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The reason I asked the above was to find out if a widescreen TV existed that didn't allow a consumer to stretch a 4:3 feed to 16:9. I am aware they are doing the opposite, and that is what annoys me. So in a counter point to them, I want to point out that if they would send 4:3 content as 4:3, consumers could then stretch it as they please. Including using stretching methods beyond the simple expansion to fill the frame that many modern units offer.

Many TVs, including my Hitachi, offer a non-linear "wide" stretch, where the middle third of the original screen is largely the same, and the outside two thirds are stretched to give the "wide" illusion. It's tollerable, but I prefer to watch things in their native aspect ratio. If you try watching something like CNN with the non-linear stretch, the scrolling ticker can easily get you seasick.

In combination with my HD-TiVo, I think I can do what you want, but it's a pain. If something is broadcast in HD but with a 4:3 aspect ratio and black bars, I can tell the TiVo to output 480i or 480p instead of the higher resolution choices. At that point, the TiVo is outputting a "normal" signal that the TV's stretching controls understand. The TV only "locks" to 16:9 if you give it a 720p or 1080i signal. The only reason I ever mess with this in practice is when I'm watching a letterboxed standard-def show from the satellite (e.g., Battlestar Gallactica), where I want to zoom in, rather than having cropping on all four sides.