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Comedy Central to air Friends in true HD

No really, true HD and 16:9. Honestly. (August 2011)

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WP
WillPS
VirginMediaPhil posted:
paul_hadley posted:
I see all Comedy Central channels are now in 16:9 and not just Comedy Central HD and Comedy Central Extra.

This means the standard def Comedy Central is finally 16:9 and not letterbox! Smile


But not sending out a widescreen signal, which means if you have your TV set up to show 4:3 programmes in the right aspect ratio, the widescreen shows on Comedy Central get squished to 4:3.

Plus they can only show their 4:3 shows in 14:9, so this is a move for the worst IMO.


Disagree strongly. The vast majority of their content is available in 16:9. I've yet to watch a cropped episode of Scrubs, South Park etc. where I've missed the very top and very bottom, but there's been plenty of times the framed aspect ratio did my head in.
JO
Jonny
^ Agreed, it's a far, far better compromise than the way they were (mis)handling 16:9 content previously, rendering programmes unwatchable on a widescreen set.
VM
VMPhil
But if you were to watch Scrubs on Comedy Central SD, it would be cropped to 14:9. Therefore we are actually losing some of the picture whereas before at least we got all the picture on both widescreen and 4:3 shows.
WP
WillPS
VirginMediaPhil posted:
But if you were to watch Scrubs on Comedy Central SD, it would be cropped to 14:9. Therefore we are actually losing some of the picture whereas before at least we got all the picture on both widescreen and 4:3 shows.


I thought they were cropping the 16:9 programmes to 14:9? Is there anything in that small amount of lost picture you miss particularly?
BR
Brekkie
There is absolutely no excuse for channels not to transmit the way the programme was made considering all digital TV have the ability to switch from 16:9 to 4:3 as instructed by the viewer.
VM
VMPhil
WillPS posted:
VirginMediaPhil posted:
But if you were to watch Scrubs on Comedy Central SD, it would be cropped to 14:9. Therefore we are actually losing some of the picture whereas before at least we got all the picture on both widescreen and 4:3 shows.


I thought they were cropping the 16:9 programmes to 14:9? Is there anything in that small amount of lost picture you miss particularly?


They were showing the 16:9 programmes in the OAR with letterboxing that could be fixed using the TV's zoom feature.

Well, I won't miss anything as I have HD which shows it in 4:3. However on SD it means certain credits will be cut off, and I'd like to see the full picture.
WP
WillPS
Cropping 4:3 to 14:9 is a lesser crime to pushing all 16:9 content out in 14:9 within a 4:3 frame.

I think we can all agree the ideal solution is to play out all content in its native format.
VM
VMPhil
WillPS posted:
Cropping 4:3 to 14:9 is a lesser crime to pushing all 16:9 content out in 14:9 within a 4:3 frame.

I think we can all agree the ideal solution is to play out all content in its native format.


I disagree because although previously all content was broadcast in it's original aspect ratio, now 4:3 programmes are broadcast in 14:9. This affects earlier seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond and all seasons except the last of Scrubs, both of which I enjoy watching.

Of course it is, but Comedy Central can't seem to do that. They can't even seem to send out a widescreen signal. Thank goodness for HD.
TV
TV Monkey
VirginMediaPhil posted:


They were showing the 16:9 programmes in the OAR with letterboxing that could be fixed using the TV's zoom feature.


Massively compromising the quality of the image in the process.
VM
VMPhil
TV Monkey posted:
VirginMediaPhil posted:


They were showing the 16:9 programmes in the OAR with letterboxing that could be fixed using the TV's zoom feature.


Massively compromising the quality of the image in the process.


Well not any more than the already compromised picture quality of digitally compressed satellite channels.
DA
David
VirginMediaPhil posted:
TV Monkey posted:
VirginMediaPhil posted:


They were showing the 16:9 programmes in the OAR with letterboxing that could be fixed using the TV's zoom feature.


Massively compromising the quality of the image in the process.


Well not any more than the already compromised picture quality of digitally compressed satellite channels.


Of course more. You are taking the compromised picture quality of a digitally compressed satellite channel and making it worse.
VM
VMPhil
David posted:
VirginMediaPhil posted:
TV Monkey posted:
VirginMediaPhil posted:


They were showing the 16:9 programmes in the OAR with letterboxing that could be fixed using the TV's zoom feature.


Massively compromising the quality of the image in the process.


Well not any more than the already compromised picture quality of digitally compressed satellite channels.


Of course more. You are taking the compromised picture quality of a digitally compressed satellite channel and making it worse.


Not by much though. It looks the same to me.

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