What's wrong with this picture? 4:3 is NOT HDTV

I can't see why anyone would

I can't see why anyone would want a widescreen tv. Windowboxing is very annoying, and letterboxing is just something most people should be used to by now. Also a 16:9 image displayed on a 4:3 tv uses more of the available space than a 4:3 image displayed on a 16:9 screen. So unless you only care about new stuff (I for one value my television and video game history), you get less picture on your old 4:3 stuff. Screw that. I won't be happy until I can get a descent CRT 4:3 that displays HD Resolutions, I don't care if you think that 16:9 matters, the core of HD TV is high resolution. I would stop watching TV before I owned a 16:9 LCD or some other garbage.

I have a 4x3 Mistu that can

I have a 4x3 Mistu that can broadcast HDTV signals but uses bars at the top and bottom.

I have been puttingoff getting a 16x9 since I would rather have bars 20% of the time instead of on the side 80% of the time.

So my question is when in 16x9 mode is my TV truE hdtv?

Sorry, but there is no

Sorry, but there is no fricking thing as a 4:3 HDTV tube.

HDTV spec is 16:9 and is either 1280x720 or 1920x1080. If your TV isn't 16:9 and can handle either of those resolutions, then your TV isn't fricking HD.

That's my beef!

A guppy isn't a shark anymore than a 4:3 TV is HD!

It's false advertising.

I don't understand your beef

I don't understand your beef with this tv. I have a 4:3 HDTV tube, which at 37" has the same picture size as a 32" widescreen when I am watching 16X9 content, but doesn't look like a 19" tv when I'm watching regular cable (which in my neighborhood consists of 300 some channels vs. maybe 10 HD channels.)

BTW, SD content looks way better on my 4:3 HDTV tube than on your widescreen lcd. I promise.

I agree with you Alex.

I agree with you Alex. According to the Samsung documentation, the only aspect this TV shows is the 4:3 aspect ratio.

If it can't do 16:9 then it isn't HD!!

My CRT Panasonic HDTV does both.

This particular TV is what

This particular TV is what is known as an "HDTV Monitor" or "HDTV-ready TV." The TV can display HD programs in true HD quality at 1080i or 480p. The difference is that you have "letterbox" bars at the top and the bottom. This is a choice you have to make, either get a 16:9 HDTV and put up with black sidebars in your regular programs, or get a 4:3 HDTV Monitor like this and put up with black bars on the top and bottom.
I am a cable TV installer and I would definitely recommend this type of TV to customers in my area. It breaks my heart to see customers pay thousands to get a TV that looks great on ONLY A DOZEN CHANNELS and DVD's but looks like crap on the other 200 channels. Most HDTV's do a terrible job producing standard pictures and the problem is made worse when people use zoom modes that strech the picture. HDTV-monitors like this do an excellent job rendering either standard aspect or widescreen HDTV with top and bottom bars, which are in my opinion less annoying than sidebars.
Also consider this: A 42" HDTV sounds big, but if you display a Standard def program on it it is effectively a 34" picture (assuming you do not use a zoom mode.)
The only time I would recommend a widescreen HDTV is if the consumer is not getting digital cable or satellite and can only receive HD programming over the air (antenna,) because if you have a cable box or satellite box you DO NOT NEED A BUILT-IN HD TUNER IN YOUR TV!

You might be interested in a

You might be interested in a guide we wrote that clears up the confusion on HDTV. So many people still can't figure out if they've got HDTV already setup as there are many different points possible error. :)

To me, the 16:9 aspect ratio

To me, the 16:9 aspect ratio is a throwback
to the '60's (i.e. CINEMASCOPE} or maybe even
CINERAMA (Cinemascope on steroids).
I'm totally amazed that this gimick (16:9) is
being shoved down the public's throat today,
50 years later. I guess it is OK if one has
a 22 foot screen in their living room and
they are sitting no more than 10 feet from
this VERY large screen as they watch all the
explosions, cars and people flying by.....
I've been snappin pictures since 1959 and
I've learned one thing: You focus on the
SUBJECT...not the surrounding QRM.
Regarding the SAMSUNG, I have one and it is
5 years old and it is SUPERB. I love being
able to wipe out 16:9 format with a few
clicks. My only gripe with this set is that
has only one S-VHS terminal.
As you may have read from previous posts,
their claim is legit....you MUST have had a
bad week.

I just bought a Samsung

I just bought a Samsung LNS4041D 40" LCD TV.
When I put the picture to 16:9 the picture gets stretched (width) and the ratio does not look right. Is this a true HDTV? When viewing in 4:3 the picture looks right as far as height vs. width proportion. Could you help me. I plan to get comcast digital cable and does this help?

Hmmmm. My four year old

Hmmmm. My four year old Sony 36" CRT hooked up to my Dish Network HD receiver puts out a legitimate 1080 picture that is absolutely perfect.
I went to an Ultimate Electronics store the other day to check out the "competition" and saw nothing that impressed me--especially when it came to displaying motion of any sort.
My Sony's 16:9 display is 33" diagonal, small by totally adequate for me at the moment.
I intend to wait until LCDs, Plasmas and rear-projections catch up to what I have now in terms of 1080 display and 4:3 images. At this moment in time, there is nothing out there that comes close to matching my CRT in anyway, shape or form.
Current flat panels are a joke in terms of portraying an accurate picture--and isn't that what we are looking for?