Aspect ratio on 4:3 footage (Yesterday channel)

[CaptMainwaring]

Hello everyone, festive greetings!

I have noticed that the Yesterday channel on Virgin Media does not display 4:3 footage in the correct aspect ratio; instead everything is stretched out to widescreen.

For example, classic viewing such as Porridge and Open All Hours are unwatchable due to the stretched out imagery.

This is an issue on both the TV and the Virgin TV Go app, but curiously the same issue does not afflict the UK Gold channel, which renders the correct format.

I recall the Sky Go app was rendering correctly just over a year ago when I last had it.

Has anyone else noticed this? It seems like a Virgin Media issue.

Thanks very much and happy 2022.

[CaptMainwaring]

Great to have some corroboration. Thanks Roger

[Roger_Gooner]

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@Hayley_S wrote:

Hello @CaptMainwaring,

Due to the older programmes being filmed in 4:3 as widescreen was not a thing back then, this means the image will stretch to fit the screen. Our boxes also have in Help and Settings> Settings> Video output> Aspect ration you can adjust the picture there.

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If the the Aspect Correction Mode is set to Panel you should get the correct aspect ratio, which in these cases is 4:3 with pillarboxing. Although there are several cases of stretched YouTube videos these are done by amateurs and I'd expect TV channels to always broadcast so that the viewer sees images in the proper aspect ratio. If any viewer wants to stretch images, which I think looks horrible, then that's their decision but I don't want a broadcaster to inflict stretched images on everyone.

[ozsat]

I see UKTV Drama is currently wrong too as as it is stretched for Tenko. It is the same on Sky but correct on Freeview.

As D-Sat is the source for many VM channels - it is likely the D-Sat source for UKTV is incorrect.

Gold is different as it seems to broadcast 16:9 full time - although 4:3 material is put into a 4:3 frame to look correct.

[CaptMainwaring]

Very interesting findings! Thanks for this, Ozsat.

Does anyone know how we can request Virgin Media to bring this to the attention of the broadcaster, please?

It doesn't seem right that the freeview channels reviewed via a pay tv platform are of inferior quality to the same channels tuned into via the free terrestrial broadcast.

it would be great if Virgin Media could find a solution for this.

[nodrogd]

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@ozsat wrote:

Gold is different as it seems to broadcast 16:9 full time - although 4:3 material is put into a 4:3 frame to look correct.

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It will. All HD channels are widescreen by default as they are true 16:9, hence the broadcaster has to add side panels to any 4:3 material. Conversely, SD channels are actually 4:3 ratio as standard, & widescreen material is broadcast in “letterbox” format. The TV is sent a trigger that then discards the blanked areas & expands the image to the full screen.

[ozsat]

Gold SD does this full-time 16:9 too on VM - but may just be HD downscaled. In any case a fault has been raised regarding this issue.

Yesterday has not done any 4:3 in the past day or two but is instead zooming in and cropping the top/bottom off of 4:3 stuff. Looks like Friday night is the next old-time comedy slot.

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@nodrogd wrote:

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@ozsat wrote:

Gold is different as it seems to broadcast 16:9 full time - although 4:3 material is put into a 4:3 frame to look correct.

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It will. All HD channels are widescreen by default as they are true 16:9, hence the broadcaster has to add side panels to any 4:3 material. Conversely, SD channels are actually 4:3 ratio as standard, & widescreen material is broadcast in “letterbox” format. The TV is sent a trigger that then discards the blanked areas & expands the image to the full screen.

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[ozsat]

For programmes from today onwards - are you still seeing the stretched issue?

[CaptMainwaring]

Hi ozsat, I’ll check for the next broadcast of open all hours and report the findings.

Thanks very much 

[CaptMainwaring]

Hello again,

Arkwright is on now and unfortunately he’s still stretched wide.

Do you know how we can get Virgin Media to investigate, please?

Thanks very much

[ozsat]

I just checked my record and confirm it did not switch to 4:3 - have re-reported.

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@CaptMainwaring wrote:

Hello again,

Arkwright is on now and unfortunately he’s still stretched wide.

Do you know how we can get Virgin Media to investigate, please?

Thanks very much

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