Dead monitor, repair or replace

[#1]

But they're all wide screen 
Does no-one sell normal square screens anymore? - I don't want to play games in widescreen.....

[#2]

Why not?
You could play two games side by side.

[#3]

Because wide screen stretches the real picture unless it is specifically designed for it (ie with the black stripe at the top and bottom so that the picture can be enlarged).
Most folk don't even realise that their widescreen TVs are actually just stretching the image unless the picture is broadcast suitable for it. If you have a widescreen TV switch back to 14:9 and you'll be amazed at the difference.
I like widescreen but only when it is used properly for imagery which was designed for it. Anything else should naturally be on a normal square screen for which it was probably made for.

[#4]

biker955: In that case, if you paid by credit card, claim against the credit card company.
Santiago: Have you tried contacting Bolton trading standards yet?
http://www.bolton.gov.uk/website/pages/Tradingstandards.aspx?bid=46

[#5]

Quote from: okrzynska

I like widescreen but only when it is used properly for imagery which was designed for it. Anything else should naturally be on a normal square screen for which it was probably made for.

I think (but am prepared to be corrected ) that most TV programmes have for some time been recorded/transmitted in 16:9 and that 4:3 TVs actually chop off a bit of the picture. Obviously older stuff recorded in 4:3 will have to be mangled to fit a 16:9 screen.

[#6]

Quote from: Rob

Santiago: Have you tried contacting Bolton trading standards yet? http://www.bolton.gov.uk/website/pages/Tradingstandards.aspx?bid=46

No I didn't. I only called Scan on Saturday. I will contact trading standards during the week. Thanks for the link.

[#7]

I know of at least one program that is still transmitted live in 4.3 standard

[#8]

family guy on bbc3 is pumped out at 4:3 and i belive i think most of itv4 if not there is one channel on the freeview line up that seems to be all in 4:3

[#9]

my one is Ideal World Shopping channel, do not buy anything but wife likes the craft demos, chose freeview or freesat

[#10]

am currently using a sky box with out card and any freeview/free to air channels that dont unlock in the skys tvguide i just find the settings for the channel and add them manualy. only downside is you have to go to other channels to sselect them and theres no tvguide for them.
i use tvcatchup on any tv /monitors that are under 20inch, thoe when they get round to adding a choice of higher Q streams i may be be able to use tvcatchup through out the house

[#11]

Quote from: okrzynska

Because wide screen stretches the real picture unless it is specifically designed for it (ie with the black stripe at the top and bottom so that the picture can be enlarged). ... I like widescreen but only when it is used properly for imagery which was designed for it. Anything else should naturally be on a normal square screen for which it was probably made for.

I believe there are options in both Nvidia and ATi driver bundles where you can set the aspect ratio so that a 4:3 picture will display as 4:3 with black bars down the side. Also a lot of newer games support wide-screen output don't they?