Ive always wanted to know the answer to this, its be lingering in my mind for a awhile. so why is it that some plasmas have a 1024x 768 res and yet it is widescreen?

1024x 768 = 1.33 fullscreen.

Ive always wanted to know the answer to this, its be lingering in my mind for a awhile. so why is it that some plasmas have a 1024x 768 res and yet it is widescreen?

1024x 768 = 1.33 fullscreen.

Hint: Think pixel shape.

They use rectangular pixels, not square pixels, so it still gets 16:9 aspect ratio.
Some video sources are rectangular pixels as well such as DVD which uses 720x480 pixels but can be 4:3 or 16:9 titles.
Scaling is required that is different factor horizontal vs vertical in such cases.

rectangular pixels? wow lol i never knew that. but still why not stick with the normal widescreen resolution?

rectangular pixels? wow lol i never knew that. but still why not stick with the normal widescreen resolution?

Because at the time the fabrication infrastructure was engineered, the technology only allowed plasma cells up to a certain width. Today's technology allows for a 1366x768 42" plasma for example, but since everything will be 1080p within the next two years or sooner, there is little motivation to change now. If you want square pixels, you may want to get a 1080p display instead. Panasonic is the only manufacturer who makes 1080p 42" displays. Check out the 42PZ80, 42PZ85, and 42PZ800.