[tig] HD telecined TV shows

[Adrian Thomas]

On 20 Aug 2004, at 13:04, Marc Wielage wrote:
>
> Odd.  We're seeing NBC's HD coverage of the Summer Olympics on this 
> side of
> the pond in full-frame 16x9, no mattes.  I wonder where your HD feed is
> coming from for the U.K.?
>

Ooh, now that really is intriguing. Do you get all the 'supermotion' 
instant playbacks that we're getting on the 4:3/50i feed? I was 
watching the synchronised diving the other day and was marvelling at 
the sheer number of different TV cameras directly opposite the divers. 
There were at least SIX in effectively the same position - three per 
diver! If one was HD (60i, presumably) one 4:3/50i and one supermotion, 
that would account for it, but I'd still imagine that they couldn't do 
this treble for every camera position - what's the HD presentation 
like, is it pretty static?

> The specific decision on aspect ratios is one from the distributors, 
> not
> from the post houses or by colorists.  I know that HD Net is running
> CHARLIE'S ANGELS and HOGAN'S HEROES in 16x9, but there's a little teeny
> black matte on the extreme left and right.  I wouldn't say it's 14x9, 
> but
> there's definitely something going on.
>

The thing is, with 14:9 you almost lose the matting in overscan anyway, 
which is why such aostensibly bad theory works so well in (CRT) 
practice.

> You can contact Mark Cuban of HD Net at mark at hd.net if you want to ask 
> him
> about their choice for aspect ratios.  (The address is on their 
> webpage at
> http://www.hd.net on the web.)
>

I might just do that, as we're supposedly going to be offered some 
(almost certainly American flavoured) HD next year from our friends at 
Sky.

--
Adrian Thomas
AUTOMATIC TELEVISION
LONDON WC2N 4DU
www.autotv.co.uk
+44 (0) 20 7240 2073
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