[Dirk Legume]

I just got the HD package and was watching some stuff with my funny little honey and she asked me why sometimes the picture shrunk down to a box and sometimes it was full screen.

I know I should know this...But I don't.

Little help?

 

[jamesbobo]

Not all shows on HD channels are in HD. In that case they will have black bars on the side to show the picture in the correct 4:3 standard screen format.
For some reason HD channels will show a program with black bars on all sides, sometimes referred to as "postage stamp". I don't know the reason for this, since the original picture should fill the widescreen HD aspect ratio. Someone else may provide some more information on that.

 

[dswallow]

Not all shows on HD channels are in HD. In that case they will have black bars on the side to show the picture in the correct 4:3 standard screen format.
For some reason HD channels will show a program with black bars on all sides, sometimes referred to as "postage stamp". I don't know the reason for this, since the original picture should fill the widescreen HD aspect ratio. Someone else may provide some more information on that.

When there's a letterbox SD broadcast, it'll end up pillarboxed on a 16:9 screen since it's a 4:3 program, but since it's letterboxed as a 4:3 program it already has bars on top and bottom; in the end you get a "postage stamp" display unless your television or receiver allows you to zoom/stretch the image.

 

[JimSpence]

Postage stamp is shown because the show is really a widescreen image inside a 4:3 aspect. Here you might be able to use the TV controls to stretch and expand the image to full screen. However, the PQ will suffer.

 

[jamesbobo]

One other item.
Some movies are filmed in a wider format than HD television. In this case there may be bars on the top and bottom of the screen. Showtime does this. I usually don't see this on HBO which means that HBO is cutting off the sides of the picture.

 

[Dirk Legume]

So when a station runs commercials, if it fills the entire screen, then it was filmed in HD and if it shrinks down, then it wasn't.

Thanks everybody.

 

[phox_mulder]

So when a station runs commercials, if it fills the entire screen, then it was filmed in HD and if it shrinks down, then it wasn't.

Thanks everybody.

Except TNT-HD, they stretch everything to fill the screen, wether it is HD or not, including commercials.

phox

 

[Dirk Legume]

Well, and this will sound stupid I know, How do you know when it's in HD. Is it appearance only? Clarity of the picture?

 

[Tonedeaf]

Typically it is just the clarity of the picture that sets it apart from an upconvert .