"Starsky and Hutch" is on HBO HD right now and the entire screen is filled. The film was shot in 2.35:1, so there should be the small bars at the top and bottom. Do they normally show OAR on their HD channel? Showtime HD is showing Last Action Hero now and it's in the correct aspect ratio.

The image on S&K doesn't look stretched at all, like most presentations on TNT's HD channel.

I've had my 16:9 HD for about a month and its aspect ratio is set correctly. I just got my HD digital box from Time Warner a couple of weeks ago and never looked at the settings until today. The input signal was already set to 1080i, which is what my TV accepts. Also, the aspect ratio on the box was at 4:3 standard. I changed it to 16:9. Didn't notice a difference in picture. Should I have?

Also, once you set the 16:9 ratio, it asks what to do with 4:3 presentations. I have it to fill the screen rather than sidebar (bars on sides of course). Should this be set with the sidebars?

No, it doesn't always broadcast the films in OAR. I believe there was some fuming over their cropping of Star Wars 2 as well.

No it doesn't. I noticed this several times. Many of the scope films are reformated to 1.78:1.

Getting OAR will be a never ending battle I'm afraid. One of the reason I dropped HBO was the fact they weren't bothering to show many movies in OAR.

No, however Ocean's 12 has been shown in its correct ratio on HBO HD

Only if you want to watch 4:3 material in its correct aspect ratio (as opposed to having the picture distorted).

Luckily, stations like Showtime will actually put on their website if it's shown in OAR. I don't believe HBO does.

Showtime is much better about OAR than HBO. The best channel for HD OAR is HDNet Movies though. They always show their films in OAR and do not show upconversions. I'm not sure if you get it on TW though.

I believe all Time Warner systems have it.

HDNet is Mark Cuban's company right?

Yeah, it's on there.

HBO's website says 80% of their programming is in True HD, but no mention about OAR. Disappointing to hear, though. I watch that channel more often than anything else.

Before getting HD, I would have never imagined that any station would still alter the OAR with their HD presentations.

I sent the an email regarding the OAR issue. Won't do any good. I just wished these stations cared about presenting the film exactly the way it should be. Channels crop widescreen images to fill 4:3 sets. Can't believe that we have to go through the same thing again with them cropping 2.35 images down to 1.78.

INHD was showing the original Ocean's Eleven in OAR the other night.

INHD and HDNET always do, as far as i know.

2.35:1 films are quite a rarity on InHD, from everything I've read.

Adam, you mentioned in another thread about Universal's HD channel. That is being added to my hd channels on Wednesday. Do they always show OAR and true HD?

Always true HD (aside from some commercials/promos). OAR is spotty and really depends on the movie -- it seems like the more obscure films are presented in OAR, but the higher profile titles are cropped.

Million Dollar Baby broadcast on HBO HD was not in OAR either. Disappointing, so ill stick to the DVD. HDnet movies ALWAYS broadcast in OAR, but thats the only one that I know of. God bless Mark Cuban (oh wait, He already did ).

InHD channels make HBO look good in this regard. Not only do they seem to crop everything, but they have this big intrusive logo that never leaves the screen during movies. Plus they tend to interrupt movies with scrolling messages telling you what you're watching (yeah, I really need to know that), when its on again, and what's on next. I rarely watch the InHD channels (except for concerts and movies that I've never seen elsewhere and just bite the bullet for, like the recent showing of "Oh, Lucky Man!").

HDNet channels, on the other hand, are outstanding.

OAR on HBO can pretty much be broken down into three categories:

1) It's an older transfer from before HBO's 1.78:1-or-die mandate.
2) It's from Lion's Gate (Shattered Glass, Cabin Fever, and The Girl with the Pearl Earring...among others, I'd imagine...have all been presented in scope).
3) It's Ocean's 12.

That's a little bit of an oversimplification, but not by much. There's a lengthy thread on AVS compiling movies that have been presented in OAR on various channels.

The title ought to be:
HBO HD: Does it EVER broadcast films in OAR?

Great minds and all. Updated.

HBO has shown Titanic in OAR. But generally they're all cropped. I'll only watch movies on HBO HD that I know are 1:85:1 (reformatted to 1:78:1). Otherwise I watch Showtime. Cinemax HD is the same as HBO HD.

HDNet is by far the best. They actually showed Fearless (w/Jeff Bridges) in it's OAR. And also showed the early Johnny Depp/Rob Morrow sex romp Private Resort. Good for them.

Plus I've seen Bubble in the comfort of my own home, in focus, and without old people sitting behind me asking each other what's happening.

Cinemax-HD does sometimes show movies in OAR that are cropped on HBO-HD. A few examples are listed in the thread I mentioned above.

It's true that Ocean's 12 is one of the only movies shown in 2.35 ratio in the past year or two. I can't remember when the last one was (Monster's Ball maybe?). But, obviously many of their movies are in OAR since 1.85 is a common theatrical ratio. Also, some of the movies are open-matte super 35 which is far less intrusive to watch than cropping.

Cool. If only that were on a disc too.

I'm amazed at how all these HD broadcasts are butchering OARs. Another thing about HD that makes me sick, and hold out for things to get better before I invest anything.

Okay, has anybody noticed the OAR of The Peacemaker on HBOHD? The OAR is 2:35, but HBO has it in what looks to be something more like 2:40 or greater. The black bars are somewhat bigger than normal for a scope movie. I was just wondering what the hell HBO did with this one.