If it's HD, shouldn't it be wide screen?

[bnewt]

When ESPN shows a game in HD with the "ESPN HD" side bars.......is it really HD?

 

[Bill1767]

When ESPN shows a game in HD with the "ESPN HD" side bars.......is it really HD?

No,480p

 

[garys]

Not that many HD channels show HD 24/7. At least not yet.

 

[KAB]

And not all widescreen is HD. I.E. A&E, History Channel....stretched SD.

 

[vampz26]

When some older movies are shown in HD, if the OAR isn't widescreen than the HD presentation of it won't be...you'll get that little sidebar thing happening. I think the HD presentation of "The Wizard of Oz" was like this...

 

[BuddyBoy]

No,480p

No, it's upconverted SD. It doesn't start out as 480p, nor is it delivered as 480p, so I don't know where you got the idea to call it 480p.

 

[whatchel1]

To add to this

No, it's upconverted SD. It doesn't start out as 480p, nor is it delivered as 480p, so I don't know where you got the idea to call it 480p.

Buddy boy is correct. It is SD 480I upconverted to 720P that ESPN HD uses.

 

[Barry Erick]

It is HD. The picture is the center 4:3 plus the sidebars and it is being transmitted at the same rate as full hd on that channel.

Now, is that 4:3 content HD. Most likely not. But it is being upconverted to HD.

16:9 does NOT have to be HD. 4:3 does not have to be SD. ASPECT ratio's are not tried to a standard, if you look at the ATSC standards. BUT, they usually are.