16.9 and SD 4.3 in Australia

[Simon Denny]

I have noticed here in Australia, TV broadcast is about 50% 16.9 and 50% 4.3.... but most of the shows from the USA is still in 4.3 and most shows from Europe are 16.9. Australia is leading with most shows in 16.9.

Now that i have had a widescreen TV, pillar boxing doesn't seem to bother me and mixing 16.9 and 4.3 can work and looks allright.
One thing that i have noticed is a new format, it's bigger than 4.3 but smaller that 16.9.....
Is this just 4.3 stretched a little bit so resoultion is not lost or another format all together?

Cheers
Simon

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by Simon Ash

One thing that i have noticed is a new format, it's bigger than 4.3 but smaller that 16.9.....
Is this just 4.3 stretched a little bit so resoultion is not lost or another format all together?

It's 14:9 - never actually shot as a format in itself, but rather a pillarbox within 16:9, or a letterbox within 4:3. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14:9 .

Whilst High Definition broadcasting is only just starting in the UK, widescreen SD has been around for over 10 years, and pretty well all broadcast material has been produced 16:9 here for quite a while. It's transmitted as such on the digital networks, but then as a 14:9 letterbox within a 4:3 frame on the analogue networks.

[Simon Denny]

Thanks David,
I might try and crop 4.3 to 14.9 and see what it looks like.

Regards
Simon