Since it's common practice to conform and trunscate the image of 2.35 films for HD-TV to 1.78 - how is this actually done? The HiDef master is the full image - right? But then altered by the network. Have any 2.35 films been correctly framed for network HD transmission - I can't wait to see how and if TCM transmits it's widescreen films.

With the number of films transferred and sourced to HiDef standards - I would assume there are alot of new (HD) masters getting created every day - correct?

TCM only shows oar movies now,So lets hope they continue that trend.

Sometimes a separate transfer is done for the 1.78:1 image; sometimes it looks like the 2.35:1 master is 'zoomed in'. I'd imagine it depends on the movie.

I'd imagine it's much more often the case that the network is supplied a 1.78:1 image.

Yes. Showtime and HDNet Movies only show HD movies in their original aspect ratios. (A few have slipped through the cracks at Showtime, but complaints are typically resolved quickly.) Some of the older transfers at HBO retain their original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and a handful of newer films like The Girl with the Pearl Earring and Cabin Fever have been in scope. A small number of the scope movies on Universal HD have been presented OAR, although they crop far more often than not. Older films like Gone with the Wind have been presented OAR (pillarboxed to 1.37:1) when shown. Some of the networks have shown movies at 2.35:1 as well (Fox with Maid in Manhattan and CBS with Along Came a Spider, to name two).

Those are off the top of my head, but there's a more complete list on the AVS Forum.

TCM is my most wanted channel in high-definition.

Any one have MonsterHD - what's their story: do they show movies in their original aspect ratio? or do they get the cropped 1.78 versions?

It's the same as the old way, just to a different shape. Cropped and/or pan-n-scanned, usually looks like crap. MonsterHD is supposed to generally be OAR, but I've never had it, can't really say.

They used to show everything in 1.78:1, but their newer transfers are all OAR.

How does 1.33:1 OAR work in HD? Side bars?

Yup.

Yes, although I'm starting to see a pretty disturbing trend of stations altering 1.33:1 material too. I don't watch TNT-HD much, but I've seen them stretch material to fit the 16x9 frame.

And Universal is apparently cropping Knight Rider and others for HD broadcast:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=450536

WTF? Both practices are ridiculous.

Some stations just don't it how videophiles care about OAR. The stretching on TNT is just mind-blowing. They do it with many of the "X-Files" episodes I see -- it's really obvious that the picture is distorted. inHD channels drive me nuts too -- just a waste of HD bandwidth on the cable system. They seem to always crop 2.35. But they'll usually leave the opening credits OAR, cropping when the movie proper starts (which at least makes the cropping really easy to spot). The cropping and the obnoxiously large persistent logo in the lower right screen make me never watch movies on these stations. HDNet channels are really good though

Hell, on TNT-HD I have even seen them take a 2.35:1 movie, crop it to 4:3, AND then stretch it to 16:9.

They do that with the last few seasons of Angel -- they take a letterboxed image, crop it, and stretch it.

That's nuts. I'm aggravated with DirecTV taking so long to add new national HD channels but TNT-HD just slid down lower on my want list.

Luckily, they don't seem to do it too much any more. But it still happens. I don't really care anyway, since I don't care to watch cropped or edited movies.

Turner is the biggest joke of any well known player in broadcast TV, no contest. Remember the VP going after DVR users, and anyone with the gall to go to the bathroom with the TV on? I never watch any of their channels, and I don't give a damn if TNTHD ever shows up on my D* lineup. They even beat out NBC in stupidity/failure, which has such geniuses I'm surprised they can make it to work without getting lost or accidentally falling over a cliff.

Ok, I feel a little better now.

They have both ends of the spectrum. TNT blows but don't forget that TCM (Turner Classic Movies) shows everything uncut and in OAR.

That's true. TCM is definitely one of the better networks out there. Thanks for the reminder. It would be nice if they (or anybody) had another one like that for movies made after I was born, though. I like the older movies, just would like both.