Question: How Come Plasma Televisions Are Shaped Differently Than AnalogTelevisions?
Answer: Plasma televisions are made in the 16x9 screen aspect ratio in order to accommodate widescreen sources, such as Blu-ray, HD-DVD, Bu-ray, and HDTV broadcasts. However, standard definition 4x3 image sources are shown with black or gray bars on the left and right sides of the 4x3 image. Some units may have a 4x3 to 16x9 image expansion circuit, but this may introduce a slight shape distortion to a 4x3 image when expanded all the way to the sides of the 16x9 Plasma display.
For more information on how 4x3 and widescreen images are displayed on a 16x9 screen surface, check out my article: Why You Still See Black Bars on a 16x9 HDTV.
