Thursday, September 27, 2007

The Trouble With Wide Screen TVs

Roger Ebert has a rant It’s NOT because it’s on TV, dummy about getting the aspect ratio correct on your TV. Don't squish the people or stretch them wide to fill the screen. Old movies like Casablanca were filmed in 4:3 just like regular TV, don't make everyone look like Katherine Helmond in Brazil.

2 comments:

DKB said...

Howard, in the last 25 years, has none of my cynicism worn off on you? Most people are stupid. They bought a widescreen TV to impress their knuckledragging neighbor, not because they recognize some superiority in the format, and CERTAINLY not because they wanted to watch Casablanca. They're watching NASCAR, probably in 4x3 with it stretched because "Them bars on the sides BUG me, it don't look right!"

Everything from the evening news to insipid reruns of Friends is mangled on most widescreens across the country. These are the same mouth-breathers making American Idol a top show, just how much can you expect?

Howard said...

You'd think millions of years of evolution programming us to recognize the human form would not be so easily overturned in one generation by a rectangular device with a remote control with a few buttons on it. Oh wait...