*WHY* are channels still 4:3?

But anyone drifting to the edge of frame looks like a wall-eyed salmon.

Nae pretty.

yet but switching between 16:9 and 4:3 is hardly tricky.

Surely the adverts come into the stations in 16:9 as they've been that way since about 2001? It's something I just don't understand as an editorial policy. It just seems to be ludditeism or lazyness rather than any form of logic. being applied.

It doesn't seem to be an issue in the US, who went straight from 4:3 SD to 16:9 HD. There HD programmes with SD content pillarbox it as a matter of routine, although normally with some sort of graphic instead of just black

Yes, channels like ITV3 manage it with 4:3 shows shown in 4:3 and 16:9 in 16:9, so why Comedy Central have to whack everything out in letterboxed 4:3 I don't know. I know they do 16:9 in HD, but it's not exclusive to HD, is it? Even the Sky channels don't show SD in 4:3 despite it being obviously in their interest to encourage HD takeup.

I'm glad that many channels are 4:3 as my TV's are still 4:3!

Yep - though the US networks ran split SD/HD presentation for many years - allowing them to customise presentation for their 4:3 SD analogue networks and their 16:9 HD digital networks (and didn't have 16:9 SD networks feeding 4:3 SD displays to massively concern them)

For about 10 years the US analogue networks showed 16:9 content either 16:9 letterbox or 4:3 centre cut on 4:3 SD analogue outlets (and 4:3 SD digital in some cases), with the networks using both formats for different content.

However since they moved to switch off analogue terrestrial, most networks have ceased distributing a separate 4:3 SD feed to their stations, and any 4:3 SD outlets (analogue cable, SD digital sub-channels etc.) are now fed a permanent 4:3 centre cut of the HD feed (and this means some shows have gone from 16:9 safe to 4:3 safe shooting as a result)

The issue for this was 4:3 SD content within an otherwise 16:9 programme, which was then shown 14:9 letterbox on analogue. If you go for full 12P16 pillarbox (4:3 active area with thick black bars left and right) and then ARC this to 14L12 (14:9 letterbox with thin black bars tops and bottom) for analogue transmission you end up with postage stamp with a smaller 4:3 image surrounded by black.

14:9 pillarboxing and letterboxing has been a good compromise solution - not too terrible on the framing, and the two conversions are complementary, so you don't end up with shrinking images, floating images etc. if you go round the loop.

Personally I think there are exceptions which can justify 12P16 pillarboxing of archive - if the framing is compromised by 14P16 conversion - but I think you have to look at each example on a case by case basis.

Whilst the BBC still broadcasts 14:9 analogue services, which analogue TV owners pay exactly the same amount of licence fee money to watch as Freeview HD TV owners, the BBC (and other UK broadcasters) try to ensure they receive a decent quality broadcast still.

The US (at least what I've seen recently) is woeful when it comes to format and standard compliance. BBC America for instance is broadcast in 4:3, with most of its content (being 16:9) cut to 14:9 which when displayed on a 16:9 set results in a postage stamp.

But that's surely an odd case of the half-way house British formats meeting American ones.

The majority of American TV is a lot more clear-cut when it comes to aspect ratios, it's either 16:9 or 4:3 pillarboxed. Programmes integrate 4:3 footage amongst the 16:9 almost seemlessly and without chopping off any of the image, there's no aspect ratio switching either

Not on the HD outlets - but some networks use similar AFD signalling both internally and to derive SD 4:3 feeds to feed to SD satellite and cable outlets. Although most analogue terrestrial SD 4:3 has gone, there is still analogue 4:3 cable and also other SD 4:3 outlets. Many of these are fed a permanent 4:3 CCO, but some are AFD driven.

AFDs are also used within some network news production areas to drive the ARCing in upconverters.

Noggin: I totally agree with you.
I've occassionally had to get Pres and Schedule agreement when running archive shows because we want to run original 4:3 pictures. At other times I convert 4:3 pics to blend in with 16:9, but as you say you have to do it on a case by case basis rather than simply apply ARC to all.

It's not ludditeism (sp) or lazyness. Adverts are not what drives TV stations aspect ratios.
Just think about it a minute.
I'll give you an example:
Sports feature with an interview of top football manager made a few years back. Shot 4:3. It's framed with a particular style. The interviews are shot on the angle with very little headroom above the subject. You want to use it again what do you do now we are 16:9?
If you ARC to 16:9 you loose the top of his head in vision, if you drop the image you loose his chin.
What would you do?
That's where the 14:9 "compromise" comes in and you get what was originally screened with no loss - and that includes titles, capgens etc provided they were in the safe title area.