Widescreen Capability on Basic Cable?

[Asrial]

So until the other day I've limped along on a 4:3 TV.

Now I have a 16:9 TV and I'm curious, since I've never researched it before (the deal for the TV was too good to pass up), if basic cable (co-axial; Time Warner's cheapest cable plan) can deliver widescreen content.

The cable goes directly from the wall into the TV so there's no box or anything.

Ultimately.. I'm trying to determine if I should just leave the TV on 4:3 mode the entire time or if there's actually going to be 16:9 content I can watch.

However, the follow up question to the latter would be if that content is optimized (black bars in the content itself) for 4:3 display (and thus putting the TV in 16:9 mode to watch 16:9 content will still stretch it because you're supposed to watch it in 4:3 mode).

[Bobmuhthol]

If you're using an HDTV with a QAM tuner, you will be able to get #-# channels, e.g. 4-1, which are essentially HD channels broadcast on an analog signal. In short, yes, basic cable can deliver widescreen/HD content, but obviously 1) it needs to be broadcast and 2) you need to be able to receive it.

I don't know about Time Warner but Comcast recently fucked over a bunch of people by changing their cable signal to some digital bullshit that TVs can't read without either a digital cable box or some sort of converter that they charge something like $2/mo to have. Watch out for that and consider investing in an antenna -- you will get those same HD channels but better as long as you are in a good location.

[Tisket]

If anything in the world could turn me into a terrorist bomber, it would be Comcast. Fucking bastards.

[Archigeek]

Most modern wide screen flat panels can be set to automatically tune to the best format, best being "most appropriate". In other words, if you set a decent TV to 4:3, it will switch to 16:9 when you get to a channel that supports it. That's what mine does. FYI: I have Comcast, and some of the basic channels are in HD and wide format.

[Asrial]

I think I figured it out. Been flipping channels in 4:3 and I see some that, even in 4:3 mode, are displayed as 16:9 with black bars across the top and bottom.

Switching the TV to 16:9 mode does NOT change the size of the top/bottom bars.

It looks like the content, even if it's 16:9, is optimized for a 4:3 TV.

[Archigeek]

That's because you don't have a high def signal probably. It may be optimized for size, but because you aren't getting high def, it's optimizing for clarity. If you want a bigger, but less clear picture, you should have a setting to over-ride that and go with a full screen. Kind of a personal preference thing.

[BigWorm]

I think I figured it out. Been flipping channels in 4:3 and I see some that, even in 4:3 mode, are displayed as 16:9 with black bars across the top and bottom.

Switching the TV to 16:9 mode does NOT change the size of the top/bottom bars.

It looks like the content, even if it's 16:9, is optimized for a 4:3 TV.

That's because they take a 16:9 AR video, convert it to 4:3 by adding in black bars, then transmit the the 4:3 picture to you. The black bars encoded in the video. Yes, its super annoying.

[BigWorm]

Also, Bob's recommendation about OTA DTV is a good one. The new digital TV ain't your daddy's rabbit ears. As long as you live fairly close to civilization, you should be able to get an HD picture over broadcast that is at least as good as the one you would get through HD cable. In my area, Charter overcompresses the shit they send out of cable so the OTA picture looks significantly better.