HBO's letterbox hypocrisy (1 Viewer)

[Colin-H]

Why does HBO feel its own movies and TV shows (such as Live From Baghdad and The Sopranos) merit OAR letterbox presententation, yet they MAR scope films on their HD channel? Clearly, they believe the HBO audience has come to at the very least accept the black bars as part of the presentation. Why don't they realize that the majority of the HBO-HD audience not only accepts the bars, it wants the bars? Have they fallen victim to the "I bought a widescreen TV so the black bars would go away" crowd?

 

[Michael Reuben]

Have they fallen victim to the "I bought a widescreen TV so the black bars would go away" crowd?

I think you just answered your own question.

M.

 

[Ken Chan]

Letterbox is sexy and cutting edge (or it was for a while), which is why all the commercials and music videos do it. But heaven forbid you still get black bars on your widescreen set. So yes, they are trying to have it both ways.

And it's presumptuous to think that a majority want the "bars". (Of course, no one really wants them, per se.) A big of chunk of people -- hard to say whether it's above or below the magic 50% mark -- just aren't that bright.

//Ken

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Well Soprano is shot 1:78 It Fills the Screen on Widescreen Sets. HBO Only Crops 2:35 films to 1:85 so they too "Fill" the set. Yes it's still is Hipocresy

 

[Colin-H]

But 1.78 doesn't "fill" my 4:3 set. My point is they don't modify their own shows for 4:3 presentation.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Nor do I want them to. If The Sopranos was composed at 1.78:1 that's how I want to see it, even if it's on a 4x3.
Yep, HBO is still afraid it'll get calls from people saying "I have a widescreen tv, why do I still have black bars!? I bought a WS set to get rid of them." :rolleyes
I agree that most if not all people that are receiving HD programming understand OAR and prefer it. By cropping 2.35:1 material to 1.78:1 their really catering to nobody.
I don't know any Joe and Janes with HD monitors do you? Everyone that I know that has them are HT enthusiests like us.

 

[Ric Easton]

Um.... So if I pony up for HBO HDTV I am gonna have to watch regular movies panned and scanned on my widescreen set? I will probably use the zoom feature so I will be cutting out even more of the picture.(Afraid of Burn-in!) Ouch! This is not why I got a widescreen HDTV. Maybe I will hold off on HD-HBO until the Sopranos starts up again! Does Showtime do the same thing with their HD signal?

Ric

 

[MickeS]

Most films on HBO aren't in OAR, are they? Every time I've seen a movie, it's been in MAR (4:3). :frowning:
I agree that it's hypocritical of them to shoot their own shows in 16:9, yet they won't show movies in their OAR.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I am gonna have to watch regular movies panned and scanned on my widescreen set? I will probably use the zoom feature so I will be cutting out even more of the picture.(Afraid of Burn-in!)

Zoom is usually unavailable when receiving an HD signal. And HBO's HD movies will fill your 16:9 screen; so burn-in isn't an issue.

M.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Zoom is usually unavailable when receiving an HD signal.

To be a bit anal, they actually won’t zoom so long as the signal received is digital. HBOHD does telecast some programs in 4:3 (e.g. Sex and the City) In this case you can’t zoom and the picture does not fill a 16:9 screen.
For those who don’t like OAR, the option exists to switch to an analog signal (via the STB) or to simply switch to the regular HBO channel. Then the zoom works, allowing Carrie to look like a reasonably normal person.
HBOHD does occasionally letterbox a 2.35:1 movie, but never one that I was interested in watching.
And it is not uncommon for HBO to crop The Sopranos on their SD channel. Frequently the credits are letterboxed (on SD), with a switch to 4:3 P&S afterwards, while HBOHD is showing the very same thing in 16:9.