How are widescreen broadcasts in the USA handled? (1 Viewer)

[richard plumb]

Are analog broadcasts actually shown full 16:9, or slightly smaller 14:9?
In the UK we have full 16:9 on digital platforms, where people can choose whether to see letterbox or centre crop if they have a 4:3 TV, but on analog systems they are broadcast 14:9.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

It's 4:3 letterboxed 16:9 widescreen on analog broadcasts. Some shows are slightly windowboxed so that they entire frame is visible with overscan (Angel does this I believe). If it's a widescreen show in HD, it's usually anamorphic as far as I know
Jeff Kleist

 

[MickeS]

There are currently no non-HD anamorphic broadcasts in the US, as far as I know. Why? I haven't got the slightest clue. To me it seems like a no-brainer: digital cable boxes should have a 16:9/4:3 switch, just like DVD players do, and all movies and other non-4:3 material should be broadcast in anamorphic widescreen. The American public would most likely complain that they "didn't get the whole picture", I'm sure. But the British can obviously do it, so I don't see why we couldn't do it here.
Of course, in the UK there are fairly inexpensive 16:9 analog non-HD TV-sets available, something that, once again for no apparent reason at all, is not available here.
HD content is shown in 16:9, though, but sets have only recently begun to go down in price, and the content is expensive or hard to come by, so far.
/Mike
[Edited last by MickeS on November 09, 2001 at 04:32 PM]

 

[gregstaten]

All 16:9 letterbox on the major networks. I've seen 14:9 occassionally on Discovery and Learning Channel. (Though we may have plenty of Joe Six Packs, apparently we don't have any Aunt Emilys.)
-greg