footage to 16:9 instead of adding letter boxes to the side.  I've even
seen then do the opposite...cruncking a 16:9 clock to 4:3 and adding
the letter boxes(???).  How the hell does someone who can't detect an
incorrect aspect ration (where for example Obama has magically put on
40 pounds) get a job producing TV news content??...just something
that's increasingly annoying the crap out of me.  I'm dumb founded at
how few of my friends can tell when video is skewed...it's like
finding out everyone you know can't see color or something.</ot_rant>

Tom