So called HD channels.

[10010011]

So I have been hoping to catch the latest series on Discovery HD about the American space program "When We Left Earth".

You know I can except a moderate level of compression. But what they are doing on the majority of these HD channels is pure bs.

On Discovery HD, Science Channel HD and many others they are showing the exact same program that they are showing on the SD channel just stretched to fit a letter boxed formated picture. Sure they are broadcasting it at 720p so I guess it technically is HD but we all know it's not true HD.

I remember when we had only Discovery HD and a couple other HD channels. Discovery HD was one of the best. That was back when the two Mars rovers images were first being shown. Now when they show them you can really tell it's been chopped and stretched.

During When We Left Earth I flipped back and forth between the SD and HD Discovery channel. Now to me the SD channel looked better. It may have been a little softer image but the aspect ratio was correct, not stretched.

I know, I know... Joe six pack hates to see them black bars on either side of the screen. But I did not spend this much money on an HDTV just ti have the picture intentionally distorted.

Why don't they shoot in HD wide screen format, show that on the HD channel and chop the edges for the SD channel? Hell even my local TV station can do that with the 6:00 o'clock news. Don't tell me little old KING-5 TV has a bigger budget and better production staff on the evening news than the Discovery channel has.

 

[Haoleb]

Why don't they shoot in HD wide screen format, show that on the HD channel and chop the edges for the SD channel? Hell even my local TV station can do that with the 6:00 o'clock news. Don't tell me little old KING-5 TV has a bigger budget and better production staff on the evening news than the Discovery channel has.

They do. If you watch discovery you'll notice that on SD analog service theres black bars on the top and bottom of the screen during most programming.

Also. They probably werent shooting in 16x9 HD back "when we left earth"

I have never had a problem with discovery HD, or HD theater. Sometimes they show older SD stuff on discovery but it generally is 4:3

"HD" TNT is the worst. Picture quality is worse than terrible. But then whats worse than that is their slogan "more movie less commercials" Yeah. except your taking up 3/4 of the screen to tell me that throughout the entire movie. Or showing banners to tell me a new episode of the closer is on at X date. Gee thanks, If I cared to even watch the show I think I'd have known that!

Seems like the best HD pic is HD theater or Mojo out of all the channels I get.


Your not using a phillips tv are you? Phillips have this extremely invasive and irritating feature to stretch and zoom and god only knows what else to the picture as soon as it thinks it needs to be done which drives me crazy. The last tv i saw that had it didnt have a way to turn it off either.

 

[Pyrrho]

...
Also. They probably werent shooting in 16x9 HD back "when we left earth"
...

True, but if they used 35mm film, it is capable of more than HD resolution. And broadcasters do not have to stretch images to fit modern screens; they can display them with bars on the side. Fortunately for me, my TV has a setting to correct the aspect ratio of HD broadcasts that are stretched from 4:3 to 16:9 to put the black bars on the sides like it should be.

 

[jonnythan]

I thought the show was fantastic. I think I did notice some stretching. But there were also lots of sequences that were clearly in HD, most notably all of the present-day interviews.

 

[Pyrrho]

...
During When We Left Earth I flipped back and forth between the SD and HD Discovery channel. Now to me the SD channel looked better. It may have been a little softer image but the aspect ratio was correct, not stretched.

I know, I know... Joe six pack hates to see them black bars on either side of the screen. But I did not spend this much money on an HDTV just ti have the picture intentionally distorted.
...

I agree with you completely on this. The trouble is, when they show things uncropped and undistorted (so there are black bars on the sides), other people complain and say things like:

I did not spend this much money on a big HDTV just to have the picture intentionally smaller than the screen.​

To me, this is just like those people who complain that the surround speakers are typically not playing as loud as the front, saying things like:

I did not spend this much on surround sound just to have the sound intentionally come mostly from the front.​

I guess they want the dialog to sound like the person is standing behind you instead of in front of you where you see them.

Rather interestingly, I have found that quite a few people at this site prefer distortion and cropping to having things undistorted and cropped. In my opinion, they should broadcast things properly, and just let those who want distorted and/or cropped images do that with the settings in their TVs. Unfortunately, broadcasters do not all agree with us on this matter. In my case, though, I am fortunate enough to have a TV (it's a Toshiba) that has a setting to correct improperly broadcast HD, so that if they stretch a 4:3 image to fit a 16:9 screen, I can "unstretch" it and make it look right.

 

[jonnythan]

I'm watching right now, and, man. I tell you.

Some of this Saturn V launch footage is definitely in HD and is incredibly spectacular.

 

[Hi Ho]

I believe I recorded that show on my Dish DVR Saturday night so I have not yet been able to watch it.

However, I have NEVER seen any stretching on the Discovery channel. Also, 10010011, if you have Comcast here in Washington State then I'm sorry to say that the "HD" picture quality on Discovery and Science channel is absolutely pathetic. I would seriously consider checking into satellite TV.

As far as stations stretching content, the A&E networks are the worst. The History channel is rediculous! They stretch letterboxed content so things are stretched AND squished.

 

[jonnythan]

There was definitely some stretching going on. Some initial moon landing footage, some rocket stage separation, that kinda thing. They obviously decided to stretch a few scenes instead of having bars on them.

A large, large portion of the old film footage was clearly mastered into HD, though. Some of the footage from later Apollo missions, and some old footage of Saturn V launches of even early Apollo launches were simply breathtaking in full HD glory. I couldn't believe it when I was looking at beautiful HD footage from the moon taken on Apollo 14 and so forth. Very, very high quality stuff.

 

[10010011]

I hate to beat a dead horse, but I love beating a dead thread.

This is NOT HD!

 

[brulaha]

This is NOT HD!

That's Funny!!!

 

[Hi Ho]

At least ABC Family HD didn't stretch it for you like History an A&E do. They don't claim that the program is HD either. The guide information on my Dish DVR clearly states whether a program is in HD or not. I don't expect every HD channel to show every show in HD but when it isn't DON'T STRETCH IT!!!

By the way, I finally got a chance to watch "When we left earth" and I did not see any stretching at all. I did not realize it was such a long series though and I watched only the first episode.

 

[10010011]

At least ABC Family HD didn't stretch it for you like History an A&E do. They don't claim that the program is HD either. The guide information on my Dish DVR clearly states whether a program is in HD or not.

Good point on the non stretch. But I do not understand why they would not show the wide screen edition on the HD channel. I believe FOX did when they showed Harry Potter.

I will have to pay closer attention to my Tivo guide. I don't think it clearly says "HD" or not but it does say 480i, 720p, or 1080i in the program details.

 

[chadnliz]

Most of the public thinks all those channels are in HD and dont notice the stretch, it would be nice if DirectTV would note that most of the large lineup they brag about isnt really HD at all but it sells memberships.
The worst offender is StarzHD because its really unwatchable, the fact its a premium channel is what really bugs me............but Starz lineup as a whole is pretty sad anyway. Its free on my cable but if it wasnt there is no way I would pay for that quality in picture, that lame of a movie line up and the almost constant channel banners they leave on screen like free networks do.

 

[Hi Ho]

I don't have any premium movie channels but HDNet and HDNet Movies is a top notch example of what an HD station should be. They show nothing but excellent quality HD programs and movies with NO commercial interruptions, NO banners, and NO editing. They even let the credits run all the way out without butting in with some thing telling you what's up next.

Not every station is going to be commercial free but a lot of "HD" stations could learn from HDNet.