The X-Files aspect ratio on Netflix?

[EssentialParado]

My family and I have been watching The X-Files on Netflix through my Apple TV and are currently midway through season 7. Yesterday we started an episode that played in 4:3 with black bars on either side of the screen. We're convinced we had been watching in widescreen previously—not a stretched setting on our TV but proper 16:9—but if we go back and play older episodes they're all the same: 4:3 with black bars!

It's also supposed to have been broadcast in widescreen from season 4 onwards, which also makes it odd that a season 7 episode would be in 4:3.

Is there anyone else here who've watched any episodes on Netflix? Has it always been in 4:3 with black bars and we've just gone bonkers?

 

[jtrenthacker]

I've been watching X-Files as well. I'm only through season 2 but so far all have been 4:3 ratio.

 

[EssentialParado]

I've been watching X-Files as well. I'm only through season 2 but so far all have been 4:3 ratio.

I believe it is in 4:3 between season 1-4, but later seasons should be in 16:9.

 

[StinDaWg]

I believe it is in 4:3 between season 1-4, but later seasons should be in 16:9.

The first seasons are available in 16:9 HD on some tv channels. I don't know anything about Netflix.



There's rumors of a Blu-ray coming soon.

 

[benh911f]

You are correct; Seasons 5-9 are supposed to be in 16:9, but recently on Netflix they have been appearing in 4:3 for some reason.

 

[EssentialParado]

You are correct; Seasons 5-9 are supposed to be in 16:9, but recently on Netflix they have been appearing in 4:3 for some reason.

You noticed it too? Then we're not going crazy?

I've contacted Netflix about it. Hopefully it'll get fixed soon.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

I have the who series on DVD and like mentioned above, most of them are 4:3 and the last few at 16:9.

If they do come out with Blu-ray's I might be tempted to get it, if they remaster it in HD and make them all widescreen.

 

[benh911f]

You noticed it too? Then we're not going crazy?

I've contacted Netflix about it. Hopefully it'll get fixed soon.

I noticed it when watching on my iPad. At first I thought it was an issue with my iPad, but then I went on Amazon Instant Video on the iPad, and they were in the correct aspect ratio.

 

[westrock2000]

I wonder if the early seasons were even shot in 16:9. Most shows from that time period are all 4:3 when released to home video. I have the X-Files DVD sets from years ago and it's 4:3 on the early seasons.

I think Star Trek Next Generation (or maybe it was Deep Space Nine) was the same way where it started as 4:3 and eventually went to 16:9.

 

[StinDaWg]

I wonder if the early seasons were even shot in 16:9.

Did you see the picture I posted above? That's from the 1st season and it airs internationally on a German channel called ProSieben Maxx in 16:9 HD. Apparently it is also available on the El Rey Network.

DVD vs. HDTV











http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/58786
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/58787
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/58788
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/58785

 

[EssentialParado]

Would be incredible if those remastered versions eventually make it to Netflix.

 

[westrock2000]

Did you see the picture I posted above? That's from the 1st season and it airs internationally on a German channel called ProSieben Maxx in 16:9 HD. Apparently it is also available on the El Rey Network.

No for some reason the picture in post 4 shows as a broken link for me.

But that is really cool none the less!

 

[TsMkLg068426]

The first seasons are available in 16:9 HD on some tv channels. I don't know anything about Netflix.

[url=http://t1.someimage.com/pAbKY0C.jpg]Image[/URL]

There's rumors of a Blu-ray coming soon.

hmmm last I heard that The X-Files early seasons Fox was having issues transferring them to widescreen for Blu-Rays strange that on some Networks it is in widescreen, would be nice though not to be 4:3 on Blu-Ray. Similar issue with Farscape series they can not find the original footage so they have no choice to still use 4:3 transfer on Blu-Ray and same problem on Netflix for Farscape even though it is 4:3 the latest release on Blu-Ray also was a HD transfer but the stream is still SD.

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Did you see the picture I posted above? That's from the 1st season and it airs internationally on a German channel called ProSieben Maxx in 16:9 HD. Apparently it is also available on the El Rey Network.

DVD vs. HDTV
[url=http://i2.minus.com/jpKkDebtl5hRN_e.jpg]Image[/url][url=http://i5.minus.com/jxDCTbMuExaxR_e.jpg]Image[/url]
[url=http://i4.minus.com/jIml0iXnmuMsY_e.jpg]Image[/url][url=http://i4.minus.com/j5oM9wn5pq2KB_e.jpg]Image[/url]
[url=http://i4.minus.com/jrlTcF4IAcvhh_e.jpg]Image[/url][url=http://i4.minus.com/jbmjnWjZnoB7OQ_e.jpg]Image[/url]
[url=http://i1.minus.com/j6cWMTo9v3jjN_e.jpg]Image[/url][url=http://i4.minus.com/jbp8dxcuVqTKMk_e.jpg]Image[/url]
[url=http://i7.minus.com/jusm4wWxrYjU4_e.jpg]Image[/url][url=http://i1.minus.com/jif6K93z9gRf_e.jpg]Image[/url]
[url=http://i2.minus.com/jtYVOz9cVVjAb_e.jpg]Image[/url][url=http://i2.minus.com/j1NFpREWeTo5_e.jpg]Image[/url]
[url=http://i4.minus.com/jbpG6r8O1KKf2x_e.jpg]Image[/url][url=http://i5.minus.com/jb1IGhC5kLnvfH_e.jpg]Image[/url]
[url=http://i3.minus.com/jbyWYCFXvE2XfH_e.jpg]Image[/url][url=http://i1.minus.com/jbdSYx8eu2FkPm_e.jpg]Image[/url]
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[url=http://i6.minus.com/jjIVTF5LumYL0_e.jpg]Image[/url][url=http://i3.minus.com/jzu4fnn3OdFQL_e.jpg]Image[/url]

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/58786
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/58787
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/58788
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/58785

Interesting very interesting you can see a huge difference from 4:3 to 16:9 I The X-Files the DVD collectors set the older seasons in Full Screen is terrible wish that when I play on my Blu-Ray it would have black bars on the side

 

[CptSky]

hmmm last I heard that The X-Files early seasons Fox was having issues transferring them to widescreen for Blu-Rays strange that on some Networks it is in widescreen, would be nice though not to be 4:3 on Blu-Ray. Similar issue with Farscape series they can not find the original footage so they have no choice to still use 4:3 transfer on Blu-Ray and same problem on Netflix for Farscape even though it is 4:3 the latest release on Blu-Ray also was a HD transfer but the stream is still SD.

The problem with X-Files is that all the show has been edited in SD, and all the special effects have been done in SD too. Else, except for the pilot, everything was filmed on 35mm and protected for 16:9. The HD remasters are in 16:9, the pilot is cropped and for the rest, it's the protected 16:9 image. The special effects have been up-scaled (and zoomed/cropped to fit), although I've heard from people watching the HD broadcast that for some episodes, most special effects have been redone in HD, so maybe Fox will redo everything for a blu-ray release.

Also, late seasons (5+) were broadcasted in 4:3, but released in 16:9 on the DVDs. So, both versions exist (the later being probably the protected 16:9 image as for the new first seasons in HD). If the image looks like a real 4:3 image, maybe Netflix now uses the 4:3 version for some reason ?

 

[kazmac]

The problem with X-Files is that all the show has been edited in SD, and all the special effects have been done in SD too. Else, except for the pilot, everything was filmed on 35mm and protected for 16:9. The HD remasters are in 16:9, the pilot is cropped and for the rest, it's the protected 16:9 image. The special effects have been up-scaled (and zoomed/cropped to fit), although I've heard from people watching the HD broadcast that for some episodes, most special effects have been redone in HD, so maybe Fox will redo everything for a blu-ray release.

Also, late seasons (5+) were broadcasted in 4:3, but released in 16:9 on the DVDs. So, both versions exist (the later being probably the protected 16:9 image as for the new first seasons in HD). If the image looks like a real 4:3 image, maybe Netflix now uses the 4:3 version for some reason ?

Thanks for this information. I bought a few episodes on iTunes but have not watched them recently. I hope if Fox does prep this for a blu ray release then everything is redone. I'd definitely be interesting in getting some of these episodes on blu ray and/or HD (Krycek fan that I still am.)