Here’s something I don’t get about some networks that have HDTV channels. Why do they insist on stretching the width of programs that were not shot in HD? I see this a lot on TNT, TBS, Food Network and HGTV to name a few. They’ll take a show that’s shot in 4:3 aspect ratio (example on left) and stretch it out to 16:9, which gives everyone a case of fat face (example on right). Why do they do this? More importantly, why do the creators of the shows allow this to happen (it certainly doesn’t show off their artistic vision.
Is it because the network execs don’t think viewers can handle the letterbox on the left and right of the screen (certainly there has always been the faction that have complained about letterbox at the top and bottom of some shows)? I would hope people would complain more about a picture that is stretched out of proportion. I certainly find it annoying…
