Oh yeah I get that. But what I meant is, you could basically make a metadata track along with the video that contains the exact cropping that you want. So for the 4:3 version you could just keep the intended normal area, and for the 16:9 you could include some of the side etc.

On the topic of the aspect ratio of Star Trek TNG, I think this picture from one of the restoration documentaries shows why it wasn't just a case of opening up the matte. 

   

Some shots you could just open up the matte and it would be fine, but many like the one above would either require the unwanted elements to be digitally removed which would add more expense to an already expensive project, or the frame would need to be cropped which would mean less picture than the original 4:3 versions.  

I feel 4:3 was the right decision for TNG. 

From what I've heard Buffy the Vampire Slayer was just opened up for the HD versions and crew and equipment are apparently constantly visible. I haven't seen any of the HD episodes myself though.

The X-Files was largely shot with widescreen in mind, so on the whole it was an easy process to alter the aspect ratio. The first two seasons were shot with 4:3 in mind so had to be cropped a bit, but the rest looks largely great in widescreen because that was the intention.

(2021-09-14, 09:56 AM)HippieDalek Wrote: On the topic of the aspect ratio of Star Trek TNG, I think this picture from one of the restoration documentaries shows why it wasn't just a case of opening up the matte. 



Some shots you could just open up the matte and it would be fine, but many like the one above would either require the unwanted elements to be digitally removed which would add more expense to an already expensive project, or the frame would need to be cropped which would mean less picture than the original 4:3 versions.  

I feel 4:3 was the right decision for TNG. 

From what I've heard Buffy the Vampire Slayer was just opened up for the HD versions and crew and equipment are apparently constantly visible. I haven't seen any of the HD episodes myself though.

The X-Files was largely shot with widescreen in mind, so on the whole it was an easy process to alter the aspect ratio. The first two seasons were shot with 4:3 in mind so had to be cropped a bit, but the rest looks largely great in widescreen because that was the intention.

Thanks That’s exactly the point I was trying to make to the guy wanting the shows in 16:9 and trying to tell him why doing 16:9 isn’t always ideal.

This was also the case for The Wire (or Friends) and they did convert them anyway. As the producer of the Wire said, it's hundred of hours work.

For Star Trek, people see no problem in entirely redoing VFX shots in CGI, but for some reason, erasing something from the complete scan (or reframing a shot) is too much work. TOS even had the new CGI shots done in widescreen, but on the Blu-ray they are cropped. So the argument that CGI will have to be redone if the shots need to be extended on TNG is a moot point, as they actually redid them all for TOS.

In any case, the point is, to future proof an old show and give it shelf life and make a lot of money out of it, you now go widescreen, that is the way the current industry works.

If you keep the show in 4/3, you stick to a niche audience.