Why are there still standard definition channels?*

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by head_unit, Apr 17, 2015.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    I don't mean in the cable systems-that, and the channel numbering schemes thereof, are great fodder for another thread.

    I mean why is stuff like "That Metal Show" not filmed and broadcast in HD? Why are there channels of new material which is not? (I understand me.tv or others showing "Bonanza" or something originally 4:3 non-HD, that's different).

    Is it really so much more expensive to do HD? Good grief, we're 6 years into this thing, who the heck does not have a 16:9 TV these days? (No, really, I'd be curious if there is any data, for primary TVs not some old thing in the basement).
     
    audiomixer and Holy Diver like this.
  2. Lord Summerisle

    Lord Summerisle Forum Resident

    Try living down here, this country is backwards with HD especially sport. If you don't have pay TV you're stuck with SD.
     
    SpudOz likes this.
  3. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Yeah. They complain on TMS about not being in HD.
     
  4. Bill

    Bill Senior Member

    Location:
    Eastern Shore
    OP: how many slices do you prefer for your pizzas? Do you like ice in your beverages? Just curious.
     
    musicfan37 and Texastoyz like this.
  5. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    Not really appropriate there, Bill.
     
    Bill likes this.
  6. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    I'm guessing it comes down to money, like everything else.
     
    Coricama likes this.
  7. 500Homeruns

    500Homeruns Peaceful Punk

    Location:
    Lehigh Valley, PA
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2015
    Lownote30 likes this.
  8. SMcFarlane

    SMcFarlane Forum Resident

    Location:
    Montreal
    I think Head_unit is asking a very good question. From a video capture standpoint, ya gotta think everything new is being captured in HD (or better). All consumer devices (even phones) seem to be capable of HD capture. Are the broadcast pipes really that narrow they can't accommodate the HD bandwidth? Perhaps that's the bottleneck.
     
  9. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    A better question is why many people (and sports bars) don't seem to recognize the difference and have an SD channel (in stretch mode) on instead? Seen it more times than I can count.
     
    artfromtex, ted321, junk and 9 others like this.
  10. tommy-thewho

    tommy-thewho Senior Member

    Location:
    detroit, mi
    Seems to me when I watch either the SD or the HD of major networks they look the same on my HD tv.
     
  11. DreadPikathulhu

    DreadPikathulhu Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    It seems like they're bothered more by two black bars on either side of their screen then they are by people with heads shaped like pumpkins.
     
    MMM, andy749 and junk like this.
  12. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    Yet not bothered at all by the blurry picture and limited color palette...
     
    audiomixer likes this.
  13. Lownote30

    Lownote30 Bass Clef Addict

    Location:
    Nashville, TN, USA
    A LOT of older people still have standard definition TVs. Especially ones that live in one stoplight towns in the middle of nowhere.
     
    jsayers and markaberrant like this.
  14. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    But everything is digital now. You don't have to have SD channels. HD channels are just downconverted HD albeit with the bars at the top and bottom, no?.
     
  15. Lownote30

    Lownote30 Bass Clef Addict

    Location:
    Nashville, TN, USA
    SD is digital, and looks fine on a 4:3 TV. It's formatted for those, and a lot of people still have them. Even on HD channels, some of the commercials have bars on the side and are in SD (especially local commercials). Those would look perfectly fine on an old 4:3 TV.
     
  16. DreadPikathulhu

    DreadPikathulhu Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    As a frequent watcher of SD content on an HD set, I'm bothered less by the blurry picture and limited color palette than I am by people with their heads stretched sideways.
     
    EdgardV, junk, chilinvilin and 3 others like this.
  17. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    So as someone already said above...it's the bars. But most content is now 16:19, so the bars are there anyway on a 4:3 set whether its an SD channel or a downconverted HD channel, so what's the point of the SD channels?
     
  18. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    They both suck equally in my book.
     
  19. Lownote30

    Lownote30 Bass Clef Addict

    Location:
    Nashville, TN, USA
    Because HD content is mostly 16:9, and it wouldn't translate to 4:3 unless the SD format was used. Everything would squished. The opposite of what happens with the stretching of SD on HD TVs.
     
  20. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    It's not squished any more than 4:3 content is stretched on an HD set. That's one's choice via TV settings. Very, very little content in stretched or squished before reaching the set.
     
    Paul J likes this.
  21. Lownote30

    Lownote30 Bass Clef Addict

    Location:
    Nashville, TN, USA
    Old sets don't have an option for viewing things in 16:9. Only 4:3. SD is sent out formatted in 4:3 for that reason.
     
  22. The Wanderer

    The Wanderer Seeker of Truth

    Location:
    NYC
    for standard def folks
     
  23. DreadPikathulhu

    DreadPikathulhu Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    One of the things that forced me to upgrade my set ten years ago was trying to watch a 16:9 formatted It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World on a 4:3 set. All I got was the very center of a 2.76:1 image.

    [​IMG]
     
    Vinyl Addict and Lownote30 like this.
  24. sixtiesstereo

    sixtiesstereo Senior Member

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I'm not clear what you mean by this. There is most definitely a difference on network TV broadcasts
    between a SD signal and an HD signal. Are you using sat/cable or a roof antenna? For example, I have
    my roof antenna connected to my Dish receiver, which then gives me true HD from all of the local/over
    the air channels, plus gives me the same channels in SD from the Sat. SD always looks like cr@p, HD
    always looks beautiful.
    I remember when HD and HD sets started coming in, people at work always said they weren't happy
    with their picture on their new HD TV's. Always turned out they had their cable/sat box hooked up
    using composite video instead of HDMI or component. They were happy when I told them the
    correct way to hook it up. I have a feeling a LOT of people still make the same mistake.
     
  25. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    Theres a midland station that broadcasts news in SD and skips a Saturday night broadcast too
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine