New Channels

[3HaloODST]

IMO, PQ is moot if the aspect ratio can't be adjusted properly.

Agreed. I HATE watching stretch-o-vision.

 

[thechaz05]

Agreed, if I have to watch something that way I just watch something else. It is awful.

 

[harshness]

I guess I don't understand the support for TVLAND HD. Isn't about 85%-95% of their programming reruns of shows shot in SD?

Most of the TVLand programming was shot on film and as such, is of relatively high resolution. There have been some very good transfers of old programs done for HD; perhaps most notably the Charlie's Angels series on HD Net. We're not talking about TNT stretching LASER discs but someone painstakingly transferring film with thoughtful center-cutting.

 

[dare2be]

Most of the TVLand programming was shot on film and as such, is of relatively high resolution. There have been some very good transfers of old programs done for HD; perhaps most notably the Charlie's Angels series on HD Net. We're not talking about TNT stretching LASER discs but someone painstakingly transferring film with thoughtful center-cutting.

Yes, but the vast majority of SD content transferred for broadcast HD is just stretched to fit a wide-screen aspect. One of the worst offenders is GSN. Even much of their original programming produced within the last 10 years is stretch-o-vision on the HD channel, which if I'm going to watch it, I'll switch over to the SD channel.

 

[Mfinchv1]

Suprissed wwe network hasn't been said. It was supposed to launch after wrestlemaina but never did. Then again not sure if it ever will at this point. We keeps promoting it like it's all ready here

Wwe was going to launch there network after Mania...but did not have any sat or cable providers interested...lol. Plus the people working at wwe that are in place of making deals with sat/cable providers have no long term experince in the field of that sorta stuff. From what I read...there into making movies...wrestling...dvd distrubution...but creating a network requires people with that experince...and no one at WWE has worked for dish/cable places. I remeber reading a quote from a cable exe rep....saying it was a laughing matter what WWE brought to the table,there prices and there expectations. Keep in my...its just stuff that I read two or so months ago. Big wwe fan here...so im a follower of day to day stuff with them. Heard two days ago...there gonna try a hbo...starz...showtime approach...be a premium network

 

[whitewolf8214]

Wwe was going to launch there network after Mania...but did not have any sat or cable providers interested...lol. Plus the people working at wwe that are in place of making deals with sat/cable providers have no long term experince in the field of that sorta stuff. From what I read...there into making movies...wrestling...dvd distrubution...but creating a network requires people with that experince...and no one at WWE has worked for dish/cable places. I remeber reading a quote from a cable exe rep....saying it was a laughing matter what WWE brought to the table,there prices and there expectations. Keep in my...its just stuff that I read two or so months ago. Big wwe fan here...so im a follower of day to day stuff with them. Heard two days ago...there gonna try a hbo...starz...showtime approach...be a premium network

+1 Scott has said that many times before about WWE asking price being too high

 

[wkomorow]

Qubo full time, IonLife, and TVOne would make me happy. Would not mind TVLand HD, and especially would not mind them adding guide information for OTA subchannels like antenna TV Qubo, IonLife, and main channels like WCDC.

 

[Yespage]

They've already lost MSL to NBC Sports. If they lose EPL to BeIn, they would only have Champion's League through 2015 (a big deal). and....um...beach soccer?

Basically BeIN will have all the important international leagues except CL and MSL.

If that happened, FSC would probably need to merge back with FS+ and show rugby and SPL.

 

[harshness]

Yes, but the vast majority of SD content transferred for broadcast HD is just stretched to fit a wide-screen aspect. One of the worst offenders is GSN. Even much of their original programming produced within the last 10 years is stretch-o-vision on the HD channel, which if I'm going to watch it, I'll switch over to the SD channel.

I'm thinking TVLand might be a good idea and you're dismissing it because some other channels choose to stretch?

Unless you're an old school plasma or CRT weenie, don't assume that everything 4:3 surely must be stretched.

 

[3HaloODST]

Yes, but the vast majority of SD content transferred for broadcast HD is just stretched to fit a wide-screen aspect. One of the worst offenders is GSN. Even much of their original programming produced within the last 10 years is stretch-o-vision on the HD channel, which if I'm going to watch it, I'll switch over to the SD channel.

I just wish more people cared about how crappy stretch-o-vision looks, but everyone gets hung up on "black bars" and "wasted TV space."

If they HAVE to screw up the aspect ratio, I like it when channels such as Science channel zoom it in slightly to get rid of some of the black bars, but it cuts off the tops some. I think that would be the best compromise if they HAVE to. I say they should all be in their original aspect ratio, and if people are so worried about black bars they can manually stretch it.

 

[GaryPen]

Unless you're an old school plasma or CRT weenie, don't assume that everything 4:3 surely must be stretched.

???

 

[MikeD-C05]

I just wish more people cared about how crappy stretch-o-vision looks, but everyone gets hung up on "black bars" and "wasted TV space."

If they HAVE to screw up the aspect ratio, I like it when channels such as Science channel zoom it in slightly to get rid of some of the black bars, but it cuts off the tops some. I think that would be the best compromise if they HAVE to. I say they should all be in their original aspect ratio, and if people are so worried about black bars they can manually stretch it.

I'm one of those people who hate black bars and consider them a nuisance . But I find that stretching my tv aspect ,instead of my Sat receiver aspect , seems to give me a better picture when I do stretch it.

 

[thechaz05]

At this point I would just be happy with ABC Family in HD. With kids it's a good channel and often plays decent family movies that they enjoy. Being forced to view it in SD only ruins the viewing experience for me. Then again, the kids don't seem to care whether it's HD or SD.

 

[rajmarie]

I'm one of those people who hate black bars and consider them a nuisance . But I find that stretching my tv aspect ,instead of my Sat receiver aspect , seems to give me a better picture when I do stretch it.

That's because TVs have much better capability then most of the boxes out there.

 

[demsd]

With all the fuss of Dish dropping AMC Networks I have a question. What new channels are there out there that Dish can add?

If they are channels like Destination America, which looks like a channel for Discovery reruns, they can keep them. With all the reality crap taking over, there are few channels out there worth paying for. History seldom shows an history programming [same with H2]. A&E has dropped off a cliff -- except for programs like Longmire, all there is is reruns and unreality programming. Animal Planet has gotten worse, as has National Geographic. If it weren't for the movie channels, and networks like AMC who have their own original programming, there would be nothing on.

 

[The Fat Man]

At this point I would just be happy with ABC Family in HD. With kids it's a good channel and often plays decent family movies that they enjoy. Being forced to view it in SD only ruins the viewing experience for me. Then again, the kids don't seem to care whether it's HD or SD.

So this sounds weird and I don't do it. But for $30 your local cable company will give you many basic HD channels. That includes ABC Family, and the Disney Channel.

 

[3HaloODST]

???

Probably referring to burn-in.

 

[dare2be]

I'm one of those people who hate black bars and consider them a nuisance . But I find that stretching my tv aspect ,instead of my Sat receiver aspect , seems to give me a better picture when I do stretch it.

That's the point. If the channel sends the content in its original aspect ratio, then the viewer has the choice of whether to stretch it or not. If the channel does it, the viewer has no choice.

 

[3HaloODST]

Maybe Dish receivers and TVs should have a 4:3 setting that compresses stretched crap back to normal... Come to think of it one of my TVs can do that (never used it though.) Best solution would be for the TV station to quit stretching in the first place, though.

 

[dangue]

Maybe Dish receivers and TVs should have a 4:3 setting that compresses stretched crap back to normal... Come to think of it one of my TVs can do that (never used it though.) Best solution would be for the TV station to quit stretching in the first place, though.

But depending on the stretch, that might just distort the picture even more. Ideally, the broadcasters wouldn't stretch anything and the users could individually choose to do it manually (if they so chose).