Battlestar Gallactica wrong ratios on SciHD?!

[Steve Rhodes]

We recently -- first 2 seasons via DVDs -- started watching Battlestar Gallactica.
Yesterday I recorded a rebroadcast of the 3rd season (last 8 episodes of it actually) on SciHD. Now here comes my question.

Although the last 4 of the 8 episodes are fine in wide-screen as expected, the first 4 of 8 are broadcast in a letter box totally WITHIN a 4x3 frame. Our TV can stretch this, but, if we do, parts of the top, bottom and sides are chopped off.

Why are they doing this, and what exactly are they doing? I noticed that older episodes are also in this letterbox WITHIN a 4x3 frame.

[DirecTVHDFan]

The SciFi HD channel is not broadcasting those particular episodes in HD for one reason or another. Newer episodes are always more likely to be broadcast in HD, but some of the older programming has not ben setup for HD yet.

I believe that Battlestar has been shot in HD 16:9 since its inception, so eventually all episodes will be shown in HD. For now use the widezoom or equivalent feature on your TV remote and hopefully that will suffice for now...

[R8ders2K]

FWIW, yes... BSG has always been in HD (16x9) from the beginning. Universal HD has been showing the "re-runs" in HD before SciFi went HD.

[gphvid]

The SciFi HD channel is not broadcasting those particular episodes in HD for one reason or another. Newer episodes are always more likely to be broadcast in HD, but some of the older programming has not ben setup for HD yet.

I believe that Battlestar has been shot in HD 16:9 since its inception, so eventually all episodes will be shown in HD. For now use the widezoom or equivalent feature on your TV remote and hopefully that will suffice for now...

It's most likely a licensing thing in that they show HD at a particular episode concurrent when they went HD and any episodes prior to that are SD. Seems odd to do it that way, but then maybe there is an additional charge for HD episodes for them. Can't see why if they make that back and more with the ratings the show is getting...

[Carl Spock]

The same thing is true for Enterprise. It looks like HDNet has the exclusive for showing Enterprise in HD, where the SciFi Channel shows it letterboxed within a 4:3 screen.

[LarryFlowers]

The same thing is true for Enterprise. It looks like HDNet has the exclusive for showing Enterprise in HD, where the SciFi Channel shows it letterboxed within a 4:3 screen.
Very True...

The SciFi Channel has purchased the HD rights to "Lost" in HD for their upcoming Monday night lineup. G4TV has the SD rights.