Some of the new HD Channels Cropped?

[Crypter]

Hi Everyone,

Has anyone noticed that on some of the channels some shows that are listed as HD appear to be slightly cropped with thin black bars on the left and right of the screen?

Specifically I have seen it on a few shows on TLCHD and DSCHD

[JeffBowser]

I've seen that, too. I have also noticed overscan recently as well, I was beginning to wonder if my rear projection was the problem, thanks for bringing this up.

[Tom Servo]

I can't find the posts or the other thread, but this was noticed with Disc HD during the 9301 Test channel period. Someone mentioned it was likely 4:3 content blown up to a comprimise aspect ratio known as "14:9 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14:9)".

Personally, I'd rather non-widescreen content of any resolution be shown pillar-boxed to keep things neat, but that's just me.

[cookpr]

y, its on TLC as well as Disc HD...very odd....

[JeffBowser]

I guess from the severe lack of comments to this subject that nobody has much noticed this. Now I am really inclined to have my RPTV professionally calibrated.

[chuckrollz]

yeah, some of the shows are stretched. tbs is pretty bad too

[CoachGibbs]

I guess from the severe lack of comments to this subject that nobody has much noticed this. Now I am really inclined to have my RPTV professionally calibrated.

The 4 Discovery channels added yesterday all crop or zoom whatever you call it. That's why you are seeing overscan. Others like A&E, History and TBS are stretching.

[Trendy2]

I guess from the severe lack of comments to this subject that nobody has much noticed this. Now I am really inclined to have my RPTV professionally calibrated.

Oh, I've noticed it too. My old RPTV's (Toshiba 57HX83) overscan is really bad anyways and I've messed with it for a couple years now trying to get it right through the service menu to no avail. It's bad enough on mine where the little black bar on the left is twice as big as the one on the right. Even on 4:3 material that's pillarboxed the bars on either side aren't quite even. Professional calibration is something I'd like to do but it's too pricey for me, isn't it about $300 - $400 to have it done? It's about time for a new set anyways - that monster is just too big for the LR in my new house.

[MalibuRacing]

I've also noticed it. It's not your TV. All other sources and "real" 16:9 HD looks fine on mine. It's the source.

[JeffBowser]

Thanks for the add'l comments. Please be aware, this thread is not about the standard 4:3 stretch, or the normal pillar bars. This is about the picture being just a tad too small on screen, or a tad too big and getting cut off.

[CCDMan]

We clearly need critical mass in HD ASAP. Then maybe we can get rid of this old 4:3 content as quickly as possible. It is what is causing all these issues. The programmers are clearly trying to make their upscaled content look like it fits the 16:9 screen.....

[JeffBowser]

This particular subject is about slight overscan and underscan, not about stretched 4:3, there is crucial difference between the two.

We clearly need critical mass in HD ASAP. Then maybe we can get rid of this old 4:3 content as quickly as possible. It is what is causing all these issues. The programmers are clearly trying to make their upscaled content look like it fits the 16:9 screen.....

[Racerbob66]

Thanks for the add'l comments. Please be aware, this thread is not about the standard 4:3 stretch, or the normal pillar bars. This is about the picture being just a tad too small on screen, or a tad too big and getting cut off.

I saw the same thing on my TV, it is really annoying. I thought it was my TV at first, but it appears that others are seeing the same "frame" around the picture.

[arxaw]

It's 14:9 zoom. It's blurry and ugly.

They should always show original aspect ratio only.

[MalibuRacing]

I also have noticed that the picture appears soft, in addition to the very small "bars" on each side.

I thought that these shows on Discovery, such as Myth Busters were recorded in HD. Is that not the case? Just wondering why they are cropping?

[DesertFlyer]

It's a partial zoom partial stretch to get the 4:3 content to match 14:9. You can easily see the stretch when compared to the SD channel:
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=100802&highlight=discovery+HD+comparison

[bobojay]

What I've got on a couple new channels is a wider black bar on one side than the other. Depends on what's being shown at that particular time.
It's obvious that all is not ready at the content providers yet. I don't believe it's a D* problem.

I know the Smithsonian channel sure looks great!

[DanHo]

I am also having the same issue. I first noticed it with DiscoveryHD, then I noticed it with AnimalPlanetHD. I thought it was a problem with my TV as well. Glad to know that it is not. I also notice that there are also small bars on the top and bottom, not just the sides.

[deepthinker]

I just woke up and thought for sure there would be a big thread about this on the first page and had to search to find it on the second page. THESE DISCOVERY CHANNELS WERE NOT DOING THIS YESTERDAY MORNING AT LAUNCH!:mad:

I only noticed this today, but from the time the channels launched yesterday morning all the way until I stopped watching them around 11 A.M. CDT yesterday these channels did not have thin bars on either side. This is something DTV needs to fix, as it willl end up causing burn-in problems for thos of us with CRT HDTV's and some plasma displays. It's unacceptable that these HD channels should ALL have thin lines on either side on EVERY SHOW. I've seen some post mention 14:9 or blowing the picture up, but even shows that are truely listed HD and ARE HD are doing this as well. My overscan/underscan have been set perfectly within specs for 2 years now.

[sr6376]

I am glad that I read this thread because I was confused as he** as to why some of the new HD stations have slight "black bars" on the left & right sides of the screen. I switched over to the Starz HD to see if that had it as well, and it did not. Matter of fact, any programs that have the "HD" designation next to the program name, haven't got the black bar (14:9 ratio) black bars.

If you tune to an HD station and it doesn't have the "HD" designation next to the program name, then you are going to likely have variations in how each provider decides what to do (stretch, zoom, etc).

[deepthinker]

I am glad that I read this thread because I was confused as he** as to why some of the new HD stations have slight "black bars" on the left & right sides of the screen. I switched over to the Starz HD to see if that had it as well, and it did not. Matter of fact, any programs that have the "HD" designation next to the program name, haven't got the black bar (14:9 ratio) black bars.

If you tune to an HD station and it doesn't have the "HD" designation next to the program name, then you are going to likely have variations in how each provider decides what to do (stretch, zoom, etc).

This is only happening with the NEW Discovery Channel networks. EVERY single program even with an HD designation in the guide on these channels has the bars left and right. What's weird is some of the commercials don't have them. Right now "Unsolved History" on DSCHD has the HD designation in the guide info and it has the bars. See my post above. THIS WAS NOT HAPPENING AT LAUNCH YESTERDAY MORNING!!

[deepthinker]

Okay I thought it was just the Discovery Networks, but now notice that HistHD's "Modern Marvels" show on now, which says HD in the guide info is doing this as well. It also has thin lines on the top and bottom.:mad:

[JeffBowser]

I was watching the HistoryHD channel at lunch today, and I was suffering overscan on that channel. Over, under, 14:9, whatever the heck this is, it's an annoyance.

[axl]

I see this on TLCHD DSCHD and TWCHD...all are cutting things at the bottom of the screen off for me. Running a SAMSUNG LCD

[deepthinker]

Okay something is SERIOUSLY going on. I kept going back and forth between Unsolved History on DSCHD and Extreme Engineering on SCIHD and the thin black bars on the top and bottom of Unsolved History on DSCHD will come and go sometimes in the SAME PROGRAM!!!! But the ones left and right are always there.

[deepthinker]

Well gotta run get the kiddo from school, but I hope Earl or someone from DTV is seeing this thread!!!!

[deepthinker]

bump

[Keeska]

Okay something is SERIOUSLY going on. I kept going back and forth between Unsolved History on DSCHD and Extreme Engineering on SCIHD and the thin black bars on the top and bottom of Unsolved History on DSCHD will come and go sometimes in the SAME PROGRAM!!!! But the ones left and right are always there.Note that there may be more then one type of source material within a single program on the DSC /NGC type channels. So you may see some images zoomed, some actual HD and some partially zoomed with black bars on the top/bottom and/or the sides. Also note that anything shot on 35mm film will have an aspect ratio of about 1.5:1 (13.5:9 which many people call 14:9). There is a lot of older 35mm film material shot in the days before affordable HD cameras.

Also some channels try harder then others to get HD source material.

[JeffBowser]

I keep seeing 14:9 referenced a lot, that would certainly explain skinny black bars at the top and bottom, but what about when they are on the sides, or the pic looks like overscan ? Source material trying to compensate ?

[doo4usc]

After reading these posts, I checked all my new HD CH's and found that almost all commercials had the side bars but, when normal content came back they were normal..The stretching makes me sick!!

[Indiana627]

I noticed this on a TLCHD show last night. It was cropped so much that part of the graphics they put up on the bottom of the screen (like somebody's name) was half cut off. And even with that much cropping, the picture still had some black bars on the sides.

[jahgreen]

I guess from the severe lack of comments to this subject that nobody has much noticed this. Now I am really inclined to have my RPTV professionally calibrated.

Hold that thought! I noticed it too on my plasma.

[JeffBowser]

Ah, so plasma, LCD, and RPTV - well, now I am convinced I am not insane, and perhaps I don't need to have an epxensive pro service call. Thanks for that feedback !

[gizzorge]

I also noticed an overscan problem last night. I thought it was the TV as well, but everything seems to be set correctly.