That's because most people don't even see the difference, I think it is a side effect of us videographers seeing all the details, good and bad. If I visit a customer I immediatly see if the aspect ratio on their tv is wrong, they even stretch, as you pointed out, 4:3 images to 16:9 making everybody look like elephants. I'm allways amazed that if I mention this (Not the elephant part ;)) they are not aware about it. I think if would put my image upside down they also won't notice :D

Same here, and the squished 16:9 on a 4:3 tv is just as bad!

Well i have been shooting weddings for 18 months with a XLH1 with no complaints,
I shoot in HD edit in HD and then Avid 7 converts it into DVD's and i think you loose all the benifits of HD, So i bought a 2nd hand 170 to do weddings and checked some weddings i shot 4 years ago with the same camera and to me they looked great

And for me at this point in time until blue ray disk players are main stream and |HD disks drop in price and the public start asking for it i think i will stick to the 170 its still a fine camera and is still comanding a good price ( £2500+ new) so it must be in demand


Yes if you see HD from camera to a HDTV vi the HDMI cable its stunning but how many couples do or for that matter can not many me thinks, yes it will come but not just yet
Long live the 170

Just did it. Sold my trusty old PD150, and bought a used JVC HD100. So, now, I'm only two or three generations behind the times instead of four or five. I wanted to make my next doc in 24p, and to learn how to use a broadcast-style cam. The HD100 was in the budget, so here I go... jumping blind.

Hope it all works out... and hope I don't miss my old axe too much!