Partial use of screen size by apps

[chenhogi]

Been using the 8X for a few days, and I have just noticed that some apps do not take up the entire length of the screen in that there is usually a strip at the top of the screen that remains unused, for example rowi, The Guardian, the Verge, Sky Sports News, Viber Messenger, Shazam, and so on. This is not true for all apps, most notably native Microsoft apps like Skype and Skydrive, as well as the HTC app.

This waste of real estate is in my opinion a shame. In rowi, for example, using the whole screen could display a little extra of your timeline.

Is there a reason for this?

 

[inteller]

they were compiled for WVGA. Just be thankful they run on your 8X at all, many apps wont run on the 920 because of that.

 

[berty6294]

The only app that really irritates me with this is Netflix! When I watch videos I now have the big black bar on the left as well as two black bars on the top and bottom!

For example...
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=7147CFE144C1814!815&authkey=!AOWdrWZWuJewpiQ

It might be hard to see but if you save the picture you can see the bars on the left, top, and bottom! Its really irritating know that the video should take up the full screen!

 

[chenhogi]

Thanks.
So it's just the developers yet to update their apps for WP8?

 

[inteller]

yes...and good luck waiting on Netflix to update theirs...they have released maybe 3 updates since 2010.

 

[berty6294]

yes...and good luck waiting on Netflix to update theirs...they have released maybe 3 updates since 2010.

Haha well as soon as i get my new surface, netflix on my phone will be used almost never!

 

[shinygerbil]

I'm getting really sick of this bar

Especially when apps get updated or even newly released (I'M LOOKING AT YOU ALPHAJAX) and they still don't support it.

I really hope this doesn't remain a persistent problem.

I don't know why they bothered going to 16:9 anyway - though I understand that 720P is kind of the de facto standard for video content these days. While I don't think it is necessarily worse, I don't see what improvements the aspect ratio brings for anything else.

And movies aren't even in 16:9 anyways...

 

[berty6294]

I'm getting really sick of this bar

Especially when apps get updated or even newly released (I'M LOOKING AT YOU ALPHAJAX) and they still don't support it.

I really hope this doesn't remain a persistent problem.

I don't know why they bothered going to 16:9 anyway - though I understand that 720P is kind of the de facto standard for video content these days. While I don't think it is necessarily worse, I don't see what improvements the aspect ratio brings for anything else.

And movies aren't even in 16:9 anyways...

Technically 16:9 (1.77:1) is the universal standard for high-definition television and European digital television.

 

[shinygerbil]

I'm fully aware of that. I am a cinema projectionist, so for me it's 1.85, 2.39 or nothing. And neither of those is good for a phone; I feel that 1.77 is pushing it. I don't see why phones should have to (or even try to) follow the same standards; they're smartphones, they serve multiple purposes, not just TV. I hardly watch any TV anyway - and certainly not on my phone!

 

[inteller]

and just as soon as I mentioned poor Netflix update support, a Netflix update arrives on my phone lol. Can't tell it did anything for me, but maybe it was recompile dto work on 920s correctly.

 

[berty6294]

Yeh haha was hoping it fit well on my 8x now.... It doesn't. Still has the bars on top left and right

 

[Kebero]

The 8X has a funny resolution, though