ESPN to go widescreen for some SD

[waltinvt]

ESPN to Run Wide-Screen College Football
Channel Risks Irking Standard-Def Viewers to Promote HD Content
In a sports programming first, ESPN will add letterbox bars to its Thursday Night Football series of standard-definition college telecasts to promote the high-definition experience to viewers who lack HD service. The weekly program will add black bars on the upper and lower portion of the screen to simulate the expansive picture ratio familiar to viewers with widescreen HD sets....................
http://www.tvweek.com/page.cms?pageId=179

 

[charper1]

Although I wish they would just make those SD games all HD, I am sure there is a tech or contract eason they can't/don't.

However, I think this is a good move; now if we could get all of standard TV to do the same thing as well as forcing movie companies to STOP offering pan & scan and/or cropped movies when they come to retail. Just save the money and leave them in OAR.

Nice post Walt.

 

[mdonnelly]

Good find.

I assume that this is for games that will be in HD on the HD channel. Really, ESPN is doing the SD subs a favor by showing them the whole picture, and not one that's cropped on the sides.

Maybe this will lead to better use of HD cameras at sporting events, and they will frame shots for the whole 16:9 picture, instead of the 4:3 lowest common denominator.

 

[Joe Capitano]

I see one other good thing about this: ESPN's omnipresent BottomLine won't cover the game action, assuming they place it on the lower black bar and at the BOTTOM of the screen.

On the other hand, they could use the ESPNews Superticker... Nah, better not give them ideas.