Broadcast HD Pet Peeve

[SCDVD]

Have you noticed how often that commercials on HD TV channels are actually horizontally stretched 4:3 SD commercials? I find this very irritating. It makes everything and everyone look fat. Why don't they put a black border on it and keep the proper aspect ratio? I can understand that many commercials are produced in 4:3 SD format but they can still maintain the proper aspect ratio with a border.

[jagabo]

I don't watch the commercials.

[Epicurus8a]

I've noticed more HD commercials lately, but I haven't noticed any stretched commercials.

[jman98]

I've noticed more HD commercials lately, but I haven't noticed any stretched commercials.

Same for me. Maybe SCDVD's problem is specific to his area or TV provider. Other than TBS who routinely stretches everything to be 16:9 and makes all their old 4:3 shows look like crap, I am having a hard time thinking of see anything in the improper aspect ratio, even commercials.

[SCDVD]

I use Dish and see this fairly regularly on the HD History, Discovery and Food TV channels - not all commercials but a significant percentage of them. I infer from this that if an advertiser provide them with a 16:9 commercial they run it but if its a 4:3, they just stretch it out and send it out that way.

[JohnnyMalaria]

All the more reason not to watch them!

[disturbed1]

I use Dish and see this fairly regularly on the HD History, Discovery and Food TV channels - not all commercials but a significant percentage of them. I infer from this that if an advertiser provide them with a 16:9 commercial they run it but if its a 4:3, they just stretch it out and send it out that way.

Happens on HD channels for me (Cable, not SAT). TNT is the worse HD channel I've seen, don't have TBS HD. They do the same stretching to the programs as well. Not as bad as the commercials, but it's easy to spot. Our local stations are the only ones that don't stretch the commercials/programs.

[SCDVD]

The funniest one is a Nutrisystem commercial for their diet program. Valerie Bertinelli is featured in the commercial. She is proudly describing the success she had with the program but because of the stretching of the screen, she looks like a fat hog who needs to go on the diet rather than one who had successfully completed it.

[Billf2099]

I just got Satellite HD. I have noticed that the 'cable' channels are a bit behind the broadcast channels on this particular issue. I do find that non-HD channels on the satellite usually annoy me to the point that I switch my TV over to AV rather then deal with a crappy SD picture that is slightly distorted. When I switch to AV I get the picture with black bars to keep it properly sized. I have my TV on automatic with regards to picking the picture format so its not a setting issue, its the broadcasters not doing the correct Job. CBS, which has too much non HD programming still (Hello, Survivor! How about shooting in HD!) is smart enough to put up an attractive border around an SD picture in their HD broadcasts.

[TBoneit]

If you are on dish get yourself a VIP722 DVR. Record whatever you'll be watching and use the 30 second skip so you'll never have to be abusing yourself by watching commercials again.

If I end up stuck watching something with the family that is live I hit the pause button for a few minutes until the commercials should be over and then skip ahead to the show.