STARZ, MIRAMAX movies, HDTV: What is the deal???

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

In article <-5OdnZIk9tCWFX7cRVn-uw@comcast.com>, Jeff says...
>
>If you go to www.starz.com and check out their schedule, you will notice the
>HDTV icon
>missing from many miramax movies even when simulcast on Starz HD. Movies
>like KIll Bill, Cold Mountain, and previously Station Agent, City of God.
>Even Bad Santa doesn't have that HDTV icon.
>
>But when I saw these movies on Starz HD , it didnt look upconverted to me.
>It was broadcast in the 16:9 signal letterboxed to the actual ratio (2.35 in
>the case of kill bill). I then looked up Kill BIll 2 and the HDTV icon is
>missing from it's broadcast icons.
>
>I called their customer service thinking it was a typo. The rep seemed to
>think it was not a typo. So does the HDTV icon refer to the transfer source
>which is just letterboxed and broadcast in a 16:9 signal without having that
>typical squared off upconverted look? It seems pretty deliberate whenever
>they place that icon next to a movie in its schedule. Does this mean, we are
>getting lower res letterboxed transfers but broadcast in hidef fooling us
>into thinking we are watching a hidef version of the movie?
>
>
>

This may be related. A few months ago Charlie Ergen answered a viewer question
as to why Dish Network did not carry StarzHD. He said StarzHD was not
broadcasting enough true HD content to warrant being carried at this time.
Having never seen StarzHD, I wasn't sure what to make of that comment, but maybe
it relates to your question.