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Sure, television is going digital eventually, but that doesn’t mean that all content will be in the 16:9 aspect ratio.  If you have a 16:9 television, you’ve surely noticed pillar bars on 4:3 content.  If you’ve got a 4:3 television, you’ve probably noticed letterboxing of movies and some newer television programs.  Sure, you could zoom or stretch the image, but then everyone looks strange and out or proportion on your television.

Studio FRST has an interesting take on the whole thing called 16943.  Maybe the current design for televisions is broken.  Take a look at this asymmetrical design.  When either 4:3 or 16:9 content is on this screen, you will not notice bars on each side of the screen.  You’ll only have a bar on one side of the screen.

A practical concern is the fact that television manufacturers try to get the most out of their glass used on their screens.  If you’ve noticed 16-inch and 22-inch screens in laptops, it is partially due to the fact that more screens can be produced at these sizes out of larger pieces of glass.  Perhaps, a designer can come up with an array that uses the glass efficiently. 

It’s a pretty cool design that you’d expect to see in Bang & Olufsen before too long.  However, keep in mind this is only a concept at this point and may never see the light of day. 

Read: [Yanko Design]