screen ratio question.

[breadisfunny]

ok im not sure if this goes in video games,tv or off topic section.
my question is this:
i have one of those older non flat screen tvs with the big bulky backs because i can't afford a newer tv.(its from 2003) so why do almost all the newer games have those lame black bars on the bottom and top? i hate those.they ruin the gaming/tv/movie experience for me. i can name maybe a few games that come in full screen on my tv. (2 of them being the saints row games so i dont see why game developers can't have an option for full screen on older tvs.)so why do all the other games have the bars and those few games dont? this doesnt happen with any of my other consoles.

[Deleted]

Try looking in your graphics options to change the aspect ration. 4:3 I think is the older, non widescreen standard.

[Whidbey]

Those bars are there because the games graphics are hi definition so to use them at all on a non hi def set like yours and see the full picture, they put it in a box. They do that with some movies as well. It's called letter boxing allowing you to see a non cropped or pan and scan picture.

[breadisfunny]

Those bars are there because the games graphics are hi definition so to use them at all on a non hi def set like yours and see the full picture, they put it in a box. They do that with some movies as well. It's called letter boxing allowing you to see a non cropped or pan and scan picture.

so then why do some older xbox 360 games have the lines and some newer ones do not have the lines? would the graphics options to change it to 4:3 ratio be in the game itself or the in the menu options on the tv menu?

[llDemonll]

it would be in the system options on the xbox

if your xbox opening screen is full screen (the white screen with the xbox logo), then it's an issue with the game and not the xbox and there's nothing you can do about it