What the hell is wrong with HBO!

[Chris Blount]

I haven't subscribed to HBO for about a year now. Before I turned it off, they were pan & scanning wide screen 2:35:1 movies on HBO-HD. In other words, in order to fill the 16X9 aspect ratio, they would blow up Panavision type movies so there were no black bars at the top and bottom of a 16X9 set.

Last night I decided to re-activate HBO and to my surprise, they are still doing this crap! What is with them? Do they have some marketing research that tells them that people who spend $3000 on a TV don't want to see the entire wide screen image? It seems like we have already fought this battle back when we got widescreen movies on laserdisc.

At least Showtime has their stuff together and shows everything in the OAR (Original Aspect Ratio).

[Geronimo]

I think they do indeed have such market research. To be truthful though I think this is one of those areas wher it really matters how you ask the question. I think that at least some people can't properly visualize the altetrnatives in these surveys. Just my opinion.

[Mark Lamutt]

Actually, HBO has been better about this recently. There have been a few recent movies shown OAR (Monster's Ball for one). They do generally P&S the 2.35:1 movies, but they have let a few through...

[Eyedox]

One step forward ... two steps back ....

[tnsprin]

They did OAR of Monster's Ball because the Director controlled the rights and insisted.

Otherwise they continue to butcher pictures to "fit your screen".

If they ever did a survey, it wasn't of HDTV owners.

[STXJim]

This is very sad news to hear from someone that wants a widescreen HDTV so bad that I drool about it. :( :shrug: