Anyone know how to get BBC to display the Euro 2004 games properly on widescreen? I've tried all the formats - 16/9, Cinerama, etc. but the best I can get is 3/4 of the screen to show the pic with the rest being taken up with a border. Is it just our telly or the way BBC are broadcasting it?

Eurosport displays perfectly but the commentary is generally better on BBC (IMHO).

Receiving the games via Sky+ so could there be a setting there I should use?

 

As I understood it the host country was not providing a widescreen feed to the nations taking the pictures. It was to be shot in standard 4:3 as, apart from the UK, there was no demand for a widescreen feed. That situation may have changed but my understanding is all the pictures from the games will be 4:3.

I don't know what Eurosport are doing, perhaps they are just going with short fat people? It is also possible that Portugal have changed their position and are indeed providing widescreen.

Some background: Traditionally with big events such as football the host nation provides the pictures to all those who are interested. It would be mad to have, say, 20 nations all with an outside broadcast fleet fighting for the best camera positions etc. Usually the pictures come without graphics and the like so that here in the UK we can get our graphics in English, though you do see occasions where this hasn't happened. The host nation also sends a feed of "international effects" which is the audio from the ground minus the commentators. Each country then puts their own commentary on over the international effects. In truth it wouldn't be necessary to have commentators at the ground, they could sit in London and do it. However you usually get a much better commentary from a team sitting in the ground.

 

Wow ! That explains a lot ! Thanks !

I noticed that at half-time in the Swiss-Croatia game the replays are coming windescreen so presumably that's the BBC re-transmitting them rather than the host nation. Eurosport are definitely doing something as the image is much bigger and the players don't look like Russell Grant

Now, if I could only mix the two channels I guess the answer is I'll just have to live with it !

Thanks again for the reply, certainly unvieled a lot of the "mystery" behind the programming.

 

On Sky, under Sevices - Picture Settings, I changed it to 16:9 on the first line and 4:3 on the second and it seemed to do the trick.

 

On Sky, under Sevices - Picture Settings, I changed it to 16:9 on the first line and 4:3 on the second and it seemed to do the trick. ----------Tried it and made no difference

 

Nah looks like its being transmitted in 4:3 and the BBC have helpfully stuck great bit orange borders round the side just to add the bonus of screenburn for those of us watching on plasmas!

Edit to say just changed the sky box to 4:3 picture format and its filled the whole screen

 

I have problems with getting the footie fully fitted in on the screen. Normally lose the time/score at the top, or some of the info across the bottom. I can flip the TV settings to adjust the picture...but I end up with short fat players

Why can't broadcasters just use 1 format and stick to it?? When we had a 4:3 TV it had black bars on the top and bottom, now we have widescreen we miss stuff off the top and bottom

Also I'll rant at SKY digital...have they reduced the bandwidth/quality on ITV?? 'cos the picture quality of the footy is appauling. Terrestrial gives a far better picture - it'll be a sad day for picture quality perfectionists when they switch it off

 

Dunno what Eurosport are doing but the french channel TF1 are doing the same thing and the picture is really, really good - watching it on Sky+ (ITV) is like watching 3/4 of the picture and the quality isn't great either.

Don't really want to listen to the french commentary either...but as it's 1-0 at half time it could be fun

 

AH ! Got it !

Sky - Picture Settings - 4:3 - letterbox mode=OFF

Thanks guys !

 

I'll agree that the bandwidth issues seem to have been really bad for ITV on this football match - the first half of the first half (if u know what I mean) was terrible picture quality!

Oi - Murdoch! - give us quality NOT quantity