The 4:3 safezone

CW

cwathen Founding member 30 April 2007 5:14pm

Quote:

I find a lot of channels and producers now ignore the 4:3 safe area, working to 14:9 safe instead (with the odd advert and some American shows now using full 16:9).

IIRC, 4:3 safe widescreen was only used by UK broadcasters until C-Day back in 2000. Ever since then, the standard has been 14:9 safe framing, with only graphics 4:3 safe.

SP

Steve in Pudsey 30 April 2007 7:15pm

Reboot posted:

Well, isn't the proportion of 4:3 sets as a whole being kept up by the number of secondary sets which are 4:3? (i.e., sets outside the main room of a house, either reused ex-primary sets or portables)

Of course nobody has given any real consideration to these secondary sets, such as how they'll cope with DSO using that crappy glorified coathanger loop aerial...

OV

Orry Verducci 30 April 2007 8:07pm

IIRC, 4:3 safe widescreen was only used by UK broadcasters until C-Day back in 2000. Ever since then, the standard has been 14:9 safe framing, with only graphics 4:3 safe.[/quote]
I've seen a lot of graphics outside the 4:3 safe areas, especially on some shows and adverts.

FE

fernando 30 April 2007 9:47pm

I have a 4:3 TV and even when it breaks down will probably try and get another 4:3 one. I had a widescreen TV before and just didn't like the experience, regardless or not of whether it is a 'more natural' viewing ratio.

I'm used to seeing graphics and text lost off the sides of my picture over recent years; if the broadcasters aren't bothered about people like me seeing it then I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
So a caption is cropped and looks messy? Don't care personally as invariably their loss does not detract for me from whatever is being broadcast.

PE

Pete Founding member 30 April 2007 9:54pm

did you have it set up properly though? or in fatty vision?

JH

Jonathan H 30 April 2007 10:04pm

fernando posted:

I have a 4:3 TV and even when it breaks down will probably try and get another 4:3 one. I had a widescreen TV before and just didn't like the experience, regardless or not of whether it is a 'more natural' viewing ratio.

I'm used to seeing graphics and text lost off the sides of my picture over recent years; if the broadcasters aren't bothered about people like me seeing it then I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
So a caption is cropped and looks messy? Don't care personally as invariably their loss does not detract for me from whatever is being broadcast.

Sounds like you don't care. And the broadcasters certainly don't care that you don't care, so everyone's happy. Except you, that is, because you won't be able to find a new 4:3 set in a few year's time for love nor money.

CW

cwathen Founding member 30 April 2007 11:27pm

Quote:

I've seen a lot of graphics outside the 4:3 safe areas, especially on some shows and adverts.

Yes, I do recall some programmes which don't adhere to this. About the only time 4:3 safe framing seems to be rigirously enforced is for the channel DOG (and any other promotional crap) itself, with C4 being the only broadcaster I can think of which doesn't have 4:3 safe DOGs.

(April 2007)