I've got HDTV! Now a question.

dizzy

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I bought the Motorola HDT-101 OTA receiver, and I've now got HDTV, and the
picture in very nice! One thing I don't understand, is that not all the
channels are wide-screen, even though the receiver reports that they are
HD. For example, a show on Fox (yeah I know it's not "real" HDTV on
Fox) came right up and said "available in Fox widescreen high-resolution"
(or something), so it should have been wide, right? I just use the
channel up-down buttons, and some are wide, and some that (I think) should
be are not!
 
G

Guest

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Welcome to the current technologies available: dependent on the original
materials format can determine what specific aspect ratio will be displayed
on your set. Yes it varies from channel to channel, from local to network,
from live to taped, etc.

One of the 'nice' feathures inbedded within the OTA receiver is to select
these parameters depending on the data encoded [format, aspect, etc] within
the original transmission.

Your set should allow you to change the displayed aspect setting of the
final item but it will not stop the received material from changing to
reflect the original intended broadcast settings.

"dizzy" <dizzy@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:W3nIc.37035$WX.18828@attbi_s51...
>
> I bought the Motorola HDT-101 OTA receiver, and I've now got HDTV, and the
> picture in very nice! One thing I don't understand, is that not all the
> channels are wide-screen, even though the receiver reports that they are
> HD. For example, a show on Fox (yeah I know it's not "real" HDTV on
> Fox) came right up and said "available in Fox widescreen high-resolution"
> (or something), so it should have been wide, right? I just use the
> channel up-down buttons, and some are wide, and some that (I think) should
> be are not!
>
 

dizzy

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Art wrote:

>Welcome to the current technologies available: dependent on the original
>materials format can determine what specific aspect ratio will be
>displayed on your set. Yes it varies from channel to channel, from local
>to network, from live to taped, etc.

So it must be the local Fox station's fault? Obviously the network made a
wide-screen version available...
 
G

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dizzy <dizzy@nospam.invalid> wrote (in part):

>
>I bought the Motorola HDT-101 OTA receiver, and I've now got HDTV, and the
>picture in very nice! One thing I don't understand, is that not all the
>channels are wide-screen, even though the receiver reports that they are
>HD. For example, a show on Fox (yeah I know it's not "real" HDTV on
>Fox) came right up and said "available in Fox widescreen high-resolution"
>(or something), so it should have been wide, right? I just use the
>channel up-down buttons, and some are wide, and some that (I think) should
>be are not!

From what I've seen, that message should read, "Portions of the
following program will be presented in HDTV if we remember to pass it
through." One problem is that many stations aren't really equipped to
process HD, just as they couldn't do color when color was new. So
network shows might have been passed through in color, but local
breaks were B&W. Same now, except they upconvert their local NTSC
stuff to HD specs, but it's still SD in a 4:3 box. Sometimes they
forget to switch back to the network HD source and use the SD source
instead. And if they have to run network through their NTSC
production switcher, as they do to insert news headlines and other
local material over end credits or for storm warnings or school
closings, then the result is SD in HD clothing. Just wait 'til
election night; there won't be HD anywhere as shows are overlaid with
local election results.

But the local stations don't deserve all the blame. Anyone see "A
Thief of Time" on PBS-HD Sunday? Sure, the movie was HD, but the
Mystery opening and the closing credits were SD zoomed to fill the
screen. Looked really bad. Repeats Wednesday, 9:00 PM EDT if you
want to see what I mean.

The Tonight Show is one of the best-looking shows in HD, but sometimes
the repeats are in SD. I don't know if NBC or the local station is to
blame for that.

E. Ogden <eoyymm@nycap.rr.com>
where yymm is the current year and month
 
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"E. Ogden" <eo0407@nycap.rr.com> wrote in message
news:63p6f05bqnpf87e856nrr17kqia0lbm2uq@4ax.com...
> instead. And if they have to run network through their NTSC
> production switcher, as they do to insert news headlines and other
> local material over end credits or for storm warnings or school
> closings, then the result is SD in HD clothing. Just wait 'til

Yes, it's very maddening to look forward to a sports game in HD, only to
find that, due to a silly repetitive storm warning, the entire game is
broadcast in SD instead.
 
G

Guest

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What kind of cables are you using? component video cables or DVI? Note that
most cable providers only carry select local networks in HD. For example, in
Houston all of the networks are available in HD (the list: NBC, ABC, CBS,
PBS, WB, FOX, UPN), if you purchase an OTA (Over the air) HD tunner you can
pick up all of these networks for free (in greater Houston area), however
TimeWarner cable in Houston does not carry WB or UPN in HD, for these
networks they only carry the SD (Standard Definition) feeds. Most cable
providers offer only about 1/2 the local networks in HD, sometimes it's much
less. For example Kingwood Cable (a suburb of Houston) originally only
offered NBC and CBS in HD.

So it's possible you cable provider doesn't offer that channel in HD.

Another possiblity is that you don't have the right cable (you need
component or DVI cable for HD).

-Jeremy










is probably

"dizzy" <dizzy@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:W3nIc.37035$WX.18828@attbi_s51...
>
> I bought the Motorola HDT-101 OTA receiver, and I've now got HDTV, and the
> picture in very nice! One thing I don't understand, is that not all the
> channels are wide-screen, even though the receiver reports that they are
> HD. For example, a show on Fox (yeah I know it's not "real" HDTV on
> Fox) came right up and said "available in Fox widescreen high-resolution"
> (or something), so it should have been wide, right? I just use the
> channel up-down buttons, and some are wide, and some that (I think) should
> be are not!
>
 

dizzy

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On Wed, 14 Jul 2004 01:49:24 +0000, Jeremy Deats' wrote:

> What kind of cables are you using? component video cables or DVI?

Component video.

Since my last post, I've witnessed some Fox widescreen. Seems all the
channels are flipping back-and-forth, depending on the show and the
commercials. Seems like everything is working for me.

I live in a valley, so I'm pleased that I get all the local channels, even
though I just tossed a Radio Shack antenna up into my garage rafters and
pointed it in the general direction of the towers. 8)

HDTV is fun!