Why are flat screens rectangular, when most TV shows are shot in square formats?

YES! You are correct!

It’s because we can now do that (i.e. flat screens are easy to manufacture that way compared to tube screens), and it matches the proportions of feature films, so they can be shown without cutting off the edges.

But then there are far too many people who don’t notice and/or prefer it when the “whole screen is used” even on 4:3 aspect ratio content, resulting in (horribly disturbing to me) stretched images, with extra-wide people and distorted shapes. I really have a hard time relating to how many people don’t notice, accept it, and prefer that. I don’t care if there are black bits on the sides as long as the image isn’t stretched out.

Right? Thank you! Extremely annoying to me. I would much prefer to have a square screen that occasionally has to accommodate to feature film rectangular dimensions….which used to drive my ex crazy. He’d carry on about the black space, and no amount of explaining by me would calm him down.

It has been ages since TV shows were recorded in 4:3 (i do not think they were ever square).
TVs now are made to accommodate wide screen formats

Nowadays most TV shows are shot in a rectangular format, a 4:3 ratio.

Then why is the stuff so damn distorted?

tv shows today are recorded commonly in 16:9

Old programs were shot in a 4:3 format that would fit old style analogTV’s (CRTs). Almost all new programming is now shot in 16:9 format to fit your new digital TV.

@Dutchess_III
because you set up your tv wrong.

I am guessing you are not watching these shows in HD.

There are quite a few different aspect ratios out there and film format aspect ratios and also a variety of different settings per television. You may be able to go into your settings and get it to never stretch or squish the display. Unfortunately, it’s easier to notice black areas on the sides, and the people who prefer those often don’t notice and/or don’t care about the stretched displays. But if they are also too apathetic to dig into the TV settings, you could see if you can set it to never stretch and then not mention that, and see if they care enough to figure out how to get their stretched mode back.

You need to have HD input from cable or “over the air” to use the 16:9 format of flat screen. Some cable still has 4:3 format you may have to pay for HD.

On an HD TV, there should be black bars on each side when watching an old show shot in 4:3.

People think they aren’t getting their money’s worth if the screen isn’t full, so they stretch it out.

People are morons.

Sometimes a old show looks too narrow and needs to be widened out to the 16:9 format. Sometimes a show looks too wide and needs to be narrowed to the 4:3 format. Check your owner’s manual on how to adjust the aspect ratios using the “pix” or “pix shape” or similar button on your remote.

You are old, @Dutchess_III

ouch

(It’s okay, I’m allowed to give her crap. We’ve known each other for ages)

I bet you told Methusalem to get off your lawn.

Bite me @Rarebear. And don’t you dare charge me for the subsequent rabies treatment.

We got it. We’re both happy now.

I’ve noticed that a LOT of people have their screens all fubarred. God it’s annoying! it’s like…The Emperor’s New Clothes or something. If they just act like it’s fine, no one will notice.