Roundies (top & bottom of screen covered)

[Aussie Bloke]

Hi all. I've been meaning to ask this question for a little while. With the round tube colour TVs (and B&W as well), why are the tops and bottoms of the picture tube covered when the whole tube could be utilized to give a full porthole picture? I'm curious because I've seen on Ebay and sites B&W TVs that utilize the whole tube which I guess are referred as "porthole sets" and I thought wouldn't it be better for the viewer to see a bit more picture by utilizing the whole tube without covering the tops and bottoms? I wonder if the reason is a fashion thing where the TV would look neater like they are or whether the designers back then wanted the sets to look as rectangular as possible?

Must admit when I first saw a roundie on that Freddie Kruger movie which had blood oozing from it, I thought that was the shape of the picture tube, didn't realise that the tubes were circular til only a few years back when I first looked at old TV sites on the net.

Anyways the only porthole colour TV I seen is that home made tube tester set one of you guys showed in recent months which some bloke would of built which has a 60s CTC chassis of some model and tubes are fitted and tested.

I just wonder if any porthole colour TVs were ever built?

Cheers
Troy