extra-small picture

L a r r y · 10-10-2009, 02:52 AM

I watch OTA digital TV on my converter box and 19 inch analog TV. I have it set to watch widescreen pictures in a letterbox.

Now replace the widescreen picture with a 4:3, leaving the picture surrounded on all four sides, then place a widescreen picture inside a letterbox inside the space of the 4:3. Double thick bars top and bottom, then replace the small widescreen picture with a 4:3. Now double-thick bars on all four sides.

If I apply the zoom feature to this I get a 4:3 picture surrounded with bars on all four sides, when HD pictures are cropped and fill my screen.

My question is, what is the broadcaster doing wrong to give me this little picture?

Tonight I was watching channel 8 sending out this tiny picture, and when the next program came on in HD, I was watching a full widescreen picture.

It was that tiny picture, about 13 inches on my 19 inch screen that prompted me to pose this question. Call me curious!

--
Larry

bicker · 10-10-2009, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L a r r y

My question is, what is the broadcaster doing wrong to give me this little picture?

Not necessarily anything. But first we need to know: What channel are you seeing this on (i.e., "8.1" or just "8"?), what channel are you tuned in to, and what program are you seeing this with?

Do keep in mind that not all programming is provided to a broadcaster in wide-screen format.

JakesDTVBlog · 10-10-2009, 01:30 PM

Our local PBS stations did the same thing before switching to full-time HD recently, Larry. There's really not anything you can do -- or, for that matter, that THEY can do -- if that's how the program comes to them from the network or PBS.

That said, I was able to minimize the problem by using the fullscreen mode on my Magnavox converter boxes. If you do this with a widescreen program, this will make people look abnormally tall, but in a case such as what you're describing, it should help.

L a r r y · 10-10-2009, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bicker

Not necessarily anything. But first we need to know: What channel are you seeing this on (i.e., "8.1" or just "8"?), what channel are you tuned in to, and what program are you seeing this with?

It was a PBS 1950's music pledge drive program that was broadcast on "eight HD" on channel 8.1 in Phoenix, in 4:3 format. The NewsHour came on afterwards in HD widescreen, filling the width of the screen.


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