I'm surprised, still no TV banner ads (1 Viewer)

[Tom.le]

I'm watching Die Hard in letter box format on channel FMC "Fox Movie Channel". They keep showing banners on the bottom half of the letterbox displaying little inside "tid bits" of the movie.

Now this can't be a new idea, but I'm surprised the movie industry/television stations don't show letterboxed movies more often than showing the cropped 4:3 version, and show all those snazzy banner ads above and below the show you're watching. Don't get me wrong, I hate ads, but I have a funny feeling that's where things are headed in the future. I hate watching shows on TNT or TNN, forgot which, where they constantly show a black bar at the bottom to display what they're playing, like Star Trek TNG. Argh..

 

[Jason Seaver]

I've mentioned this before... I don't think I'd even mind if the trade-off was no commercial breaks, and with more people skipping commercials with VCRs and Replays and the like, I'm not sure why a network hasn't given the idea a test yet.

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

Why would they letterbox the show and put banners outside the content (which somebody would be sure to come up with a way to mask it with real letterbox black bars) when they can keep it full frame and splatter the banners all over the content? Once a network executive crosses over the hump and makes the decision to do banners, the next thing on his mind is going to be "Why letterbox it? People (i.e. Wal-Mart shoppers) hate letterboxing!"

 

[Tom.le]

Also zoom functions on 16:9 sets would ultimately zoom them off the screen anyway.

 

[Jeff Kohn]

TNN is doing it, except they're actually distorting 4:3 images to do it. I can't believe people would sit through that.

 

[Tom.le]

yea, TNN was the one, not TNT as I thought. I hate that bar on the bottom. I watch it on satellite, so if I want to know what show they're playing, I use the handy dandy 'info' button on my remote.

 

[Scott Kriefall]

Why would they letterbox the show and put banners outside the content (which somebody would be sure to come up with a way to mask it with real letterbox black bars)

Most people wouldn't cover up or mask the bars and advertising, IMHO. Sure, those of us with HTPCs or with similar inclinations might do so, but we're a very small percentage of viewers.

 

[Tom.le]

It just so happens that "the new" TNN (DirecTV chan 325) has a feedback page. Please, please, everybody send your comments on how you feel about "the new" TNN's "black bar" at the bottom of your screen. I for one don't like it on my satellite channel, when I could just press my info/guide button to see what's playing instead of looking at their "distortion/advertisement" bar.
"the new" TNN's feedback page:
http://www.thenewtnn.com/mail_form.jhtml
Just incase any spam bots are watching, make note of the below address. Oh, and just incase the above feedback form does not work:
[email protected]

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Sure, those of us with HTPCs or with similar inclinations might do so, but we're a very small percentage of viewers.

Or anyone with a couple pieces of black poster board, a pair of scissors, and some scotch tape