Steve Ellis engineer(?) at WPLG made a post on AVS Forum explaining WPLG’s recent transition to a stretched 16:9. They are using Teranex Imageconvert, the same equipment used by CNN’s Pipeline, that stretches a 4:3 broadcast to fit 16:9 format by only stretching the image from the sides leaving the center area looking normal. If anyone has watched CNN Pipeline they may have noticed a lot of people on there who face the camera have a normal face and huge arms. Pretty funny. And a bit distracting.
What’s not funny, to the anchors at least, is the close up shots with an over the shoulder graphic … 🙂 I wonder if any of the on-air people have seen themselves in stretched HD yet 🙂
Steve also adressed WPLG going to true 16:9 saying the project is on the boards but it will take time to pull off.
here’s the full post
Admin, you’re absolutely correct in that newscasters and anchors look fat-faced and lumpy, especially if they’re off to the side with the graphic on the other side.
But the worst has got to be panning. When the camera pans a live shot of a news scene, you can actually see the “morph” as the picture scrolls horizontally. Absolutely horrible.