WFTS Worst Local HDTV News Station for newsfeed video quality

[Palmateer]

I sent the following email to the WFTS (local ABC affiliate) News Boss:

Chris Jadick,

We now have 3 local TV stations producting local news in High Definition (HD).

The locally-created images from HD cameras are great images.

The locally-created images from 16:9-modified analog cameras are still pretty good quality.

When WTSP and WFLA show news footage from a national network or sports network, they put the SD images in a 4:3 box with side bars. For example, the manager of my beloved Tampa Bay Rays, Joe Maddon looks like this:

http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/6627/joemaddonbx4.jpg


However, when WFTS shows Joe Maddon footage from the FSN network, it looks like this:

http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/5852/maddononwftszu9.jpg


That is why I say that WFTS is the Worst Local HDTV Station for newsfeed video quality!

Won't you take action to stop this stretching and end this grotesque quality problem?

Tom Pavluvcik
St. Petersburg

[bdraw]

Now, that is taking it a bit far.

I agree that they shouldn't stretch, but that doesn't make them the worst in regards to video quality.

[Palmateer]

Note I said "newsfeed video quality."

They take a perfectly good SD 4:3 image from the ABC network or from CNN or from FSN or from their old video archives.

Then, they stretch it all out of proportion, to fill the 16:9 screen.

Neither of the other two stations with HD local news does this inside their newscasts.

This is the 21st century, an age of higher quality productions. Why should we give them a pass on this? In fact, Brendan McLaughlin has already responded that "I've got people on it now."

Now, that is taking it a bit far.

I agree that they shouldn't stretch, but that doesn't make them the worst in regards to video quality.

[Dknow]

I agree totally that stretch-o-vision looks like crap but you have to remember there are a lot of blue heads in this state that want to have a "full picture on their tv sets". So us videophiles may realize this is crap but some less educated viewers might hate the fact that they're not getting a full picture on their 22" big screen tv's when a 4:3 ratio is properly displayed.

[Palmateer]

Sadly, I have to agree that this is often the reality we face.

I agree totally that stretch-o-vision looks like crap but you have to remember there are a lot of blue heads in this state that want to have a "full picture on their tv sets". So us videophiles may realize this is crap but some less educated viewers might hate the fact that they're not getting a full picture on their 22" big screen tv's when a 4:3 ratio is properly displayed.