The Charlie Brown Christmas special was on last night.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Fri Dec 7, 2018, 08:51 PM - Edit history (1)

I know; it's on whenever you want it to be on, but I receive my TV the way it's supposed to be received: over the air, via rabbit ears.

Anyway, it's so old that it's still being shown in the 4:3 format. I checked my program guide. The video was 720p, and the audio was Dolby, 5.1 channels. Neither of those standards were in effect when this classic was first shown, over fifty years ago. I wonder why the technical types didn't try to artificially stretch out the picture to wide screen while they were at it.

[Eric J in MN]

1. Would you want the people and objects to be wider

...so that there were no blank space on the sides of the screen?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. No. I guess they can't do anything to alter the aspect ratio that doesn't also alter

the artists's intent.

How did they get 720p out of it though?

[krispos42]

10. They can re-scan the originals.

That's my understanding. Remember, those things were hand drawn. I imagine they originally used a film camera to capture the individual stills, then edited it using conventional film techniques, then transferred the final version to videotape for distribution on SD broadcast TV.

If the original film is still viable, they can re scan it digitally. But, since it was made in 4:3 aspect, there nothing there to fill out to 16: 9.

[Cartoonist]

2. Go buy a vintage 📺

To heighten the experience

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. I still have one, a 20" Sony, that I keep around.

It works beautifully. I have a set-top converter box attached to it.

I left a Magnavox 19" CRT out at the end of the front walk a few months back. I left a sign next to it indicating that it was free for the taking. It was gone in no time.

They still work.

[regnaD kciN]

3. Artificially stretching the picture looks like a funhouse mirror...

...and cropping the top and bottom (the other alternative) cuts off important parts of the frame as it was created.

It's a mirror-image of the early days of home video on VHS, when the trick was to get widescreen films like Star Wars onto a 4:3 screen. Remember the dreaded "pan'n'scan?" You lost a ton of the image you saw in theaters, plus an artificial sliding back and forth between characters as they talked. The bottom line is that, if you really want to see the work as it was intended, you've got to accept the black bars as a necessary step.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. Even worse are the old attempts at digitizing.

They were done to old standards. As soon as there's any fast motion in the frame, the picture breaks up into blocks.

[llmart]

7. I'm just excited to know that...

someone other than me has rabbit ears! Hey, I can get up to 20 stations sometimes, depending on the wind/weather

Actually, between that and my Roku and Netflix I have just enough TV for my liking.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. They can have my rabbit ears when they pry them from my cold, dead hands.

Roku and Netflix? You monster!

Seriously, I've thought of that. The house where I live is not wired for cable of any sort, however. That would have to change.

[llmart]

9. I don't understand.

Why does it have to be wired for Roku and Netflix? I don't have cable.

[KatyaR]

12. You just need a good wifi connection.

I run Roku and Firestick off DSL over my phone line. Easy peasy and (somewhat) cheaper than cable!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

13. Oh, I didn't know you could do that via DSL.

I hadn't thought that DSL was fast enough for that sort of thing.

How fast is your connection? Who is your provider, if you don't mind my asking?

Thanks.

[Dennis Donovan]

11. One older show they did an outstanding job with was The Waltons

I have to whole series and, when they prepped it for DVD, they artfully re-mastered (presumably from original prints) the program in 1080p. It was such a pretty show to watch even in 480p back in the day, but in 1080p, it's spectacular!