Why Are Flat Panel Tv Is Rectangular Badly And Cause picture To Stretch Wide?

My understanding is that most stations are going to begin broadcasting in wide screen formant only. with a few exceptions. If you dont have a wide screen tv with HD it wont look right. you will always have the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen when watching a movie or a show.

Because movies are always originally shot in widescreen format. When you watch a movie in the theater, it's in widescreen. If you buy/rent a movie in full screen format, it will appear larger on a normal tv but that's because parts of the picture are cut off to fit the square shape of the screen. Flat panel televisions have different settings so you can change the viewing format from widescreen to full screen if you wish.

I've always wondered this. I hate watching anything on flat panel televisions because the picture is stretched and it distracts me. Maybe I am missing something, but I do not see the appeal of them at all. I wouldn't want one myself.