OTA and zooming or cropping

[aarton]

I searched and couldn't find anything about this in the Voom forum and posted on another forum, but I trust people here form all the reading I've done and would like some feedback on this? I am contemplating getting Voom and now I am leaning towards not getting it at all because of this issue. For years it was a fight to find movies that were letterboxed on VHS since I didn't want to watch anything pan and scan, this is the same thing, I'd not waste my time watching things other than what the director intended. Even the cartoons that are messed with on Voom I couldn't watch that channel because of that, it's a waste. Just how much of the content on Voom would be useless to me because of this practice? Is this only on the HD content or do they do anything to the SD channels as well? My kids and I watch lot of Boomerang and Cartoon Network, are those stretched or zoomed in any way by Voom? I guess I wouldn't care if they stretched things because I can set my TV to show the OAR anyhow and just make it look correct, but cropping is just insane. If anyone could clue me in on what content is zoomed and what isn't I'd be grateful.. This post makes it seem like some movies are cropped and some are not, but I have not seen anything about the SD channels? I know that people don't normally get Voom for the SD channels, but it's still important for me. Thanks.

[cmslick3]

voom gives you several options for their SD channels which DO NOT apply to the OTA channels. If an OTA is broadcast 4:3 that is what you get with black bars on the sides. For the HD channels they are all 16:9 with exception to the movie channels (HBO, SHOW, Stars) if they are showing a 4:3 movie. For the SD channels you get the option to either stretch or pilar box the picture. If you do pilar box the picture you will get black bars on sides. In the short time we've had Voom the stretched SD picture looks fine.

Go for it and enjoy.

[aarton]

We're going to give it a try but I am really bothered by the cropping that's done to make things 16:9 that shouldn't be. I wish they would just leave that stuff 4:3 instead of cutting it off. Anyhow thanks for the input on the SD stuff.

[fredinva]

cmslick3,

"For the HD channels they are all 16:9 with exception to the movie channels (HBO, SHOW, Stars) if they are showing a 4:3 movie."
Wrong.

HBOHD is 16:9, even though hboeast is the same movie, same time, in SD.
It's not stretched/cropped, it is what appeared at the theater as intended.
It has been concerted to HD - 16:9

fred

[BIG-VIC]

So is all of voom in 16:9...

[aarton]

So is all of voom in 16:9...

If you look on their web page you'll see it all isn't. The HD stuff is, the SD stuff is not, but you can stretch it if you enjoy that sort of tomfoolery.

[ratamiguela]

I watched "Solaris" on the EPICS channel yesterday (1972 version) and it was nicely transferred as OAR, in a 2.35:1 ratio. Hopefully, they will use OAR more often.

[r.jones]

Here is how I solved the problem. I hooked up the STB via component cables to one of my HD inputs and 5.1 coaxial cable to my Hometheater receiver. I then ran S-video cable and analog sound cable from STB to another input on TV set. When I want to watch HD programming, I activate the HD input on the TV and turn on the home theater receiver. When I watch SD programming, I activate the s-video input on the TV. HD is 16:9 and SD is 4:3.