[459707]

Sorry if this has already been asked, but what is the difference between the 4:3 ad 16:9 modes on the SD receivers (like the D12 for example.)

I see absolutely NO difference on either 4:3 tv or a 16:9 tv.

So whats the point of these options?
Am I missing something here?

 

[rudeney]

It’s been a while, but I seem to recall that when I had an old SD UTV receiver connected to my 16:9 HDTV, it would automatically recognize 16:9 content and instead of sending it in letterbox 4:3, the IRD would horizontally compress the picture so that if the TV was set for “stretch”, it would then fill the screen correctly.

 

[texasbrit]

I think this is a mode intended to handle SD 16:9, so you could display it on a wide-screen TV. For a while, this was a format several stations were using (and I remember the cricket world cup using it a couple of years ago, because the source was widescreen SD) but I don't think anyone is using it any more.

 

[459707]

I thought the same thing (it would horizontally stretch the picture so when a 16:9 TV would stretch it, it would fill the screen) But every channel I tried still displays the bars.

 

[rudeney]

I believe this also depends on guide data to alert the receiver as to when a particular show is in 16:9 mode. It doesn’t just “know” this because of the black letterbox bars.

 

[texasbrit]

Yes, when the station sends out a 16:9 picture embedded in a 4:3 frame that is NOT a 16:9 picture, as far as the receiver is concerned it is 4:3. I am talking about the channel sending a real 16:9 picture but in SD. As I posted, I don't think anyone does this anymore but a few years ago there were channels that used this format.

 

[d max82]

The term "Fox Widescreen" comes to mind. In the Early days of HD and Digital Television fox was showing 16x9 SD.

Check out this http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/07/13/fox-widescreen-is-not-hd/