JA
I know ITV3 still broadcast 4:3 as 4:3 rather than pillarboxed, because I record their classic Corrie from the SD channel (as it uses less space on the DVR), and the picture bounces around all over the place at the switch between the show and the sponsor bumpers.
An increasing number of channels do seem to be showing 4:3 content pillarboxed on SD now though, maybe it's easier than switching, and I guess more people are accustomed to it now than they were a few years ago.
An increasing number of channels do seem to be showing 4:3 content pillarboxed on SD now though, maybe it's easier than switching, and I guess more people are accustomed to it now than they were a few years ago.
RW
There's been some discussion of this in the Top of the Pops thread: https://tvforum.uk/tvhome/top-of-the-pops-43317/page-16 - as far as BBC transmissions are concerned, they are always in 16:9, with 4:3 programmes shown pillarboxed. However an AFD signal should be sent with 4:3 programmes (on SD) in order to trigger set top boxes to cut off the black bars and zoom the picture to fill the screen. On recent TOTP broadcasts on BBC Four, however, the correct AFD has not been transmitted, hence the programme now appears on 4:3 sets with black bars on all four sides - absolutely infuriating. Sounds like BBC One are doing the same.
On Freeview these days, BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four, ITV, ITV2 and ITV4, amongst others, are being transmitted in forced letterbox, overriding 4:3 centre cut-out, whereas BBC News, BBC Parliament and ITV3 still allow the user to select 4:3 centre cut-out. However that hasn't stopped, until recently, BBC Four sending the correct AFD signal with 4:3 programmes. Channels such as ITV3 and Drama are still transmitting 4:3 programmes in the correct aspect ratio.
Robert Williams
Founding member
Is all 4:3 content now shown pillarboxed on the main channels or do some, the likes of ITV3 and ITV4 perhaps, still broadcast it as 4:3 so viewers can decide how they handle it? I'm all for pillarboxing if it prevents squashyvision!
There's been some discussion of this in the Top of the Pops thread: https://tvforum.uk/tvhome/top-of-the-pops-43317/page-16 - as far as BBC transmissions are concerned, they are always in 16:9, with 4:3 programmes shown pillarboxed. However an AFD signal should be sent with 4:3 programmes (on SD) in order to trigger set top boxes to cut off the black bars and zoom the picture to fill the screen. On recent TOTP broadcasts on BBC Four, however, the correct AFD has not been transmitted, hence the programme now appears on 4:3 sets with black bars on all four sides - absolutely infuriating. Sounds like BBC One are doing the same.
On Freeview these days, BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four, ITV, ITV2 and ITV4, amongst others, are being transmitted in forced letterbox, overriding 4:3 centre cut-out, whereas BBC News, BBC Parliament and ITV3 still allow the user to select 4:3 centre cut-out. However that hasn't stopped, until recently, BBC Four sending the correct AFD signal with 4:3 programmes. Channels such as ITV3 and Drama are still transmitting 4:3 programmes in the correct aspect ratio.
IS
Every set top box I've ever used has been able to do a 'centre cut out' of the video just by changing a setting regardless of AFD or anything else sent by the broadcaster. That's how so many people watch the wrong shape pictures on their telly
RW
There's me! I know I'm very in a minority now, but I'm more interested in old television and watch at least as much, if not more, 4:3 material than 16:9, and flat screen televisions tend to make old programmes look much worse. Plus my 4:3 CRT is nearly 20 years old and still going strong, so I'm very reluctant to replace it with a new one which almost certainly won't last anything like as long!
I can't see any reason why the broadcasters can't continue to transmit 4:3 programmes in the correct aspect ratio for as long as they continue SD transmissions.
Robert Williams
Founding member
How many people are there still with 4:3 sets who are likely to be affected by it?
There's me! I know I'm very in a minority now, but I'm more interested in old television and watch at least as much, if not more, 4:3 material than 16:9, and flat screen televisions tend to make old programmes look much worse. Plus my 4:3 CRT is nearly 20 years old and still going strong, so I'm very reluctant to replace it with a new one which almost certainly won't last anything like as long!
I can't see any reason why the broadcasters can't continue to transmit 4:3 programmes in the correct aspect ratio for as long as they continue SD transmissions.
RW
Apparently there is an AFD code (AFD 2) which does force set top boxes into letterbox mode, which is only really supposed to be used for films. There's no other explanation for why certain channels go into centre cut-out while others don't. It must be something that's changed in the past couple of years or so - certainly all the BBC channels did used to work in 4:3 centre cut-out.
Robert Williams
Founding member
Every set top box I've ever used has been able to do a 'centre cut out' of the video just by changing a setting regardless of AFD or anything else sent by the broadcaster. That's how so many people watch the wrong shape pictures on their telly
Apparently there is an AFD code (AFD 2) which does force set top boxes into letterbox mode, which is only really supposed to be used for films. There's no other explanation for why certain channels go into centre cut-out while others don't. It must be something that's changed in the past couple of years or so - certainly all the BBC channels did used to work in 4:3 centre cut-out.
JA
Yay for all the people who have the 4:3 cut-out stretched across a 16:9 screen. I'm sure the majority of people with widescreen sets were watching like that at one time, it was rare for a LONG time for me to see a 16:9 TV set up otherwise! It wasn't that long ago where I was in a Travelodge where the channels were sent through an anlogue RF setup that way.
Every set top box I've ever used has been able to do a 'centre cut out' of the video just by changing a setting regardless of AFD or anything else sent by the broadcaster. That's how so many people watch the wrong shape pictures on their telly
Yay for all the people who have the 4:3 cut-out stretched across a 16:9 screen. I'm sure the majority of people with widescreen sets were watching like that at one time, it was rare for a LONG time for me to see a 16:9 TV set up otherwise! It wasn't that long ago where I was in a Travelodge where the channels were sent through an anlogue RF setup that way.
WO
Yay for all the people who have the 4:3 cut-out stretched across a 16:9 screen. I'm sure the majority of people with widescreen sets were watching like that at one time, it was rare for a LONG time for me to see a 16:9 TV set up otherwise! It wasn't that long ago where I was in a Travelodge where the channels were sent through an anlogue RF setup that way.
I remember going round one of my now ex-girlfriend's Aunties houses around 2010 and she had her Sky box set to 4:3 on a widescreen telly so we had stretchyvision. When she went to put the bins out I quickly grabbed the remote and switched the box to 16:9 - and she never noticed. I did have a cheeky grin on my face knowing i'd at least sorted one of the many incorrectly set up tellys in the country.
Every set top box I've ever used has been able to do a 'centre cut out' of the video just by changing a setting regardless of AFD or anything else sent by the broadcaster. That's how so many people watch the wrong shape pictures on their telly
Yay for all the people who have the 4:3 cut-out stretched across a 16:9 screen. I'm sure the majority of people with widescreen sets were watching like that at one time, it was rare for a LONG time for me to see a 16:9 TV set up otherwise! It wasn't that long ago where I was in a Travelodge where the channels were sent through an anlogue RF setup that way.
I remember going round one of my now ex-girlfriend's Aunties houses around 2010 and she had her Sky box set to 4:3 on a widescreen telly so we had stretchyvision. When she went to put the bins out I quickly grabbed the remote and switched the box to 16:9 - and she never noticed. I did have a cheeky grin on my face knowing i'd at least sorted one of the many incorrectly set up tellys in the country.
LL
I pulled the same trick on my brother's TV a few years back. He asked me why I'd squashed the picture and insisted I put it back to normal. I tried to convince him it was how it was supposed to look by pointing out the extra picture space on the side that was previously hidden. It didn't work.
JA
It didn't help that Sky & Cable installers themselves often left boxes in 4:3 cut-out mode even when they had widescreen TVs. You'd think of all people they'd have been trained to get it right.
It's only really because of integrated TVs which you can't set to 4:3 cut-out and HD which is 16:9 only anyway that's this problem has died out over recent years.
It's only really because of integrated TVs which you can't set to 4:3 cut-out and HD which is 16:9 only anyway that's this problem has died out over recent years.