Why black bars?

[Keif Howard]

I have a wide screen TV and, over the last couple of years, I have noticed some programmes being transmitted with certain scenes shown in a 4:3 aspect, with black bars filling out the rest of the screen. At first it appeared to be when a programme contained old clips, but now it seems to be more random than that. The ultimate example of this came last Friday night, when I recorded the BBC4 transmission of David Bowie at The BBC, which was shown entirely in 4:3 aspect, with black bars at each side. Then the repeat of this programme, 2 days later, was shown with a full screen image all the way through! Does anyone know what's going on?

[jonpsych]

Are you watching some on an HD channel and some on a non HD Channel?

[narabdela]

Are you watching some on an HD channel and some on a non HD Channel?

Shouldn't make a difference. If it was shot in 4:3, it should be shown in 4:3. Anything else is a nonsense.

[dylan]

You have probably set your aspect selection to "Auto".

D.

[Arfur Teacake]

Depends on you taste.

you can set your telly to just show widescreen on even old material if you prefer, by setting it to 'auto'

this will make sure the screen is always filled.

The purists and anoroaks have bombarded TV stations with wrath about showing 4:3 material in other form other than 4:3. so this why it is sent out like that, but you have the choice with your own TV set.

[Moor Larkin]

Like cinemascope pictures used to be shown on the telly, but in a vertical sort of way.............

[Robin Davies]

The purists and anoroaks have bombarded TV stations with wrath about showing 4:3 material in other form other than 4:3. so this why it is sent out like that, but you have the choice with your own TV set.

Replace "purists and anoraks" with "viewers who have the good taste and common sense to want to see the uncropped, undistorted picture as it was originally intended to be seen".
And unfortunately they didn't succeed because way too much 4:3 material is broadcast in the wrong ratio, thereby losing large chunks of the picture.

[narabdela]

Replace "purists and anoraks" with "viewers who have the good taste and common sense to want to see the uncropped, undistorted picture as it was originally intended to be seen".

Indeed!

Depends on you taste.

you can set your telly to just show widescreen on even old material if you prefer, by setting it to 'auto'

this will make sure the screen is always filled.

God forbid.

[christoph404]

Replace "purists and anoraks" with "viewers who have the good taste and common sense to want to see the uncropped, undistorted picture as it was originally intended to be seen".
And unfortunately they didn't succeed because way too much 4:3 material is broadcast in the wrong ratio, thereby losing large chunks of the picture.

Agreed....there is nothing "purist" or "anorak" about wanting to see a program or film in the format it was originally shot, its just a case of being visually aware or having some visual literacy, many people have very little visual literacy if any at all, in the old days of 4x3 cathode ray TV, some folk would complain if a widescreen movie was broadcast with black bars at the bottom and top showing the full format as the DOP composed it, now that we have wide TV screens the same folk are banging on about bars down the sides....what is it they are not understanding ?? you just cant win.

[Arfur Teacake]

Replace "purists and anoraks" with "viewers who have the good taste and common sense to want to see the uncropped, undistorted picture as it was originally intended to be seen".
And unfortunately they didn't succeed because way too much 4:3 material is broadcast in the wrong ratio, thereby losing large chunks of the picture.

Agree it should be sent out as it was originally intended so that people have the choice with their own TV set.
Depending on the mechanics of your TV set you dont loose much if anything of the image anyway,certainly I have found no problems with what might be deemed as critical such as captions.

I really could not watch anything with black curtains up the sides now as it looks so remote, distant ..and of course old.
The other irritating thing is through the course of an evening if you leave the TV on original source,the picture is bouncing like a yoyo between 4:3 and widescreen as different standards of films come up.

[Moor Larkin]

Surely the whole raison d'etre of widescreen TV has been to favour the cinema watcher? I recall that when I first saw them in other peoples houses they seemed to be watching shows full of short, squat fat people, but then I realised this was what happens when you put a square picture into a rectangular box. When I pointed this out, and said they should square off the picture they were quite offended, as if to say... After spending all this money on widescreen? You must be joking.

It reminded me of when mum got her first colour TV and she refused to watch anything in black and white....

[ChuckEddie]

I don't understand stretch 4:3 into widescreen.

It makes the figures in a Lowry painting look like Laurel and Hardy(well Hardy anyway).

[Sweeney Todd]

Quote : "I don't understand stretch 4:3 into widescreen."

I share your opinion. Furthermore, most of the old movies (silents and early talkies) if they were shown correctly on a 4:3 set, would have slight black bars on the side. They don't (generally, and consequently the characters are often "scalped". When a restoration is perfect (two examples: Fritz Lang's "M" and "Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse" on DVD) these slight bars do appear on each side, and when a character is standing, his head is always complete on the screen. But try to explain that to persons who have not the slightiest idea of what is a screen ratio!