Question:

How can I fix the distortion caused by stretching a 4:3 picture to fit a 16:9 screen on my TV?

Answer:

Your TV can make a 4:3 picture cover a 16:9 screen by stretching the picture from side to side. Sometimes the stretching is not especially noticeable, but most of the time it is.  In the example above, the 4:3 picture from earlier in this article has been stretched to fill a 16:9 screen. You can see that the boat is much longer than in the original picture. You can correct this distortion by changing the aspect ratio or picture size of your screen. Instructions are below. 

If you have a set top box 

• Set the TV’s picture mode to 16:9 (for instructions click here)and use the aspect controls in the box to adjust the picture. Please refer to your set top box owner’s manual for information on how to adjust the aspect ratio on the box. The box should have aspect ratios similar to those on your TV such as stretch, zoom, and 4:3. 

If you are not using a set top box: 

• Set the picture size on the TV to 4:3. Your TV reduces the size of the picture to 4:3 so that it appears without distortion and adds black bars to the left and right side to fill in the areas of the screen not covered by the picture. Click here to see an example of the 4:3 aspect ratio.
• If you want the picture to cover the entire screen but appear undistorted, set the picture size on the TV to Zoom 1 or Zoom 2. The TV enlarges the picture, crops it, and removes the bars, but leaves the picture undistorted. Click here to see a zoom picture example.
• Set the TV’s picture size to Wide Fit. The TV adjusts the picture’s aspect ratio to fit the screen. This picture option is only available with a 1080i signal. 

Important: The picture sizes and aspect rations available on your TV depend on your current source (HDMI, S-Video, Composite, etc.) and the resolution of the signal the TV is receiving. To see a table that lists when the different aspect ratios and picture sizes are available on your TV, please click here.

 Terms:

Aspect Ratio: The proportional relationship between the width and height of a television screen or image. A 4:3 aspect ratio is more square-shaped, while a 16:9 aspect ratio is wider, like most modern TVs.

Picture Size: The setting that determines how a TV displays images depending on their aspect ratio and the screen's size. Options include Stretch, Zoom, 4:3, Wide Fit, etc.

Set Top Box: A device that receives and decodes audio, video, or other signals for display on a television. It often allows users to adjust aspect ratios and picture sizes independently from the TV settings.