Mid-program HD aspect ratio switch? (1 Viewer)

[Haggai]

I don't know how common this is, since I don't watch much HDTV aside from sporting events. But last night, I was watching some of the last bit of Mission Impossible 2 on CBS HD. It was in full HD mode, with the right aspect ratio and everything, so of course it looked stunning. But then--in the middle of a scene, no less!--it switched to modified aspect ratio, and back down to the non-completely HD signal (I'm sure there's a better term for that, which I'm not familiar with). Anybody know what happened with that?

 

[David Forbes]

It happens from time to time. Probably just hardware glitches that cause it to revert to 4x3 standard defintion. It usually doesn't last long in my experience. Sometimes my local CBS station wants to pop a "banner" in at the bottom of the screen, and apparently they only have the equipment to do that on the SD feed, so the picture reverts to SD, the banner ad for some local show rolls across, then the HD feed comes back.

 

[Rachael B]

It happened several times during ABC's Stanley Cup coverage. My only question is it local or nation-wide?

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

Wow, so on an HDTV those pop-up ads are even MORE annoying. (I just have a Standard definition tv, so I didn't know.)