WHEN television first arrived in the 1960s, the pictures were in
black and white with almost square screens, or as the techno jargon
went, in 4 x 3 aspect ratio.
Half a century later, television has evolved into a
technologically superior piece of equipment, with multi-channelled
sound, high definition and 3-D. TV screens are huge and wide.
But what amazes me is that their visual integrity is being
compromised.
For example, a picture of planet Earth appears shaped like a
rugby ball or an egg tilted sideways instead of a more perfectly
contoured soccer ball, which it is.
This is because most TV programmes are still being broadcast in
the 4 x 3 ratio when the modern television set is pegged at a wider
16 x 9 aspect or more. When an almost square picture is extended to
16x9 aspect by force, expanding the horizontal resolution,
everything is stretched out of proportion (see picture above).
We are now watching people with wider, fatter faces and shorter,
stockier or fatter bodies.
Everything is literally out of shape.
We can select the 4x3 feature on our TV remote controls instead
of 16x9, but that is impractical as many shows are broadcast in a
variation of aspect ratios.
The problem should be solved by the broadcaster, not the user.
Besides, it is a visual waste to use only 70 per cent of our wide
screens.
How can Singapore's media broadcasters resolve this problem to
relieve us of the visual misery of having to watch images which are
stretched silly.
After all, the solution is not impossible. Some movies have done
it and at least one major station, the British Broadcasting
Corporation, has made the effort to serve the viewer correctly.
Eric Chua