*WHY* are channels still 4:3?

So, having gone up through the old music channels on Virgin it still seems that only MTVHD, MTV, 4music and Q are in widescreen.

Also, Comedy Central are showing friends in SD is terrible letterboxvision.

What exactly is the reason for so many channels still broadcasting in 4:3? is it that they continue to use broadcast tech from the 1990s or is there another reason?

It's just an editorial decision rather than a technical limitation, they won't be using equipment incapable of it but it depends on what they've got in terms of content. International channels have tended to stay 4:3 but that's because the majority of their audience and their distributors have been 4:3 - but that's been gradually changing

Comedy Central is an odd one, I think it might be because 16:9 SD is rare in the US and the owners are just making it consistant, but then again they're the same as MTV

What about The Box though? Why are 4music and Q 16:9 and the rest are not?

A good half-or-so of Comedy Central's content is now simulcast in HD and thus is available in Widescreen though. There simply doesn't seem to be a good reason that they've chose not to...

Exactly, and even if they do have shows in 4:3 they could always change the aspect ratio of the channel.

I always thought it was because their playout centres weren't 16:9 capable.

Some have been upgraded (UKTV channels a few years ago, 4Music a few years ago, etc) but some haven't.

I'm guessing because of the cost involved.

Comedy Central HD may be using a different playout system to the other channels?

I agree it is very annoying though - hate watching things on Comedy Central +1 and Extra in letterbox format or 4:3 stretchyvision.

MTV do have the capability to broadcast in 16:9 SD - as is the case on MTV and MTV+1

Comedy Central seem to be perfect with their HD output; everything - the programming, the graphics, even the trails - are all in stunning HD quality and the programming always looks fantastic. Friends looks superb in HD, as well as Two and a Half Men although I do like programmes shot on film with that grainy look, it just looks better IMO.

However switch to SD and it's horrible. A smudgy, soft picture with all widescreen programming letterboxed. Only 4:3 shows look decent on it anymore - although I never watch Comedy Central SD, only Comedy Central Extra.

Comedy Central's poor SD output is one of the main reasons IMO why people should go HD. I understand that people shouldn't have to upgrade their kit to get a good picture, but if you watch Comedy Central a lot and enjoy its content, I'd definitely consider upgrading to HD just for that channel. Practically everything that could possibly be in HD, they have it.

All 9 seasons of Two and a Half Men in HD (the Pilot was on this morning and looked superb). Heck, even the last two seasons of Frasier are in HD! However, bear in mind season 10 is just cropped Super 16 footage which is pretty poor, but season 11 is in HD and it looks fantastic (like the final episode for instance).

I'm probably going on too much, so I'll just summarise my point in the oddity that is how Comedy Central get HD so very very right, and SD so very very wrong.

EDIT: Didn't they used to show all their content in 4:3 including shows in HD? Or did they just get all those HD copies when they launched HD? Instead of the very stupid letterbox, I'd actually consider (shock horror!) going back to cropping everything to 4:3.

It doesn't really take much new equipment to upgrade to 16:9, as long as it's a suite that can handle digital video and 13 years after digital TV started there'll be none that can't.

The big complication is changing over all the media to the new format. As I say it'll be more an editorial decision rather than a technical imitation

Interestingly the FTA German equivalent of Comedy Central has been widescreen (in SD) for some time now - and just acquired the new-style logo! It shares frequency with Nickelodeon (daytime hours), which is also widescreen.

Another reason is the original aspect ratio.
I know some viewers get hacked off with black pillars at the side of screen but I prefer to see TV pictures the way thet were shot. If you streatch a 4:3 image to fit a 16:9 aspect you loose some framing - which is why some broadcasters go down the 14:9 route on "archive" shows. It's a compromise so all the original picture is seen. The question to pose, if people disagree, is the old analagy:
If you bought an old Rembrandt picture and took it home, would you cut the edges of it to fit your picture frame?
Now, don't get me started on colourizing and widescreening World War One pictures...

My Television has a Panoramic Mode which only stretches the very edges of a 4:3 picture to 16:9, this way the picture between the edges is still as it was when it was true 4:3.