Video processor vs A-lens

I'm interested in this reply as well. I've seen at least one new projector that features both X and Y zooming that's supposed to preclude the need for anamorphic lens at all.

The video processor works in conjunction an anamorphic lens. The processor on its own cannot change a projector's fixed 16:9 pixel grid. All it can do is manipulate the image within that grid. The lens stretches the pixels horizontally into a 2.35:1 shape. Then the processor (or a CIH mode in the projector) crops out the letterbox bars and stretches the image back into proper geometrical proportion.

To put it another way, it is impossible to do what an anamorphic lens does electronically.

An anamorphic lens changes the shape of the light coming out of the projector. With a 16:9 (1.78:1) projector, it will change the shape of the projected light from 1.78:1 to 2.37:1. Effectively it makes the projector a scope (2.37:1) projector.

This is a physical process, there is no way electronically to affect the shape of the light coming out of the projector.

And before anyone jumps on me, I'm talking very specifically about the function the lens actually performs, not how to achieve displaying scope content in general, there are several ways to display scope content, but there is only one way to actually change the shape of the projected light.