Why do only the BBC and C4 broadcast movies in full widescreen? - Broadcasting

mprince · 09-11-2009, 22:58

Why do only the BBC and C4 broadcast movies in full widescreen?

Die Hard 4 last Sunday was the latest in a long list of 2.35:1 Widescreen movies on C4. It's good to see these films as they were in the cinema, but why don't ITV or Channel 5 broadcast like this? They only seem to use 14:9 on analogue and 16:9 on Freeview on their broadcasts.

Does it cost more to get an OAR version of a movie for braoadcasting? Or is it because ITV and Five's equipment is not configured for OAR?

Apologies if this has been asked before...

mprince · 10-11-2009, 22:52

Hello? Anyone?

mike65 · 10-11-2009, 23:33

ITV know they would get an angry reaction from viewers who don't understand why their telly sets picture has black bits above and below the screen.

Rarewolf · 10-11-2009, 23:48

with older films the BBC don't always go to the expence of getting new widescreen copies - a few weeks ago Halloween was widescreen, but Halloween 2 wasn't.

Paddy C · 11-11-2009, 10:04

The BBC usually always show the 16:9 version too, it seems to be a very rare occasion, or a mistake, that they broadcast a film in 2.35:1. The only times I have ever seen it though were on BBC TWO and they were during the day on foreign/independent cinema titles, nothing Hollywood related or what you would call "mainstream".

ITV have so many problems it's no surprise movies is one of them, their picture quality, bitrate, appalling way of broadcasting HD, appalling HD quality... the list goes on. You can forget about them ever broadcasting 2.35:1, any time it has happened it has only been on ITV 2/3/4 and appear to have been mistakes as the next time the film was broadcast it was back to 16:9. (Which does make you think, if they have the full 2.35:1 version and have shown them before with presumably no complaints, why change it?)

FIVE are in the same sort of boat as ITV. Hell, some of FIVE's films are still in 4:3 and have been since they launched, which makes me think they must have secured one hell of a deal when they launched in 1997 for unlimited showings of certain films. If it wasn't a long term deal then they are just lazy/tightwads for not obtaining widescreen copies. They don't even bother trying to get widescreen copies for sporting events as well. They don't have a HD service neither and if they do only the CSI/FlashForward/USA imports will be in HD making it not worthwhile. At least their picture quality is a bit better then ITV's.

ITV, Channel 4 and FIVE are responsible though for showing 12 and 15 rated films during the day and editing them which is just plain stupid. There are so many problems with the main networks and their standards for broadcasting, and unfortunatly they aren't going to change any time soon, if at all.

derek500 · 11-11-2009, 10:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paddy C

The BBC usually always show the 16:9 version too, it seems to be a very rare occasion, or a mistake, that they broadcast a film in 2.35:1.

On occasions BBC1/2 have shown a film in 16:9, but the BBC HD simulcast has been in 2.35:1.

BKM · 11-11-2009, 11:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by derek500

On occasions BBC1/2 have shown a film in 16:9, but the BBC HD simulcast has been in 2.35:1.

On one memorable occasion BBC1 showed a truly terrible print of one of the Indiana Jones movies while BBCHD showed an excellent 2.35:1 copy!

PhilH36 · 11-11-2009, 12:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paddy C

ITV, Channel 4 and FIVE are responsible though for showing 12 and 15 rated films during the day and editing them which is just plain stupid. There are so many problems with the main networks and their standards for broadcasting, and unfortunatly they aren't going to change any time soon, if at all.

You think they're bad,I'll never forget one time in the US watching Hamburger Hill on FOX at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. Take out the dubbing and cuts and there was hardly any movie left!

Ivor Fanny · 11-11-2009, 19:03

If you want to watch a film the way it was shot- then go to the cinema or buy the bloody dvd.

TV is a totally different medium and viewing experience. I do not want black bars at the top and bottom of my TV. Thats why i bought a widescreen TV in first place for petes sake.

hardylane · 11-11-2009, 19:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ivor Fanny

If you want to watch a film the way it was shot- then go to the cinema or buy the bloody dvd.

TV is a totally different medium and viewing experience. I do not want black bars at the top and bottom of my TV. Thats why i bought a widescreen TV in first place for petes sake.

What a load of nonsense.

Nonentity · 12-11-2009, 13:15

Quote:

Thats why i bought a widescreen TV in first place for petes sake.

The whole point of widescreen televisions is that they bring you closer to the cinematic experience. Films are shot in a variety of formats: some will show horizontal/vertical black bars, others none at all.

There is no 'one shape suits all' and personally, I can see no point in viewing a film on television if the picture isn't identical to that shown at the cinema. I'm all for black bars if it means I can see the whole thing.

Stewbob1980 · 12-11-2009, 13:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike65

ITV know they would get an angry reaction from viewers who don't understand why their telly sets picture has black bits above and below the screen.

And I'd be one of them, even if I did understand. I hate when a film is being described as 'widescreen' and I watch it on my widescreen TV and they have chopped the top and bottom off the screen. What's the point in having a widescreen TV if they are not going to show films which are supposed to be widescreen on the whole of the screen?

That being said, if it's a good enough film, I tend to forget, although not completely, that I've been conned out of my proper widescreen film.

afx237vi · 12-11-2009, 14:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stewbob1980

And I'd be one of them, even if I did understand. I hate when a film is being described as 'widescreen' and I watch it on my widescreen TV and they have chopped the top and bottom off the screen. What's the point in having a widescreen TV if they are not going to show films which are supposed to be widescreen on the whole of the screen?

That being said, if it's a good enough film, I tend to forget, although not completely, that I've been conned out of my proper widescreen film.

There is nothing chopped off the top and bottom of the screen when a film is shown in 2.35:1. That's just the shape of the picture, the way the director intended.

When the picture fills the screen... that's when you know the edges of the picture have been chopped off.

Scalper Jack · 12-11-2009, 14:36

Stewbob1980 - a 2.35:1 film is much wider than a household wide-screen TV. Different media. There'll be a gap top and bottom if the entire image fits completely on TV.

Films come converted in many different print sizes for TV. Partly depends what the distributor holds too. It's only in recent times we are seeing the wide letterbox for TV.

edit: See the two images here on wiki. The second animated one with the moving orange box is quite handy for understanding.

09-11-2009, 22:58	#1
mprince Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: south London Services: Network TV Posts: 360	Why do only the BBC and C4 broadcast movies in full widescreen? Why do only the BBC and C4 broadcast movies in full widescreen? Die Hard 4 last Sunday was the latest in a long list of 2.35:1 Widescreen movies on C4. It's good to see these films as they were in the cinema, but why don't ITV or Channel 5 broadcast like this? They only seem to use 14:9 on analogue and 16:9 on Freeview on their broadcasts. Does it cost more to get an OAR version of a movie for braoadcasting? Or is it because ITV and Five's equipment is not configured for OAR? Apologies if this has been asked before...

10-11-2009, 22:52	#2
mprince Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: south London Services: Network TV Posts: 360	Hello? Anyone?

10-11-2009, 23:33	#3
mike65 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Waterford Ireland Services: FTA with Skybox Posts: 1,405	ITV know they would get an angry reaction from viewers who don't understand why their telly sets picture has black bits above and below the screen.

10-11-2009, 23:48	#4
Rarewolf Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 137	with older films the BBC don't always go to the expence of getting new widescreen copies - a few weeks ago Halloween was widescreen, but Halloween 2 wasn't.

11-11-2009, 10:04	#5
Paddy C Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,123	The BBC usually always show the 16:9 version too, it seems to be a very rare occasion, or a mistake, that they broadcast a film in 2.35:1. The only times I have ever seen it though were on BBC TWO and they were during the day on foreign/independent cinema titles, nothing Hollywood related or what you would call "mainstream". ITV have so many problems it's no surprise movies is one of them, their picture quality, bitrate, appalling way of broadcasting HD, appalling HD quality... the list goes on. You can forget about them ever broadcasting 2.35:1, any time it has happened it has only been on ITV 2/3/4 and appear to have been mistakes as the next time the film was broadcast it was back to 16:9. (Which does make you think, if they have the full 2.35:1 version and have shown them before with presumably no complaints, why change it?) FIVE are in the same sort of boat as ITV. Hell, some of FIVE's films are still in 4:3 and have been since they launched, which makes me think they must have secured one hell of a deal when they launched in 1997 for unlimited showings of certain films. If it wasn't a long term deal then they are just lazy/tightwads for not obtaining widescreen copies. They don't even bother trying to get widescreen copies for sporting events as well. They don't have a HD service neither and if they do only the CSI/FlashForward/USA imports will be in HD making it not worthwhile. At least their picture quality is a bit better then ITV's. ITV, Channel 4 and FIVE are responsible though for showing 12 and 15 rated films during the day and editing them which is just plain stupid. There are so many problems with the main networks and their standards for broadcasting, and unfortunatly they aren't going to change any time soon, if at all.

11-11-2009, 19:03	#9
Ivor Fanny Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 147	If you want to watch a film the way it was shot- then go to the cinema or buy the bloody dvd. TV is a totally different medium and viewing experience. I do not want black bars at the top and bottom of my TV. Thats why i bought a widescreen TV in first place for petes sake.

12-11-2009, 14:36	#14
Scalper Jack Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 4,165	Stewbob1980 - a 2.35:1 film is much wider than a household wide-screen TV. Different media. There'll be a gap top and bottom if the entire image fits completely on TV. Films come converted in many different print sizes for TV. Partly depends what the distributor holds too. It's only in recent times we are seeing the wide letterbox for TV. edit: See the two images here on wiki. The second animated one with the moving orange box is quite handy for understanding.