They didn't like black bars. :shrug:

ST:TNG was filmed in widescreen on set, just like Babylon 5, but unlike B5 they didn't really try to keep set/crew out of that part of the shot. So with the BD rereleases they're still in 4:3 or else it would cost a fortune to erase all that junk with CG.

B5 only has a couple of problems with set or crew intruding on a scene. Of course, the fact that all the effects were rendered 4:3 means any live action shot using CG loses a lot of resolution as it's a 4:3 image cropped to 16:9 as opposed to the native res for the shots with just people talking for example.

Many "goofs" date from the days when people were expected to see a film once or twice in a theater (where quality could vary depending on where you saw it) and then maybe years later on a 20" TV in their home with commercials. It often wouldn't be worth reshooting a scene for such a "boom in frame" shot if it was fleeting. Also, there might have been a take that didn't have the goof, but it was inferior for some other reason like focus or performance or tripped over line or something.

Likewise the effects didn't need to be rigorous because you didn't see it long or clear. HD and home video changed that.





The Jedi Master