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Welcome to TVNZ Widescreen
On 22 September 2007, TVNZ began broadcasting widescreen programmes on all its digital services. This includes TV ONE, TV2, TVNZ6, TVNZ Sports Extra and the soon to be launched and TVNZ7. TVNZ is following a world-wide trend as more and more programme content is produced and broadcast in this format. As with the cinematic experience, viewers find the wider aspect ratio more pleasing to the eye. TVNZ is now commissioning all new content in this format and hopes that by 2008; most prime-time programmes will be broadcast on both TV ONE and TV2 in 16:9. With the recently launched Freeview, New Zealand viewers will have the potential to enjoy many of their favourite TVNZ programmes in high quality digital video and full 16:9 widescreen for free.
What is widescreen?
The widescreen television picture has a width to height ratio of 16:9, as opposed to current transmission which is 12:9 - more commonly known as 4:3. Widescreen is considered to be more aesthetically pleasing, as it more closely resembles the way the human eye views the world - thus enhancing the sense of realism. Long established in the cinema industry, television broadcasters globally are adopting widescreen as the format of the future.
Analogue
From the same date, transmission on TVNZ's analogue VHF
network is in a compromise conversion format. This will ensure
that, following the introduction of widescreen on satellite digital
platforms, an acceptable picture is also delivered to the analogue
4:3 viewer. Viewers will not notice a marked difference when
watching 4:3 material and most of the widescreen (16:9) image is
also seen.
The impact of widescreen for viewers
The impact of the introduction of widescreen will vary depending on the type of television viewers own, how the signal is being broadcast, as well as the original format of the material being broadcast.
Conventional 4:3 Television Sets
Analogue platform: Material will be broadcast in the compromise conversion format. Viewers will not notice a marked difference when watching 4:3 material. Content produced in widescreen (16:9) will be cut off at the left and right edges of frame. It is important therefore, that widescreen material is produced with 'safe' areas in mind (see production paragraph below.)
Digital platform (FreeView and Sky): Material will be broadcast in the widescreen format. User-definable settings exist in the set-top box (for both Sky and Freeview) which will enable viewers with 4:3 televisions to select a setting that suits them individually for widescreen transmission, whether it be a centre-cut 4:3 image or a 16:9 letterbox with black bars at the top and bottom of frame.
Widescreen Television Sets
Analogue platform: As with conventional 4:3 sets, material will be broadcast in a compromise conversion format. As it does now, 4:3 material will have black bars (or curtains) at the sides of frame. Content produced in widescreen (16:9) will still be cut off at the left and right edges of frame. Viewers are able to set up their widescreen television sets so that the image fills the screen (by stretching the image), however they won't see any more of the image.
Digital platform: (Freeview and Sky): Viewers will experience full widescreen transmission when viewing content that has been produced in widescreen (16:9). Material in a 4:3 format will have black bars (or curtains) at the sides of frame. Settings on widescreen television sets enable viewers to select their preference for viewing 4:3 images, for example, so that the image fills the screen (by stretching the image.)
Commercial Material
TVNZ will continue to broadcast TVC's in the format supplied by clients. Advertisers are not required at this point to resend existing 4:3 commercials. If they wish to do so, however, it would be advisable to instruct a new key number for the 16:9 version and provide an end date for the old material, to allow removal from the server.
TVNZ also requires the correct aspect ratio to be clearly shown on the I.D boards of all new commercials.
In the future TVNZ will require all commercials to be provided in its 16:9 (FHA) Production Standard. This date will be determined in consultation with advertisers. In the meantime TVNZ recommends - where possible - that new commercials are produced in this widescreen format.
Production
16:9 (Full Height Anamorphic) has become TVNZ's Production Standard. To ensure viewers with conventional 4:3 television sets are not losing essential picture information, content must be produced in a 14:9 'shoot and protect' format. This defines 'safe' areas for both action and graphics, as illustrated below:
Detailed information on 14:9 'shoot and protect' can be obtained by contacting Production Services at TVNZ Broadcast Services.
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