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geobrick
join:2008-06-01

geobrick to PJL

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Re: KNBC SD Squeezed Again (Anamorphic)

PJL, Thanks for the reply.

It seems you have an HD box and HD TV. The problem exists on their standard definition boxes (QIP2500 and DCT700). I've never used my HDTV to look at channel 4 (always use 504 for that) but see my note at the bottom because I just tried it.

The SD boxes can't access the HD channels and don't have the settings you describe. Same goes for an old SD TV.

Verizon is supposed to take the 'over the air' signal and either crop it or letter box it. They are squeezing it. See this thread if you want to see a picture. »Anamorphic SD locals

The issue has come up several times since Verizon switched to all digital. KNBC was good for almost a year but this latest issue started about 2 or three months ago.

Note from above: I checked this out on one of my HDTVs with an HD set top box. Take a look at your TV again. Note how channel 7 looks compared to channel 507 and then compare that to how channel 4 looks compared to channel 504. Verizon is doing it correctly for channel 7. Channel 7 is cropped at the SD border. Channel 4 is squeezed into the SD boarder. With an HDTV, you can stretch channel 4 to fill the screen and it would look fine (still SD but with the right aspect ratio). If you did the same on channel 7 it would look stretched (everyone wider than they're supposed to be). They are doing SD correctly on channel 7 but not on channel 4.
PJL
join:2008-07-24
Long Beach, CA

PJL

Member

said by geobrick:

PJL, Thanks for the reply.

...
Note from above: I checked this out on one of my HDTVs with an HD set top box. Take a look at your TV again. Note how channel 7 looks compared to channel 507 and then compare that to how channel 4 looks compared to channel 504. Verizon is doing it correctly for channel 7. Channel 7 is cropped at the SD border. Channel 4 is squeezed into the SD boarder. With an HDTV, you can stretch channel 4 to fill the screen and it would look fine (still SD but with the right aspect ratio). If you did the same on channel 7 it would look stretched (everyone wider than they're supposed to be). They are doing SD correctly on channel 7 but not on channel 4.

I looked again at both 004 and 504, and then 007 and 507. Both SD channels were cropped (non-letterbox, SD size) images of their HD counterparts, and all aspect ratios were correct -- neither stretched nor squeezed on both KNBC4 and ABC7.
geobrick
join:2008-06-01

geobrick

Member

Interesting. Maybe it's only like this in Ventura or it's too subtle to notice. When things are squeezed into the SD size, everyone looks thinner so maybe it looks good to most people. It's easier to see if there's something round on the screen like a circular logo or a basketball. They'd look oblong instead of round. I'll see if I can post a picture where I catch something that's supposed to be round.
geobrick

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geobrick

Member

Here are 2 pictures from tonight's NBC Nightly news. One picture from channel 504 (HD) and one from channel 4 (SD)

There was a commercial for baseball which was perfect because it shows something that's supposed to be perfectly round and shows how squeezing it makes it look distorted.

This is from channel 504. Viewed on an HD TV.


This is from channel 4. Viewed on an HD TV.


This is from channel 4. Viewed on an SD TV.


I can show some with people too but the ball makes it very clear what's going on when you look at channel 4 on an older SD TV with an SD set top box.
kes601
join:2007-04-14
Virginia Beach, VA

kes601 to geobrick

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Having same problem here on two locals. Left a message in the Direct Forum. Basiclly told me to contact the stations. So I did so but asked why a customer must do so as Vz would probably want the stations to display properly on their system. Received another response indicating "not our problem". One of the stations got back to me, first time indicating cox, dish, etc had no issues so must be a Vz issue. I thanked him for his time and told him I agreed but didnt figure Vz would fix if unless I did my due diligence. Anyway, got an email back from him that he had contacted Vz and indeed Vz acknowledged a problem and were working on it.
geobrick
join:2008-06-01

geobrick

Member

I agree. It has to be Verizon's fault because my over the air digital converter box displays the picture correctly.
geobrick

geobrick

Member

If anyone is still having this problem, can you confirm here and maybe post something on the Verizon direct forum.

They've been going back and forth with me for about a week now and they are really trying to resolve it but they haven't yet. I'm starting to think that they think it's something I'm doing wrong or just my eyesight.

The problem is channel 4 (KNBC) in the LA area when viewed on an SD 4:3 screen using an SD box.
kes601
join:2007-04-14
Virginia Beach, VA

kes601

Member

A big part of the problem is that the first level support guys seem to refuse that Vz could have a problem...that if it's displaying that way then that is what the network is sending.

I've heard back from both stations here that have a squeezed image and both indicate it isn't the first time they've had the problem on Vz, and are attempting to get it resolved, but have a difficult time finding people to fix the issue.