widescreen signal over antenna

remoteboy

Just wondering if any of the Irish channels broadcast in widescreen over analog terrestrial (if that's the right terminology) - i.e. can I hook up an antenna/rabbits ears to the back of my widescreen set and receive a widescreen signal or do i need to subscribe to ntl/sky/chorus, etc.

actually - this is probably in the wrong section now that i think about it. feel free to move it, watty.

TVDX

The widescreen you speak of is only available on Digital unless you count letterobxed stuff.
There is more information in the digital signal to allow the full widescreen picture.

I believe the ill fated Pal Plus standard allowed true widescreen on analogue.
Don't think it was taken up by many broadcasters though.

remoteboy

no, i mean full width of the screen - no bars on the left or right, just top and bottom (or not at all).

I've (i think) a faulty DVD recorder - it won't record an anamorphic signal, i just get squished picture when i record from the sky box. everything is set up right, all the devices are set to either send or receive a widescreen signal but it makes no difference. i rang the manufacturer and their advice was to record tv3 or rte over an antenna signal to see if it came through in widescreen. i suggested to them that TV3/RTE are not broadcasting in widescreen over the aerial but they insisted that they are. so i thought i'd check here.

scart

RTE/TV3 only broadcast true widescreen(16:9) on the sky digital platform.
They broadcast analogue terrestrial in the compromise format of 14:9 which is why viewers with non widescreen sets see the black bars on the top & bottom of their screens.

watty

TVDX wrote:

The widescreen you speak of is only available on Digital unless you count letterobxed stuff.
There is more information in the digital signal to allow the full widescreen picture.

I believe the ill fated Pal Plus standard allowed true widescreen on analogue.
Don't think it was taken up by many broadcasters though.

Actually, no Digital uses EXACTLY the same amount for WS as 4:3

The problem is the NON WS viewers, the digital receivers have two options for converting the animorphic picture to cropped or letterbox.

Pal Plus is a compromise allowing nearly animorphic quality on a letterboxed picture.

The RF out on Digibox is "analog WS". It (or better the SCART) will record on a VHS fine and then you manually select WS on playback, or else you get a stretched picture.

If everyone hade 4:3 sets that internally did WS (some do, by reducing the height as if a WS CRT fitted) and 16:9 TVs then they could transmitt true WS tommorow on Analog.

watty

remoteboy wrote:

no, i mean full width of the screen - no bars on the left or right, just top and bottom (or not at all).

I've (i think) a faulty DVD recorder - it won't record an anamorphic signal, i just get squished picture when i record from the sky box. everything is set up right, all the devices are set to either send or receive a widescreen signal but it makes no difference. i rang the manufacturer and their advice was to record tv3 or rte over an antenna signal to see if it came through in widescreen. i suggested to them that TV3/RTE are not broadcasting in widescreen over the aerial but they insisted that they are. so i thought i'd check here.

if recording from Sky, even if it is WS, just record as if it is 4:3.

Then MANUALLY select 16:9 on your TV when you playback.

Like my video recorder, the DVDR may not pickup the SCART WS switch signal. Sky ought to output it on Line23 also.

TV3 only letterboxes over the Aerial.

TVDX

That's enlightening Watty, I never considered the fact the digital boxes had that option to change the aspect ratio.

On the same subject TV3 on analogue is a mess since widescreen on digital.
The program is often stretched to look very odd in 4:3, mainly at night when the teleshopping is on.

They don't seem to be getting widescreen right.

watty

Try selecting WS manually, I bet they are transmitting a WS image!