In 2005 more than 700,000 widescreen televisions were sold in the UK, that figure doubled in 2006. Three years on more than 2 million are bought every year in the UK alone.
Assuming most of the UK viewing public has a widescreen set and digital TV (ar aspires to purchase both), is now the time to have a rethink of the broadcast conventions that have long restricted producers - such as 4:3 TV safe graphics?
Discuss...
Yes. I was thinking about this the other day. Relaxing the rules would mean more versatility for on-screen presentation and idents, instead of having to put everything in the middle all the time. They couldn't do something like this at the moment, for example, because the far-left banner would fall outside the 4:3 safe area: http://up.metropol247.co.uk/Chie/bbc1cap96.jpg
I think the main thing holding broadcasters back is the fact that many people still have small 4:3 TVs in their kitchen or bedroom which they aren't in a hurry to replace.
BBC News slightly relaxed their design rules regarding safe areas for the last rebrand and said it was ok to push to the 14:9 safe boundary. However after a daft decision to put News 24's clock outside this area to the left of the BBC News logo, they got hundreds of complaints and reverted to the clock being to the right of the red BBC News logo. Most designers put text within 4:3 safe since this furore, though pictures and non-vital text is extending further out to the sides.
As more regions switch analogue off, there is certainly something to be said for relaxing the 4:3 safe rules IMO. It will be a long time before it can be assumed that everyone has a 16:9 television, but then it's only relatively recently that it's been assumed that everyone has colour...
Long overdue, Broadcasters used Nicam Stereo to use the full audio capabilities of TV receivers despite older sets not having the equipment to use the enhanced audio quality they didn't self impose restrictions to prohibit its use. Similarly the enhanced experience of viewers with 16:9 sets shouldn't be restricted by self imposed restrictions on using screen space not available to 4:3 viewers.
What's the point in having a flashy ident or promo board, if the vital information is not visible to a large share of your audience.
As much as broadcasters probably want to use the full frame, they would be shooting themselves in the foot if they did so at this stage. Perhaps analogue should not be switched to letterbox mode with big black bars at the top and bottom; but analogue will be gone within the next three years, at which point we'll most likely see broadcasters use the full frame.
Can broadcasters send a switching signal to digital set top boxes, so that if they're configured for a 4:3 set, they will switch to letterbox mode when fullscreen graphics are used?
I think another issue that prevented this was not so much the 4:3 to 16:9 TV ratio, but the number of people with their freeview boxes set to fattyvision because they didn't know any better.
Now that most TVs being sold are LCDs with integrated freeview this should also become far less of an issue.
However as mentioned, there are many smaller sets dotted around kitchens and bedrooms that are less likely to be replaced than centrepiece living room TVs.
I honestly think there should be more education about widescreen TVs for viewers, especially with Sky and VM customers. My Uncle bought a new LCD TV and plugged in his Sky box, but it wasn't until I went around and noticed that his box was still set to 4:3, that I had to explain to him what was wrong and how to fix it. He wasn't aware that you had to adjust the settings on the box to 16:9, he just thought you just plugged it in and that's it.
I think the main thing holding broadcasters back is the fact that many people still have small 4:3 TVs in their kitchen or bedroom which they aren't in a hurry to replace.
Yes and the fact there are a load of people watching TV on their 42 inch plasmas in 4:3 mode.
Long overdue, Broadcasters used Nicam Stereo to use the full audio capabilities of TV receivers despite older sets not having the equipment to use the enhanced audio quality they didn't self impose restrictions to prohibit its use.
No, because mono sound broadcast with the UHF signal was unaffected by the introduction of stereo. Because going widescreen did dramatically affect 4:3 viewers (the 4:3 service has for many years been effectively a simulcast derived from the 16:9 transmissions), rules of keeping stuff within safe areas had to be introduced. They didn't shoot programmes independently for 4:3 viewers and 16:9 viewers, they shot for widescreen bearing in mind those watching on 4:3 TVs. With sound however, they shot everything in mono (still do mainly) and most of the stereo stuff was post-produced.
Incidentally, there were actually some rules in the BBC about use of stereo - it was considered vitally important that the voice track was always dead-centre (i.e. mixed mono) only music and effects were allowed to be stereo. You rarely hear voices panned to the left or right on TV to this day, whether it's voiceovers, discussion programmes or presenters. There are also some technical no-nos concerning phase-reversing one leg of audio, which makes the mono mix silent. Obviously not a good idea!
............As more regions switch analogue off, there is certainly something to be said for relaxing the 4:3 safe rules IMO. It will be a long time before it can be assumed that everyone has a 16:9 television, but then it's only relatively recently that it's been assumed that everyone has colour...
Theoretically DSO could actually make matters worse. 16:9 is usually presented by the broadcaster on analogue TV as a 14:9 compromise, whereas the output of a domestic STB tends to have two choices 4:3 or 16:9. An unfortunate consequence of DSO is therefore to increase centre-cut 4:3 presentation where families have retained their existing crt tellies.
I honestly think there should be more education about widescreen TVs for viewers, especially with Sky and VM customers. My Uncle bought a new LCD TV and plugged in his Sky box, but it wasn't until I went around and noticed that his box was still set to 4:3, that I had to explain to him what was wrong and how to fix it. He wasn't aware that you had to adjust the settings on the box to 16:9, he just thought you just plugged it in and that's it.
It's not just educating the general public - it's the shops too, as so many, even major electrical retailers, have most of their TV's set up incorrectly.
Would be interesting to get the official stats for widescreen take up - it's something which isn't really reported. I do agree though with the opening statement, but although graphics do still remain 4:3 safe, I've notice in more recent dramas and even shows like The X Factor they're far less concerned with keeping things in the 4:3 zone now. I'm sure with Joe on Saturday there was a fairly lengthy shot of him far left and the dancers far right, which would have left 4:3 viewers with just a shot of the stage.
I honestly think there should be more education about widescreen TVs for viewers, especially with Sky and VM customers. My Uncle bought a new LCD TV and plugged in his Sky box, but it wasn't until I went around and noticed that his box was still set to 4:3, that I had to explain to him what was wrong and how to fix it. He wasn't aware that you had to adjust the settings on the box to 16:9, he just thought you just plugged it in and that's it.
It's not just educating the general public - it's the shops too, as so many, even major electrical retailers, have most of their TV's set up incorrectly.
Would be interesting to get the official stats for widescreen take up - it's something which isn't really reported. I do agree though with the opening statement, but although graphics do still remain 4:3 safe, I've notice in more recent dramas and even shows like The X Factor they're far less concerned with keeping things in the 4:3 zone now. I'm sure with Joe on Saturday there was a fairly lengthy shot of him far left and the dancers far right, which would have left 4:3 viewers with just a shot of the stage.
I bet every one of us here has gone round to the home of a friend or relative and optimised their set for them, as they've unwittingly left it in fattyvision or somesuch,.
Some people notice and care, others don't.
A big sticker on your TV or device when you purchase saying, "IMPORTANT: Read the manual to maximise your viewing experience" would only get peeled off and ignored by some people, never mind what they've been "taught" by a salesman in John Lewis.
At that point you have to shrug and conclude that the type of person who notices and cares will sort that stuff out themselves - and one day it won't matter because screens and decoders will already know just what to do when they are married together.
Although it would be nice to go into a shop and at least see all of their screens set up properly.