NG
noggin
Founding member
Quite a lot of drama series shot in the 90s on Super 16 were shot 15:9 (which is the aspect ratio of Super 16 film). Some were transferred to 4:3 video tape for editing, and in this case often a 15:9 or 14:9 letterbox was used. In this case the only edited version of the show that exists, and so this is letterboxed not full widescreen.
Other shows that were post-produced on film could be relatively easily retransferred to 16:9 video tape for DVD release. AIUI this is what happened for the Pride and Prejudice release.
BBC News 24 was originated in 16:9 from a 16:9 studio from launch in November 1997 - though it was only available in 14:9 letterbox via analogue cable and on BBC One overnight.
The first bunch of BBC digital services ( DTT and DSat) properly launched a year later - on the same day that News 24 moved from the studios now used by BBC World, to their current studio in the News Centre. This was the first time that normal members of the public could receive BBC output in full widescreen. I got my Sky installation later that month.
Other shows that were post-produced on film could be relatively easily retransferred to 16:9 video tape for DVD release. AIUI this is what happened for the Pride and Prejudice release.
BBC News 24 was originated in 16:9 from a 16:9 studio from launch in November 1997 - though it was only available in 14:9 letterbox via analogue cable and on BBC One overnight.
The first bunch of BBC digital services ( DTT and DSat) properly launched a year later - on the same day that News 24 moved from the studios now used by BBC World, to their current studio in the News Centre. This was the first time that normal members of the public could receive BBC output in full widescreen. I got my Sky installation later that month.
JA
From what I've seen, it just looks like a crop of the VT master, certinalyl in the case of the openign titles & end credits anyway. The captins on the opening titles, and the end credits give it away- the captions being very close to the top or bottom of the screen (much closer than would normally be considered "caption safe"), and both the opening titles & end credits not being 4:3 safe. I don't think many (if any) shows were being post-produced on film by the mid-90s.
james2001
Founding member
noggin posted:
Other shows that were post-produced on film could be relatively easily retransferred to 16:9 video tape for DVD release. AIUI this is what happened for the Pride and Prejudice release.
From what I've seen, it just looks like a crop of the VT master, certinalyl in the case of the openign titles & end credits anyway. The captins on the opening titles, and the end credits give it away- the captions being very close to the top or bottom of the screen (much closer than would normally be considered "caption safe"), and both the opening titles & end credits not being 4:3 safe. I don't think many (if any) shows were being post-produced on film by the mid-90s.
IS
All channels have done, particually with films.
It is possible to broadcast proper Full Height Anamorphic 16:9 on analogue but it isn't done for obvious reasons
Mr-Stabby posted:
Did they ever try out broadcasting 16:9 letterbox on analogue? Channel 4 do it with films and i prefer it to 14:9 myself.
All channels have done, particually with films.
It is possible to broadcast proper Full Height Anamorphic 16:9 on analogue but it isn't done for obvious reasons
JA
james2001
Founding member
Whenever you see the words "remastered to widescreen" on DVDs, be very warey. My mum's a Queen fan, and i was looking at buying her the Queen Video Hits DVD, the "remastered to widescreen" text on the box changed my mind. The "widescreen" versions of the Queen videos have started popping up on the music channels now- obviously cropped (there was one video where Freddie Mercury is playing the piano- but the piano has been cropped off!).
JB
As people say there was a test night of widescreen in about February 1998 consisting of the lottery, gen game, Noel etc, which got a fair few complaints on the likes of Points of View, but the first regular widescreen show was something like National Lottery Dreamworld or something in September of that year. But of course digital wasn't available at that point, it was just the start of the autumn season....
DA
It is sometimes, but only by mistake. There used to be the odd 4:3 program squished into anamorphic in the middle of the screen late at night.
It's cropped.
Do they have to redo all the opening credits if they do that?
Stargate SG1 (to the best of my knowledge) has been shot in widescreen since it started in 1997, and I always heard that Babylon 5 had been shot in widescreen since it started in 1995.
What annoys me is when they show old stuff like Sherlock Holmes in 14:9 (sometimes anamorphic, sometimes not) on ITV3.
David
Quote:
It is possible to broadcast proper Full Height Anamorphic 16:9 on analogue but it isn't done for obvious reasons
It is sometimes, but only by mistake. There used to be the odd 4:3 program squished into anamorphic in the middle of the screen late at night.
Quote:
Quote:
the DVDs of the first series of ER are all 16:9, although the title sequence is still 4:3. I suspect that they might have remastered it from the original film, though.
It's cropped.
Do they have to redo all the opening credits if they do that?
Stargate SG1 (to the best of my knowledge) has been shot in widescreen since it started in 1997, and I always heard that Babylon 5 had been shot in widescreen since it started in 1995.
What annoys me is when they show old stuff like Sherlock Holmes in 14:9 (sometimes anamorphic, sometimes not) on ITV3.
David
JA
It's cropped.
Do they have to redo all the opening credits if they do that?
If you read, the opening titles are left in 4:3- presumably so nothing's cut off.
james2001
Founding member
davidhorman posted:
Quote:
Quote:
the DVDs of the first series of ER are all 16:9, although the title sequence is still 4:3. I suspect that they might have remastered it from the original film, though.
It's cropped.
Do they have to redo all the opening credits if they do that?
If you read, the opening titles are left in 4:3- presumably so nothing's cut off.
TV
I worked for a while in transmission in TVC and when I started (about 6 years ago) there would be about 1 widescreen transmission a night (on bbc 1) Eastenders was quite an early convert.. can't remember what the other early ones were... one a similar point.. just before I left the vast majority of delivered programmes were widescreen but an obvious exception was 'Parkinson'.. apparently they stayed 4:3 for 'artisic reasons' .. never could work out why...
NG
Rumour has it Parky didn't want to sit further away from the guests, and the guests to sit further away from each other... To get clean close-ups in 16:9 you need more space left and right, or you have to shoot tighter, or you have to significantly come "off the eyeline", reducing the quality of the close-ups significantly (making them more one-eyed)
When he moved to ITV I guess he didn't have the option...
noggin
Founding member
tvnewsjunkie posted:
I worked for a while in transmission in TVC and when I started (about 6 years ago) there would be about 1 widescreen transmission a night (on bbc 1) Eastenders was quite an early convert.. can't remember what the other early ones were... one a similar point.. just before I left the vast majority of delivered programmes were widescreen but an obvious exception was 'Parkinson'.. apparently they stayed 4:3 for 'artisic reasons' .. never could work out why...
Rumour has it Parky didn't want to sit further away from the guests, and the guests to sit further away from each other... To get clean close-ups in 16:9 you need more space left and right, or you have to shoot tighter, or you have to significantly come "off the eyeline", reducing the quality of the close-ups significantly (making them more one-eyed)
When he moved to ITV I guess he didn't have the option...