Stretch-o-Vision

Stretch-o-vision is the practice of upconverting video from a standard aspect ratio to a widescreen aspect ratio. HDTV programming is broadcast in the 16:9 aspect ratio, a widescreen image. However, most SDTV programming is usually broadcast in the 4:3 aspect ratio. Most widescreen television channels broadcast non-widescreen footage with pillarboxing. Some television services however do not do this, choosing to stretch content to widescreen instead.

The use of the term "stretch-o-vision" to describe this process was popularized as a term for the practices of the high definition simulcast American cable television channel TNT, but this term has also been used to describe widescreen stretching in general.