What's up with Fox showing 16:9 programming in 4:3?

[Rosenman69]

They've been doing this for a while now. A lot of their programming (Family Guy, Simpsons, 70s Show, etc, as well as tons of commercials) is broadcast as a 4:3 signal with black bars on the side. Problem is, the black bars don't cover the entire sides of the signal, you can see a little bit of what they're trying to cover at the top of the bars. It gets really annoying knowing that they are showing a 16:9 broadcast in 4:3. Other Fox shows, however, such as Prison Break and House, are shown in 16:9 (but the commercials still have the black bars as explained above.) Is this something that is common with every network? Fox is the only local station I get in HD, but I get the NY and Atlanta Fox feeds (Atl via antenna) and both do it. What's up with this?

Eli

 

[dfergie]

All of the 4:3 stuff is SD... the 16:9 is HD...

 

[Smthkd]

If your in the Atlanta area you should be getting more than FoxHD! Whats your zip?

 

[Rosenman69]

I'm in 30620, just far enough that I can only pick up Fox 5 through antenna (with a cheap antenna, anyway!) I get the NY feed cause Fox is the only local station that signed a waiver for me. How long til we get our local HD feeds via the dish in ATL?

As far as the 16:9 and 4:3 stuff, I can tell that they are showing 16:9 broadcasts with bars on the side cause at the very top I can see above the bars and you can see that there is more going on behind the bars. For example, on any of the previously mentioned shows or commercials, you can see someone walk from one side of the screen to the other, and when they would walk off of the left side of the screen, you can see the top of their head keep walking above the bars. You can also see more scenery above the bars so you know the program was shot (or animated) in 16:9, but they put bars on the sides to make it 4:3. This is only on the newer episodes of Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, 70s Show, etc that are in WS. Other shows like Prison Break and House, for example, are shown in 16:9 fine.

It's weird...

Eli

 

[minorthr]

I'm in 30620, just far enough that I can only pick up Fox 5 through antenna (with a cheap antenna, anyway!) I get the NY feed cause Fox is the only local station that signed a waiver for me. How long til we get our local HD feeds via the dish in ATL?

As far as the 16:9 and 4:3 stuff, I can tell that they are showing 16:9 broadcasts with bars on the side cause at the very top I can see above the bars and you can see that there is more going on behind the bars. For example, on any of the previously mentioned shows or commercials, you can see someone walk from one side of the screen to the other, and when they would walk off of the left side of the screen, you can see the top of their head keep walking above the bars. You can also see more scenery above the bars so you know the program was shot (or animated) in 16:9, but they put bars on the sides to make it 4:3. This is only on the newer episodes of Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, 70s Show, etc that are in WS. Other shows like Prison Break and House, for example, are shown in 16:9 fine.

It's weird...

Eli

This happens because the simpsons, family guy, american dad, the older that 70s shows and 99.9% of commercials are not in HD and are not WS. You get the same thing on any HD channel such as CBS, nbc, abc when they are running non hd shows on the HD channel. Now the part were your saying you see the top of the picture beyond the side bars I can not think of anything that could possibly make that happen other then maybe a tv issue. What leads me to believe that is the fact that the simpsons, family guy and american dad have never been animated in 16x9 or HD.

 

[Neutron]

The Simpsons has always shown in 4:3 for me. The FOX-4 DT logo is in the proper spot though.

 

[charper1]

Now the part were your saying you see the top of the picture beyond the side bars I can not think of anything that could possibly make that happen other then maybe a tv issue.

Just a guess but can it be an overscan issue? Is there such a thing as underscan? Minorthr is 100% correct about the letterboxing you see however.

 

[Smthkd]

Your within 40 miles of the towers! If you get a Medium Directional Outdoor Antenna w/amp all you signals will come in good/excellent! With a large directional all should come in excellent. You can get those at the local RadioShack around $100 or less. However, D* will began Local HD for 12 DMA's (Detroit being the first, in test period as we speak) this month, Atlanta is number 11. D* has yet to release our launch date but it will be soon.

 

[BFG]

I see some color on the top of the black bars as well and at first ahd the same inkling as you but it's just a flook I dunno how that color gets up there... But it's not like they're covering anything up

 

[billbillw]

Your within 40 miles of the towers! If you get a Medium Directional Outdoor Antenna w/amp all you signals will come in good/excellent! With a large directional all should come in excellent. You can get those at the local RadioShack around $100 or less. However, D* will began Local HD for 12 DMA's (Detroit being the first, in test period as we speak) this month, Atlanta is number 11. D* has yet to release our launch date but it will be soon.

In the Atlanta area, I would recommend the Channelmaster 4228 over anything RadioShack sells. Since you don't need low VHF (for now at least), the CM4228 does great (even on WXIA-DT, ch10). You can the the CM4228 for less than $50 if you shop around. Of course, mounting accessories are extra. Most can get by without a preamp using that antenna, but if you need one (like for multiple TV distro), then the CM7777 is about the best you can get.

 

[gbranch]

This is NOT a TV issue. I thought that I was seeing things, but it indeed happened during That 70's Show last night.

There was a horizontal bar on top and bottom that went from one side to the other. The vertical bars on each side went from the top of the bottom bar, to the bottom of the top bar. However, there was a slight space between the top of both side bars and the bottom of the top bar. In this space, you could actually see colors, movement, etc. It was like they took the 16:9 picture and put the vertical bars on each side to make it 4:3.

 

[Soundteck]

Same thing for me...

During the world series I was noticing that some of the comercials that same thing was happening.... I think maybe when they film they are in 16X9 but not in HD. I know that if you look at a camera throught the director/producer monitor you get a white box where the "TV" viewing area would be.. just a thought

 

[bleodler]

I saw this when I had my X1 projector, if you look closely it's just the 4:3 picture stretched, I've since gotten an ae700 which has greater overscan and no longer see it.

 

[BFG]

Well that probably makes sense. I guess if black bars aren't added then the equipment used would end up stretching the program to 16x9. The black bars are added to squeeze it back to 4x3. I guess that very top line isn't being squezed. If that's correct then that whole top line should be different from the rest of the picture, I'll have to look more closely next time

 

[Rosenman69]

No, it's not a stretched screen, I'm 100% positive that it is a 16:9 picture. If it is a still shot, in a living room for example, a window might be on the far left side of the screen. When you look above the bar, you can see the curtains continue till the end of the window, then maybe a picture on the wall after that. Or somebody might walk by the window, and you can see them keep walking beyond the edge where the black bar is. This happens on the animated shows also, but only brand new one's, like this season, they might have started 16:9. I'm not seeing things. I'm positive! I'll try to take a picture. I didn't think it was a tv problem because whenever House, Prison Break, or the OC which is on now, comes on, it's shown completely in 16:9, but then when commercials come on, they have the bars that you can see over. I know I'm not seeing things.

Eli

 

[Rosenman69]

Sorry, forgot to add that I've checked my sd tivo box on the same program to make sure it's not stretched. Also, the Fox logo appears on top of the black box, not in the corner of the viewable screen, if that means anything. It happens via OTA and satellite.

Eli

 

[minorthr]

It's certainly weird but I can guarentee you that the cartoons are not in 16x9.