Zen Traveler Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Way. Things that were shot on 35 mm film can be transferred to a high definition format, and look fabulous (If the film quality is there). Hogans Heroes was shot on 35 mm film and looks crystal clear in a 16x9 format. There are also some old movies I have seen ("Towering Inferno," is one) on HD Net, that were shot in that format and look great on my 65 inch, 16x9 TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickB Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 ---------------- On 4/7/2005 3:03:27 PM tkdamerica wrote: There are also some old movies I have seen ("Towering Inferno," is one) on HD Net, that were shot in that format and look great on my 65 inch, 16x9 TV. ---------------- The HDNet Movie channel does it the right way. The movies are shown in the Original Aspect Ratio, and the quality is excellent. I watched Battle of the Bulge a few days ago and I couldn't believe how good a 40 year old movie looked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 ---------------- On 4/7/2005 3:33:01 PM RickB wrote: I watched Battle of the Bulge a few days ago and I couldn't believe how good a 40 year old movie looked. ---------------- I agree. I saw that also. I wasn't even planning on watching it but got captivated by the picture. There was a movie with Natalie wood, I saw on HD net and it was INCREDIBLE how beautiful she looked. She was even before my time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 The reality of high definition is that there is not that much programming available yet. The high definition programming is not worth the added price for the subscriptions and the added gear yet. High definition commercials do not appeal to me either. The industry will try to control too much of your use. If you want to let them have that control, go ahead. It is a free market. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Mr. Mcgoo, I think you have legitimate reasons for not getting HD TV for yourself. We are in agreement that 480i converted to 480p looks great on these High Definition monitors. That would be benefit alone for purchasing a High Definition set for some people including yourself. I wish there were more programing, but I don't regret the money I spent to be able to receive High Definition. Where we disagree is your statement "The industry will try to control too much of your use. If you want to let them have that control, go ahead. It is a free market." I believe it more correct to say the industry's policies and politics are keeping YOU from buying into actual HD. I respect that, but I know no one who has upgraded, that feels differently than myself. I also haven't seen any commercials in HD except for more HD programing. There are more and more programs and channels being added all of the time--I can tell you THAT from personal experience over the last year. There will be even more soon because "the industry," wants people like you to join in on the REVOLUTION--Keep fighting the good fight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 I get digital sat. as my main TV source. I record onto a PVR's hard drive. Picture and sound are excellent. I can record all programs. No flag turns the PVR off as long as I pay the bill. How long will it be before HD advertisers will not allow recording so that we cannot fast forward through their very expensive commercials? When I watch TV, it is always converted to 480p. Fox's "high definition" is 480p. SD movie channels are avialble with 5.1 sound and 480i that I convert to 480p. Most of what I watch on TV looks as good as a regular DVD. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 Mr. McGoo, It appears we both have systems that work for us. I watch the stock market & News Channels on my DirectTV all day, intermingled with HD shows on the 7 commercial free HD channels I receive. I do not wish to time shift anything that I watch (that may be a difference between us). I don't watch much network TV. My nightly viewing is mostly DVD's and listening to DVD-A/SACD's, until my wife informs me John Stewart is on; Afterward, we watch Jay Leno in HD (In September Letterman is supposed to be converting;-) Bill, When you do upgrade to HD, Please let us know your opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 ---------------- On 4/8/2005 12:47:00 AM MrMcGoo wrote: Fox's "high definition" is 480p. Bill ---------------- FYI-I have just been informed that it is actually 720p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 My Pioneer Elite RPTV is HD capable. I have looked into getting HD sources versus upgrading my audio system. The audio system seems to win each time. When I have a good DVD playing at 480p, the picture takes on a three demensional quality. That is all I really need for viewing. HD DVDs are another item I will probably hold off on until the format war has a winner. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 Bill, I don't know where you live but get a standard antenna. Outside of Dallas, I get 4 networks in HD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WS65711 Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 ---------------- On 4/8/2005 8:01:29 PM tkdamerica wrote: Bill, I don't know where you live but get a standard antenna. Outside of Dallas, I get 4 networks in HD. ---------------- CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, WB, UPN, & PBS are all available for free with an OTA antenna here in New Orleans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 EDit: I believe I can get more channels but I haven't really tried (not really interested in WB&UPN). ABC comes in spotty--I am too far away from their broadcasting area for my inside antenna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted April 9, 2005 Share Posted April 9, 2005 My question is how do you convert 4 x 3 to 16 x9 without loosing the top and bottom of the picture? If you use those stupid zooms you end up with short fat people, clear or not. It is mathematically impossible to change a 4 x 3 aspect to 16 x 9 without loosing the top and bottom unless you are in the 11th dimension. If you are viewing it on an HD channel with the correct 4 x 3 aspect it is in 480p which is not High Definition. Anything broadcast on a High Def channel in 4 x 3 aspect is automatically broadcast in 480p, not 1080i. There is no such thing as High Definition 4 x 3 period. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted April 9, 2005 Share Posted April 9, 2005 I am no expert in this matter, but like I said previously, media shot on 35 mm film can be transferred to a 16x9 HD format. Look at 35 mm still pictures, they appear to have a similar 16x9 aspect ratio. The explanation is what you are referring to (such as HH) was never SHOT in a 4x3 format, only displayed that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WS65711 Posted April 9, 2005 Share Posted April 9, 2005 ---------------- On 4/9/2005 8:19:12 AM JJKIZAK wrote: If you are viewing it on an HD channel with the correct 4 x 3 aspect it is in 480p which is not High Definition. Anything broadcast on a High Def channel in 4 x 3 aspect is automatically broadcast in 480p, not 1080i. ---------------- JJ - This statement is not true. Any 4:3 (or other SD source) is upconverted to 720p (most ABC and Fox stations) or 1080i (most CBS and NBC stations) for broadcast. Both of my HDTV's (one is a CRT based 1080i RPTV, the other a 720p LCD flatpanel) confirm this. They NEVER indicate that they are receiving 480p over broadcast airwaves. The only time they indicate 480p is when viewing DVD's from a progressive scan player. Any SD source material is automatically converted (line-doubled) to 480p by both sets, as MrMcGoo indicated earlier. But the source itself is still indicated as 480i by both sets in this case. Relatively few films were made in 4:3 aspect ratio. Most are made in 1.85:1 or wider. So it is easy for the studios to convert them (the 1.85 and up ones) to fit 16:9 widscreen tv's. And since the film image has even greater resolution than HDTV, they can convert the existing films to High Definition as well. Stretch modes. Some are better than others of course. MrMcgoo's Pioneer set is widely regarded to have one of the best stretch modes available. The one on my Mits is only "Ok". The one on my Sharp LCD is looks superb, however some of this may be related to the fact that it is only a 26" set, whereas my Mits is a 65". Most stretch modes whack a small amount from the top and bottom of the original image and stretch the image from side to side, stretching a progressively greater amount as it gets closer to the (side) edge of the image. Therefore, subject material in the center of the screen doesn't look stretched at all, it only becomes noticeable towards the sides of the image. On my Sharp, I really can't notice it at all. However the Sharp does chop a greater amount from the top and bottom of the image, and this is easily noticed on news channels with scrolling text at the bottom. Hope this helps some . . . Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted April 11, 2005 Share Posted April 11, 2005 Well, I give up. My HDTV tuner crapped out so I bought another one---LG-3510-A. It has at last count 18 different zoom variations. I have lost the battle and I have lost the war. I now go on record as saying that everything on an HD designated channel is HD even if it doesn't look like HD. Even if it starts out as a 1920 black & white 18fps film it is HD. About 75% of the HD channels in my area send the 4 x 3 flags when tansmitting 4 x 3 but about 25% do not so they stretch it out to 16 x 9, and this includes the commercials in the broadcast. Lets see now, I select the channel, then go through 18 different possible zoom configurtations, then the program is over and I go to the doctor for carpel tunnel syndrome. Can someone save me from this extraordinary PR blitz of High-Definition Definitions? JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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