# OTA Pillarbars



## hdfan01 (Feb 1, 2006)

I've emailed my 4 local stations with no responce, so I thought I would ask here for thoughts. I'm just curious as to the logic why local stations force 4:3 format for their locally created programming? Will this be the norm after Feb. 2009? Does the digital boxes comming on line now, have anything to do with it? One might think this is being done to please all the SD anolog viewers. The stations here have switched back and forth several times in the past 7 months. I just happen to be one that likes my tv screens filled-up and trying to see their logic.


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## Kansas Zephyr (Jun 30, 2007)

In most cases, they are simply preserving the original aspect ratio of the broadcast.

Pillar bars on SD programming, full 16:9 on HD programming.

Use the format button, on the remote, if you wish to stretch the image to fill your screen.

This gives the end user the choice to tweak the format on their TV/HDTV.

All of the polls I've seen on this board are overwhelmingly in favor of OAR (original aspect ratio) being broadcast.


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

The majority of viewers here prefer pillar bars in order to maintain the original aspect ratio of the programming. As a matter of fact, some of the most vitriolic comments are aimed at channels that distort the image in any way. Most have stated a preference for the programming being in OAR and allowing the viewer to change the correctly proportioned material on their own display.

In this case, you seem to be in the vast minority of viewers here.


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

Kansas Zephyr said:


> Use the format button, on the remote, if you wish to stretch the image to fill your screen.


I agree with your opinions, but the format button will not change a 16:9 image of a 4:3 source with pillar bars if it is transmitted with the pillarbars in the signal.

Many stations actually have a digital subchannel that is sent at 480i or 480p that is a true 4:3 picture.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Moved to the Broadcast forum.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

"Local pillarbars"?
This sounds like you're tuned to an HD channel that is using SD equipment. In this case, the pillarbars are added by the station, and there is nothing that you can do [but wait for them to upgrade all of their equipment/programing to HD.
Some newer TVs can change the format for HD resolutions, but there is nothing in the DirecTV receiver that will.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

They are actually broadcasting an HD signal with an SD picture up rezzed in the middle of it. That is the only way they can broadcast HD and SD without having two seperate encoding platforms adn switching the transmitter to match whichever one they are using - it would be a nightmare.


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## ARKDTVfan (May 19, 2003)

The OP needs to stick to watching TBS "HD" and other stretchovision channels :nono2: 
 
hdfan01 trust me stretched picture is not what you want it's ugly


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## Kansas Zephyr (Jun 30, 2007)

gregjones said:


> I agree with your opinions, but the format button will not change a 16:9 image of a 4:3 source with pillar bars if it is transmitted with the pillarbars in the signal.
> 
> Many stations actually have a digital subchannel that is sent at 480i or 480p that is a true 4:3 picture.


FWIW...The format/ratio button on my HDTV remotes will zoom/crop a 16:9 image. (not the D* remote)


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

Kansas Zephyr said:


> FWIW...The format/ratio button on my HDTV remotes will zoom/crop a 16:9 image. (not the D* remote)


Sorry, just wanted to make sure that the OP didn't expect the DirecTV remote to do that.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

Let's not get confused here, guys. Remember the difference b/w HD and digital.

The local stations are transmitting a digital signal. Only some of the bigger city stations do local news in HD, while the vast majority to local programming in regular 4:3 SD format.

Due to the cost of HD equipment, most local stations will continue to do local programming in 4:3 SD and only transmit HD programming on their digital channels when provided by the parent network. Also, the equipment most stations have currently when taking local control (like for severe weather warnings, station ID, etc.) currently only works with an SD 4:3 picture. They would need new equipment to be able to maintain the 16:9 HD picture for local programming, and of course, new graphics, HD cameras, etc. to be able to produce an HD 16:9 newscast.


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## Kansas Zephyr (Jun 30, 2007)

Well, all of the stations in this market broadcast in their HD format 100%. (NBC/CBS 1080i - ABC/Fox 720p)

They simply add pillar bars and up-convert their SD programming, including news.

Everybody uses black, except for the Fox, which uses dark gray pillar bars.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

If my local stations started stretching their content I would move to a different market. Stretchovision is bad for people and bad for America. In fact, I think stretchovision is the real reason that terrorists hate us.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

hdfan01 said:


> I just happen to be one that likes my tv screens filled-up and trying to see their logic.


Well, the logic is that you are in the minority.

Most would prefer to see the OAR, no matter what shape their TV is in.

If your screen was in the shape of a diamond, would you want all of your programming distorted to fill it, or would you rather have black triangles at all 4 points?

If black bars ruin your viewing experience, your display isn't big enough.


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## brant (Jul 6, 2008)

i have one station OTA that transmits w/ pillar bars inside a 4x3 format, so the picture looks stretched vertically. I just tuned in to catch the beginning of the all-star game, which is supposed to be in HD, and its the same way. It looks horrible. Luckily I live between two cities that have stations broadcasting all the networks and found another FOX station showing it HD. its odd because the first station I mentioned does occasionally show baseball games in 16x9 HD.


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## brant (Jul 6, 2008)

well whaddya know; they just switched formats in the middle of the program.


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## hdfan01 (Feb 1, 2006)

spartanstew said:


> Well, the logic is that you are in the minority.
> 
> Most would prefer to see the OAR, no matter what shape their TV is in.
> 
> ...


Bad day at the office? I was mearly asking for comments from people with knowledge of why stations keep flipping the formats. Sorry you took it so personal. You can skip answering my next post.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

The stations are not flipping formats, it's just that the equipment they have outputs a signal in 4X3 ratio while the network feed they get for HD is 16X9. Stations have been forced to buy all new transmitters, etc. and are reluctant to spend more money to upgrade their studios to HD until they can recoup some of the money already spent on the transition.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

hdfan01 said:


> Bad day at the office? I was mearly asking for comments from people with knowledge of why stations keep flipping the formats. Sorry you took it so personal. You can skip answering my next post.


I didn't take it personal. Just pointing out that there's a reason why they do it (because you failed to see the logic, remember?) and that most people prefer to see images that aren't stretched (which is different than you who likes to have your "screen filled up" no matter what).


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## reddice (Feb 18, 2003)

Stretch-O-Vision sucks the big one. If a program is suppose to be 4:3 then I want to see it 4:3. So what if I have pillars. I want to see it the way it was filmed and not stretched with short fat people and oval circles. When I view a program and it is stretched on the HD channel I just watch it on the SD channel.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

Stretchovision = bad

I'd rather see pillorbars and OAR, like most people here. Even my non-audio / videophile wife prefers OAR.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

Same here.

I don't like Stretch-o-vision, so that is why I don't watch TBS or TNT.


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## brant (Jul 6, 2008)

brant said:


> *i have one station OTA that transmits w/ pillar bars inside a 4x3 format, so the picture looks stretched vertically.* I just tuned in to catch the beginning of the all-star game, which is supposed to be in HD, and its the same way. It looks horrible. Luckily I live between two cities that have stations broadcasting all the networks and found another FOX station showing it HD. its odd because the first station I mentioned does occasionally show baseball games in 16x9 HD.


just an update to this post; i e-mailed this particular station about the pillarbars inside the 4x3 format. I got a reply that said they didn't know anything about it. After months of the problem, it went away the next day and hasn't reappeared since.


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## ziggy29 (Nov 18, 2004)

n3ntj said:


> Same here.
> 
> I don't like Stretch-o-vision, so that is why I don't watch TBS or TNT.


My wife was watching something the other day on the Biography "HD" channel. That was some of the most painful-looking stretchovision I've ever seen. :eek2:


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## PeterB (Jul 25, 2002)

The local Fox and CW here both force GREY sidebars on anything 4:3. Why not black? Its annoying as all hell. If it can't be black, or simply fed at 4:3, I'd rather have stretch-o-vision.

They both also use the same awful upconverision process, everything looks like your watching it through a layer of window screen.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

Grey bars help to age the entire screen at the same rate for people who have CRT projection sets.

Black may leave a fresher stripe down each side of the screen resulting in uneven colors.

Only applies to CRT projection type displays.


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