4:3 back in? Let's talk aspect ratios

[Markymark]

As someone who went through BBC North West's painful transition from 4:3 to 16:9. I know how cheap and iffy looking it can be when black bars are just plonked on the top and bottom of a screen.

On one of the versions of The TV Room - if memory serves me right - from around 2005-ish. You could easily tell that all NWT did to get the 14:9 'safe' version of the aspect ratio was this.

I think most, if not all 4:3 regions did that. Most evenings on analogue, you’d see Look North (Leeds) in full screen 4:3 for a split-second before black bars were superimposed top and bottom.

The idea behind the 14:9 mask on the BBC regions, (via analogue) was introduced when the BBC Network news (as distinct from News 24) went 16:9  (therefore 14:9 on analogue) and there wasn't a jump from 14:9 to 4:3 as viewed via analogue at the regional opt points

[harshy]

I like 4:3 it added more height to shots now you get a little bit more side but the height has been cropped or framed to look that way.

Sorry but this makes absolutely no sense.
Are you suggesting 4:3 material should be cropped to fill a 16:9 frame?  If so the exit's over there -->

Or are you seemingly suggesting the height of a 16:9 image is smaller than 4:3?

Honestly this is what I was taught this came from an itn cameraman there is more height with 4:3 shots look from the face and the above height if that makes sense.

Unfortunately metropol dosent work for me so can’t doodle what I mean.

[CameronYoung]

This is what I mean by it's both taller and narrower:
- When converting 4:3 to 16:9, you chop off the top and bottom
- When converting 16:9 to 4:3, you chop off the left and right

(the image on the left is the original, taken by me at a bird of prey place)

[OboeShoes]

Some programmes definitely suit the framing of 4:3. I watched an episode of the original run of the Royle Family a few nights ago and was struck by how the cinematography enhanced its kitchen-sink atmosphere. A face could fill an entire screen, whereas in 16:9 or wider the DoP and director would have to either crop some of the face out or devote some of the frame to background elements.

[James2001]

Wasn't the reason Parkinson stayed in 4:3 throughout its BBC run because Parky himself thought it was the best way to frame the shots of him and the guest?

Went 16:9 on the move to ITV though.