BBC2 widescreen ident

Forgive me if I'm being stupid, but BBC2 just showed a widescreen ident (Christmas) on analogue, just before a widescreen film. Is this normal, then? I've never seen it before, but then I don't watch many films on TV.

Yeah, I caught that the other day too before a film. Seems to be the policy of films shown in actual widescreen on analogue (as opposed to 14:9 for widescreen programmes that are only shown widescreen on digital)

Not uncommon - C4 are showing a film at the minute broadcast in 'original widescreen' - no widescreen switching at all. We all (analogue/digital) see the thick black bars.

Cheers, Asa

it seems to be digital widescreen. normal analogue widescreen on bbc 2 is only 1/2 that normally isn't it?

Thansk for that Asa, I was wondering if it had been used before or not. It looked great. Actually, I just wish they'd stop showing things as 14:9 on analogue, and always use 16:9 ratio. But I suppose they would get too many complaints about where half their picture had gone...

I've noticed this twice now. That's my question answered!

This has been the case since the analogue continuity suite closed down a few months ago - the aspect ratio of the ident is the same as the programme following it, whether it's 4:3, 14:9 or 16:9.

Most 4:3 people hate black bars, and If they aired with 16:9 all the time, then they would get thousands of complaints. They get enough complints about 14:9.

I know. Pity though. 14:9 always seems like a nasty bodge to me.

But I didn't know that the ident always matched the ratio of the program being shown. That seems to make a lot of sense.

(Edited by moss at 1:55 pm on Jan. 2, 2002)

[quote] moss on 1:55 pm on Jan. 2, 2002
It's been like this on digital since late 1999 or early 2000. When I first got digital in mid 1999, the ident was always shown in 16:9, and then if the programme was in 4:3 the switch would take place after the ident, so you'd see the picture 'twang' for a second which didn't look very nice or slick. Making the switch to 4:3 before the ident means it can be hidden under the momentary fade to black.

The CARLTON Regions and channel 4 are the same- 16:9 Idents before all programmes. Channel 5 usually only has a 14:9 letterbox ident before all programmes, but this christmas they've used proper 16:9 idents beofre 16:9 shows.

A 16:9 BBC ONE ident appeared before the 'Are You Being Served' movie yesterday morning. (not that I was watching it of course <cough>) anyway the movie was being broadcast in 16:9 on analogue BBC ONE so the ident was 16:9, however normally BBC ONE only show the ident in 14:9 before a 16:9 transmission .. queer!

Carlton's idents are 4:3 on analogue though, aren't they?