Question about HD Premium movie channels
 

Ok, I have had HBO for a few months now and it is ok, but a lot of the movie are cropped to 1.85:1 which I do not like. I have noticed on Showtime this week - free preview - that everything I turn on seems to be OAR. Can some of you with all the Premium HD channels comment on OAR and these channels. Are Cinemax and Starz more like Showtime or HBO. I am thinking of just getting the full package from comcast - but if Showtime is the only one going OAR then I may just get Showtime and HBO (for Sopranos mainly).

Sometimes Cinemax will show stuff in OAR that HBO doesn't, even though they're sister networks, but by and large, both channels are predominately 1.78:1 with their HD movies.

I don't have Starz-HD, but I seem to remember reading that they've gotten a little better about OAR lately (The Incredibles was, for instance), but they cropped a lot in the past, and I think they still do for the most part now.

So, if you want OAR on Comcast, it pretty much comes down to Showtime. TMC-HD does as well, but barely anyone carries that. HDNet Movies is an OAR channel as well, but Comcast doesn't carry that either.

Comcast is also way too expensive.

Yikes. I remember my mother saying $33.99 a month for the premium package with all movie channels was a lot of money years ago. We had it for awhile. That would have been around the early 80's/early 90's or so.

Now, the package is $143.98 in our area for platinum. Granted, there are many more multiplex stations. But, let's face it. All 6 HBO channels play the exact same movies. Just at different times. Don't know if that warrants price hikes.

I remember getting excited as a kid over movie channels. Same as a teenager. Looking back, I don't really know why. I rarely used them then and mostly reverted back to VHS tapes. Same as I do with DVD's now.

The prices are going up again soon. It just isn't worth it to me. For how much cable costs, I don't even use it that much which is why I canned everything but basic.

If you haven't already be sure to check out the actual movies that are shown on Showtime. We had it for awhile and it seemed like they didn't show many of the movies I was interested in. Obviously that is a personal preference but still worth checking out.

Yeah, I have to agree about Showtime's extremely limited selection of movies, which is why I haven't bothered to subscribe.

Showtime did show Crash the other night in HD. I thought it looked excellent. I'm not sure if it was upconverted, but it still looked incredible and I think it was in OAR. The film was shot in 2.35, but I can't remember if I had a 1.85 appearance on my 16:9.