HDTV for regular television programs...

If what you're seeing looks as if the people need to be on a diet then you're not seeing HDTV.

Yes HDTV has a 16:9 aspect ratio but all objects should be correctly displayed with no distortion. With true HDTV (I suspect that you were watching DTV) images are sharp and detailed and colors are bright, vivid, and natural. The HDTV viewing experience should be like looking through a window at the world around you.

Yeah...it should look perfect if it's HDTV. I know that The Tonight Show is broadcast in HDTV, but I don't think there is much programming out there that was actually shot that way...not yet. It's a rather expensive process (special cameras, equipment, and transmition process), so I'd be surprised if the PBS station would be able to afford it.

It sounds like the restaurant may have a wide-screen HDTV ready TV. Maybe they're trying to watch regular TV on the wrong setting?? I don't know...it sounds odd.

I jumped into HDTV ,not knowing much. I had to get a projector because of the size of the widescreen rptv's. (apt balcony walkway corners to narrow) I sure made the right decision;for me.--Way much so called hi def material is in 4.3.(HBO) I HATE watching in anything in a "screen- filling" mode.I hate seeing bars above or beside the picture. Also they WILL cause burn in,over time.-- Fact: a year or so with 60/40 4.3 immages-- and non reversable.

With remote zoom & focus,I just make the picture larger. Things stay with the correct geometry, the bars spill over the sides of the screen--a prefered option for me.
RPTVs don't have this option. Your choices are bars or distorted stretch mode.

This is still a 4.3 world. (Unless one were to only watch widescreen dvds/ or widescreen programing)