16:9 SD channels - Tata sky.

[Thirumalkumaran]

Hi Guys!!!

Can anybody please post the list of native 16:9 channels available in tata sky SD? (Al leat what you know, I will collate & update the post to form the list)

Required as I'm deceiding on one soon...and might be helpful for some others as well.

 

[zervinb]

As far as I know, all the SD channels are 4:3.

Only the HD channels have an aspect ratio of 16:9.

 

[Thirumalkumaran]

In that case how you guys watch the SD channels?

Streched?
How do you maintain the aspect ratio?

 

[zervinb]

Depends on the viewer's choice. Most people watch them stretched. If you want to maintain the 4:3 aspect ratio, there's a setting on the STB in "Picture Settings".

 

[just4kix]

We (at my home) watch them stretched. There are no native 16:9 SD channels.

 

[Naturelover]

I know that Movies Now is in 16:9 in SD as well. I think FTV also. Very few really.
Nowadays I see that movies (and some serials) on Indian channels are shown in widescreen within the 4:3 aspect ratio so zooming fills the whole screen.

What I loved most on my old Philips LCD was an aspect ratio setting called "Universal Zoom". This would be equivalent to zooming the pic to something like 14:9 and then stretching it a little in the middle and more on the sides keeping the middle of the pic almost at 4:3. I have forever looked for this setting in other brands but nothing comes very close. Philips still have this setting on their TVs.
This was THE major reason for going for Philips when I bought my first flat screen.

 

[just4kix]

Is "Movies Now (SD)" in 16:9 format or is it cropped/chopped? I did not notice.

 

[Naturelover]

"Movies Now (SD)" is in normal 16:9 format and not cropped/chopped.

 

[htfan17]

Streched?
How do you maintain the aspect ratio?

Yes

We dont maintain. We just deal with it as stretched- simple as that. Story of India's Satellite channels pathetic stituation. We have 3D LEDs costing a fortune but we dont have a sufficient number of widescreen channels.

I rarely watch SD nowadays but since news channels are in SD dont have a choice for them. I tried watching SD channels for a few days in their native ratio 4:3 but then realised that anyway since in SD the image is only like 480p not even close to HD, the quality is already compromised and not meant for an LCD in the first place, then why have black bars on sides to make it worse. I started getting adjusted to stretched image. Better to watch fat people filling up my screen than a smaller CRT based image in center of LCD but thats just my preference.

 

[docd]

Al Jazeera is an SD channel but comes in 16:9. As far as I know, its the only one.

 

[jbgude]

A few weeks back TS has a chap on their home page, ( may be an Bollywood actor- I am not familiar) explaining how they are "not stretching" the SD channels anymore-and they kept showing "stretched" and " normal" picture alternatively.
It may be my imagination, but apart from that weird guy in "Suits" on CC , the other faces especially News anchors, do not appear to be as bad as before.....

 

[technobhatt]

I don't know about Tata Sky...
but on Airtel DTH...FASHION TV and TEN GOLF are telecast in 16:9 ratio despite being SD channels.
Occasionally UTV Movies telecast few movies in 16:9 ratio.

 

[dillihifi]

Except a few channels I.e. fashion tv, al zajeera, movies now other all SD channels are stretched by default if it fills the whole screen. Other than having black bars there is no alternative to watching SD channels.

 

[echo77]

Movies Now and Food Food are 16:9 in SD

 

[technobhatt]

TRACE SPORTS also come in 16:9 ratio.

 

[Thirumalkumaran]

Thank you Guys...!!!

I have been fiddling various settings until I settled on whats below!!!

Just My trick to get picture filled without affecting spect ratio.

I had to set the set-top box as 4:3 (With 16:9 channels as leterbox)

This ensures black bars are all around. Then use the ZOOM function (In my LG Plasma, May vary according to TV, basically it zooms all 4 sides of the image) until I get rid of black bars on left and right side.

disadvantage: some text /image is cropped in 4:3 channels, but they are far less and can be ignored.
We get to loose the tata sky alert and some detail below the channel banner.

but I'm happy with this setting compared to any other combination.