Why do widescreens look larger than 4:3 ratio sets?

[pyrate83]

I'm still deep in my research on HDTV's and what will provide me with the best bang for my buck. I'm just curious why when I went to a store and looked at a 26" LCD Widescreen, it actually looked bigger than my current 25" regualr 4:3 set that I have had for 7 years. I'm toying with whether this(26" 16:9) will actually be large enough for me, but consumer reports says that 26" or larger is very suitable for a main set.

[Heywould3]

crt tvs are like crt monitors.. measure size is not viewable size.. IE 19" crt has a viewable of 18" or there abouts.. lcd/plasma etc are actual viewable..

thats the main reason.. other than the obvious that its wider than a 4:3 set..