HBO Sans 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio H DTV Broadcasts
By Ken Fowler, HDTV Magazine
In response to dealer feedback and requests, HBO management made the decision to pull the plug on 2.35:1 film. As of this past Saturday, all 2.35:1 films will now be ""panned-and-scanned"" to 1.85:1. This is unacceptable. HBO is setting the standard for high-definition film broadcast, and others are likely to follow its example. If HBO continues this just-implemented policy of cropping 2.35:1 film to fit a 1.85:1 widescreen window, such a practice is bound to be adopted by Showtime when it launches its HDTV channel in February or March. HD-DVD may well be next to see the cropping of 2.35:1. Unlike current DVDs where space is often available for both pan-and-scan and widescreen transfers, initial incarnations of HD-DVD will not offer sufficient space for multiple transfers. Studios will have to choose between full 2.35 or 1.85 to decrease the width of bars for those with 1.33:1 (4:3) HD sets. We must ensure that they make the right choice before it is too late! The decision to end broadcasts in 2.35:1 was apparently made in response to complaints back in September/early October before HBO even had any end-user customers with its HDTV channel outside of Manhattan. Virtually all of those with the channel at that time were dealers with preproduction units (the Dish and DirecTV HDTV-capable receivers did not begin shipping until October). It would seem that dealers more interested in sales (i.e. showing full picture of widescreen set in use w/o bars) to ignorant customers (than film reproduction) complained and campaigned to have all broadcasts 1.85:1 only. Presumably, these dealers belief that cropping film to fill the full screen would increase sales, despite past evidence to the contrary (need we remind ourselves of pan-and-scan DIVX). If you want the future of HDTV and HD-DVD to be cropped for 1.85:1 to accommodate those who would prefer the absence of black bars to the full display of film, then by all means do nothing. If however, you believe that the future of HDTV broadcasts and HDTV DVD should continue to offer film in its original aspect ratio as the director intended, then let your voice be heard! Currently, HBO offers only a feedback page on their site (select HDTV as topic for feedback on http://www.hbo.com/talktohbo), but I hope to have contact information for management in the near future. Those with contacts at Time Warner (parent company of HBO) should also let their voice be heard. From dealers and certain other individuals, HBO has developed the crazy idea that its customers (primarily home theater enthusiasts) want 2.35:1 to be cropped. Let us dispel that notion! Source: HDTV Magazine Web Site: http://www.hdtvmagazine.net/