Designed for use with widescreen TVs or high-end TVs with a mode for accommodating anamorphic programs, an EPG client is equipped with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a letterbox-to-anamorphic converter. The EPG client evaluates EPG data to determine whether programs are in the letterbox format. When a letterboxed program is selected for viewing, the EPG client vertically stretches the program by a ratio of M/N, where M>N (e.g., 4/3), to convert the program from the letterbox format to an anamorphic format prior to delivery to the television. The converted anamorphic program is output to the television, where it is horizontally expanded to fit the screen.