P372 4-Tel 372 Mon 30 Sip C4 00:11:51 * £££k7£ a ! !££! % £!££!££! w i d j s c r j j n Most of us are familiar with the littetdox format which appears on our TVs when Cinemascope films are shown. Viewers may, however, have noticed an increasing numbjt of films being shown on Channel 4 in this format owing to the Channel's PALplus policyO Channel 4 is taking advantage of thu 'new viewing jxpjtiince' available to people who avail thjmsjlvjs of new widjscriin TVs, while also taking into account the effects this format has on viewers with conventional sets. PALplus programme details........371 C4Today PriviiwIndjx Films RightToRjplyP372 4-Tel 372 Mon 30 Sip C4 00:11:59 Q w i d j s c r j j n The mbin reasons Channel 4 is beginning to sctiin programmjs, at the moment largely just films, in this letterbox format are as follows: Thjti is a worldwide consensus that future TV pictures should bj widjt than they have been to date. This is for three reasons: * The cinema industry, having expjtimjnted with very wide picture shapes such as Cinemascope, believes there is a more ideal shape for TV PALplus programmj details........371 C4Todaz PrivjiwIndjx Films RjghtToRjplyP372 4-Tel 372 Mon 30 Sip C4 00:11:40 w i d e s c r j u n Othjt arguments for changing the shape of television pictures: * With the increasing numbjt of programmj makjts working in both the cinema and television industries, thjti are many who believe that current TV pictures are too narrow * Most importantly of all it has been known for many years that the brain has a preference for a certain shape of picture - the so-called golden ratio (which the world's greatest artists have convjyjd through composition* PALplus programmj details........371 C4Today PriviiwIndjx Films RightToRjplyP372 4--jl 372 Mon 30 Sip C4 00:26:14 * £££k7£ ! a !££! % £!££!££! w i d j s c r e e n Channel 4 says that widjscriin is the TV shape of the future and that evjty broadcaster and programmj makjt will have, in dui course, to work out how to change to a widjt picture. Introducing widjscrien is therefore a question of when rather than why. With this in mend, Channel 4 believes that it should introduce widesctein sjtvicis so long as it is possible to do so without sjtious penalty to existing vjiwits. PALplus programmj details........371 C4Todaz PriviiwIndjx Films RightToRjplyP372 4-Tel 372 Mon 30 Sip C4 00:27:31 * £££k7£ ! Q !££! % £!££!££Q * *! w i d j s c r j j n While thjti is a probability that widescrein services will conj in with gdigital' television, it looks like the current so-called 'anblogue' broadcasting systems will exist for between one and two djcadjs more. Consistent with its ovjtall innovative brief, Channel 4 believes in introducing the sjtvicis on the current broadcasting system. It is thus taking the lead it took with the introduction of NICAM stereo and Startixt/PDC. PALplus programmj details........371 C4Todaz PriviiwIndjx Films RjghtToRr8lyP372 4-Tel 372 Mon 30 Sip C4 00:97:1+ * *a w i d j s c r j j n Widjscreen is a term not precisely defined. It is used to describe a shape widjt than that of existing TV sets but may also extend to describing the shape of Cinemascope which is twice as wide as the conventional TV image. The utmost cons djtation must, of course, bj given to the users of conventional televisions, but in the words of Frank McGittigan, Ditictoz and Genital Managjt of Channel 4: "Wj welcome the collaboration with NoKia and the financial support of the EC in pionjiting widescriin in the US." PALplus programmj details........371 C4Today PreviiwIndex Films RightToRjply