Help me understand the tiny boxes on the screen :)

[HFXRock]

I know its not very descriptive, I am new to HD, don't have a TV yet.. need to get my house built first. But when I go to other's houses with HD why is some HD 4:3 others 16:9 (Which is WHAT I consider HD) and others tiny little squares with black all around (This is the one that ticks me off the most) Why can't everything be just 16:9?

Thanks

[supervij]

HFXRock, most -- but not all -- HD content that is broadcast will be 16:9. Obviously there will be some movies that are in 2.35:1 or something, so there will be black bars on the top. The 4:3 HD content is rare, but it is around, somewhere, I think. The Star Trek: TOS released on HD DVD is 4:3 HD, but that's the only one of which I'm aware.

The "tiny little squares with black all around" thing, though . . . I'm assuming what you've seen is an HDTV that is tuned to an SD channel that is broadcasting a program in widescreen. If that's the case, here's the reason:

An SD channel will not fill up the screen on an HDTV unless you use the zoom function. So you've got black bars on the side of your screen. If the program (TV show or movie) is widescreen, then within that area that there is picture, there will black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. Sum total, black bars on the top, sides and bottom of the picture. It still may be 16:9, but it won't fill the screen unless the zoom function is used.

cheers,
supervij

[57]

See the following post if you're longing for more than supervij already supplied:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=76089 Black Bars.

[HFXRock]

16:9 Upconverted is the one I am looking at, but this is happening even with standard definition for example, Dirty jobs on Discovery.

Is this something the provider can correct for?

Thanks

[57]

The service provider doesn't change what a broadcaster sends. IF you don't like what the broadcaster sends you can advise him, however, the broadcaster in most cases is sending what the director intended. ie, a widescreen programme on an SD channel is what was intended. The fact that this ends up windowboxed on an HD channel once upconverted, is just a fact of life.

Some TVs and STBs will allow you to zoom this image and have it fill the screen, however, the picture quality is usually so bad that people don't do that.

Most purists also don't want anything done by the broadcaster or the service provider and want to see what was originally intended. They can then change this on their own, if they want - it is difficult or impossible to "undo" a change if a broadcaster stretches or zooms an image, so that is not what most of us want.

A&E is one of the HD channels that attempts to get rid of black bars, however, they often do a dreadful job of it and it irks most of us. We prefer it when they leave things alone. See:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=47501

[ttodd]

Trying to figure out some of the lingo's.. I know what HD is;
but SD is that short for StanDard or Specialty Design? or?? and what about STB ?

[magnet]

HD- High Defintion
SD- Standard Defintion
STB- Set Top Box (Cable Box that allows for Digital TV/ HDTV)

[ttodd]

Thankyou !!!

[57]

Acronyms & Definitions: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=17715