Re: GUIDE IN 4:3 ON HD BOX?
JKennedy
Enthusiast - Level 3

You can't talk HD and aspect ratio synonomously.  They're not the same.

However, even look at some of the HD channels.  Some are not are not HD content, but SD content boadcast in HD and some even go as far as to molest 4:3 AR into 16:9 which drives me nuts.

A good example is CNBC-HD.  It's a 16:9 HD frame so they add more "stuff" to desplay, but the actual broadcast content,displayed in the frame is SD.  Of course that's not a Verizon issue.

The only benefit I see in having a 16:9 guide is that they can take advantage of the extra real estate and add more information or more fluff stuff.

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Re: GUIDE IN 4:3 ON HD BOX?
BorderDog
Enthusiast - Level 2

The "only" benefit is extra real estate?  You don't think that is a major benefit?

 

With a true wide-screen guide maybe you could actually see the FULL title of what is currently showing, plus the next 3 or 4 hours after it, or whatever would reasonably fit.  Now it is cramped, difficult to read, and marginally useful at best.  Most of the time you can't even read the title for what is showing, forget about what is next.

 

VERIZON REPS

In regards to this being a peer-to-peer forum: fair enough.  Can you provide me an email link for comments/complaints/suggestions?  Thank you.

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Re: GUIDE IN 4:3 ON HD BOX?
Justin46
Legend

I agree with JKennedy, I care very little whether the guide is 4:3 or 16:9. I watch the TV to watch the programs, not look at or scroll through the guide. If I want to look more than an hour or so forward, I just scroll forward, if I want more detail about the program, I just hit the Info button (twice if I want the most detail).

A 16:9 guide would be a little nicer I guess, but for me, this is much ado about nothing, I would much prefer that Verizon focus on signing up a new guide data provider that would provide accurate guide content, or provide a DVR with a larger hard drive, for example. 

Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.0
Keller, TX

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Re: GUIDE IN 4:3 ON HD BOX?
BorderDog
Enthusiast - Level 2

I could not agree with you more about getting a new guide provider with accurate content info.

 

I could not disagree more about not caring whether the guide is 4:3 or 16:9.

 

Of course you watch TV to watch the programs, but how is it you find those programs that you want to watch???  By looking at and scrolling through the guide, of course.  Have you ever used a DISH network guide in 16:9?  Light-years beyond what Verizon has.

 

Having an HD guide is like watching an HD channel.  Once you know how much better it is than SD you hate to go back.

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Re: GUIDE IN 4:3 ON HD BOX?
Justin46
Legend

@BorderDog wrote:

I could not disagree more about not caring whether the guide is 4:3 or 16:9.

 

Of course you watch TV to watch the programs, but how is it you find those programs that you want to watch???  By looking at and scrolling through the guide, of course.  Have you ever used a DISH network guide in 16:9? 


Well, each of us having different opinions is what makes the world go around, I guess.....

How do I find the programs I want to watch? Well, first, much of what I watch is sports,so I open the newspaper every morning at breakfast, go to the Sports section, and look through the TV sports lineup for the day, and mentally make my choices. And some of what I watch is regular shows, every day or every weekday, and I know when those are on, and on what channels. I do occasionally look at the Guide, maybe 5 minutes/day; I just move the Guide 1/2 hour or 1 hour ahead and look through it. Or, I have my Favorites set, and Flip by Favorites set  to Favorites, so I just channel surf. That's just the way I do things, I guess.

And no, I have never had Dish, am pretty sure I never will.

I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree on the 16:9 Guide, it just really doen't mean much to me. At least we do agree on the Guide content, that's good. Now if Verizon would just act!

Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.0
Keller, TX

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Re: GUIDE IN 4:3 ON HD BOX?
BorderDog
Enthusiast - Level 2

Agree to disagree, fair enough.

 

However, if you have never seen/used the guide in true 16:9 (DISH) you don't know what you are missing!  Again, it's like someone who only has SD and has never seen HD saying "I don't need HD channels, they really don't mean much to me."

 

I, unlike you, use the guide a lot.  I don't get a newspaper so I don't plan ahead!  I constantly surf through the guide to find what is on and what is going to be on.  It's frustrating with Verizon.  You can't even see the full title of what is showing and the content is seriously lacking and often incorrect.  The shows don't even have a first-aired date!  You can't tell if a show is new or a rerun.  That drives me (and the DVR) crazy!!!

 

Like you said, hopefully Verizon will act soon, or at least publicly state that they know people are unhappy and they are GOING to act. {please keep your posts courteous} 

Message Edited by KaLin on 11-03-2008 06:37 AM
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Re: GUIDE IN 4:3 ON HD BOX?
kb1esx
Enthusiast - Level 1

I believe my cable company had the wider guide (under 1080i) I could see from 8PM unitl 10:30PM from left to right.

Very disapointed with FiOS TV.

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Re: GUIDE IN 4:3 ON HD BOX?
KenAF
Specialist - Level 2

@kb1esx wrote:

I believe my cable company had the wider guide (under 1080i) I could see from 8PM unitl 10:30PM from left to right.

Very disapointed with FiOS TV.


You are mistaken.  No cable company offers a guide with more than 90 minutes of program information.  Some Scientific Atlanta DVRs used by cable companies offer a 4:3 guide and menus with a 16:9 background, but that has no functional advantage over the FiOS IPG.

Dish Network is the only provider with a true widescreen guide that offers >90 minutes.

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