[macintologist]

Taxpayers would get checks under economic stimulus plan - CNN.com

Check out the stretched head!



I don't understand. Are most viewers really that dumb to not see the difference between true widescreen and fake widescreen?

[Oisín]

Yes.

After a few minutes, you get used to it and don’t even notice it anymore. Going back to 4:3 just looks odd, then, for a few minutes.

[awaspaas]

Of the readers here whose parents own an HDTV, I imagine a majority of the parents watch a majority of their programming in stretch-o-vision just like the picture above - and don't think there's a problem.

[dlefebvre]

Originally Posted by awaspaas 

Of the readers here whose parents own an HDTV, I imagine a majority of the parents watch a majority of their programming in stretch-o-vision just like the picture above - and don't think there's a problem.

Exactly, because in their mind they're watching HD, since they shelled the big ones for a HD set.
That was the case for my parents and my sister (owners of HD TV fed by SD Strech-O-Rama in all its unaltered glory). During the Holidays, I brought my PS3 and treated them to a BluRay experience. They were very surprised. I was glad they got the fact that SD is crap on a HD TV. But after a week it was back to normal, watching Strech-O-Rama and being pleased about it. In the end, they're more interested in the content than how it looks. Like most...

[ghporter]

I'd just turn off the "stretch" option. All the widescreens I've looked at the controls of have the option for stretching or not stretching 4:3 sourced video.

[zro]

I'll use it on letterboxed content.


Zoom, that is. Our TV doesn't stretch like the example above.

[osiris]

Yeah it looks hella stupid. But most people don't care, because now it's widescreen.

[Chongo]

TNT and TBS use Stretch-O visioN for their 4:3 SD shows.

[vmarks]

The point of stretchovision is that some things are stored in compressovision and the TV expands them back out to norm - see some DVDs.

However, for TV, it just is silly. Mine is set to 'Aspect' and 'zoom' which means, things that are SD are kept in proportion, and set to fill the maximum height of the screen rather than being a letterboxed and pillarboxed postage stamp in the center.

[PB2K]

I got used to fake widescreen years ago, I have been using a 32"crt that makes everybody look short and fat.

Lately I got a free sony 100hz trinitron 4:3 tv with all option like multi PIP, but I can't watch it anymore because nowadays everything is broadcasted in widescreen. It makes the 4:3 picture like peeping thru a letterbox.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Chongo 

TNT and TBS use Stretch-O visioN for their 4:3 SD shows.

Good to know. This is TBS and TNT HD I assume?

[Chuckit]

I can't stand that. I know so many people who watch TV like that, but I just can't. I keep wanting to pinch the people.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Yeah, I'm a zoom man, myself.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

Yeah, I'm a zoom man, myself.

Better a zoom man than a Zune man.

[Dakar the Fourth]

I hope to god no one uses that as an opportunity to post tattoo guy.
but since i mentioned it, they will

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

I hope to god no one uses that as an opportunity to post tattoo guy.
but since i mentioned it, they will

You are so full of yourself.

Here ya go:

[smacintush]

I use justify.

It stretches it more near the edges than the middle. That way the main focus of the shot doesn't get stretched much.

The only time I really notice it is when it gives a women near the edge a big ol' booty.

[Eug]

That's how he looks in real life.

Don't make fun of him just because he's big boned.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by smacintush 

I use justify.

It stretches it more near the edges than the middle. That way the main focus of the shot doesn't get stretched much.

The only time I really notice it is when it gives a women near the edge a big ol' booty.

When people have sporting events displayed in this mode on their HDTV I tend to get a little dizzy when the camera pans across the field. I prefer "stretch" mode better for sporting events. Actually, I prefer true HD for sporting events, but if the game is only available in SD and I am at someone's house watching it, I just ask them (nicely) to change the stretch mode.

[phantomdragonz]

when I hooked up my comcast HD DVR to my HDTV with a HDMI cable (whoa!) it removed the "stretch-o-vision" option, and projects 4:3 at 4:3 and widescreen at it's proper scale... when i use component cables I get a lot of "stretch-o-vision" options, like the above poster is talking about...

all I need now is a blueray player... I will wait till they get closer to $100

Oh... and monoprice.com ROCKS for HDMI cables! I got all my cables (6 cables (component, HDMI, optical, s-video) for $29

Zach

[Cadaver]

Many widescreen TVs have a stretch mode where the central portion of the image is kept at proper ratio, while the sides are stretched to fill in the pillars. Works well.

However, people should appropriately choose in what mode their TV needs to be.

I have Comcast digital cable, which, as mentioned in a post above, sends everything as a fixed widescreen image - 4:3 broadcasts are sent with black pillars at the sides while widescreen broadcasts are sent appropriately fullscreen. Thus, no potential for stretch-o-vision.

[SSharon]

My inlaws do this too. They have a 42" HDTV and SD shows look like crap on it. I told them nicely of course and I think now they will get the HD channels through direct tv.

When everyone gives the HD channels for free people will upgrade, until then most people just don't care.

[peeb]

This is the lamest thing I have seen in a long time.

[Jawbone54]

I've tried so many times to watch "squashed" 4:3 video on my 32" screen, but I just can't deal with it.

I'm the type that's obsessed with correct proportions, pictures being hung straight, and symmetry, so squashed video is inexcusable. My wife things I'm an idiot. She doesn't care either way.