The fact is that when watching letterboxed material from analog displays (CRT TVs etc) using zoom from TV is better than digitally making the letterboxed material anamorphic (resizing it) when mastering. With digital displays (LCD etc) it's different because the digital resizing has to be done nevertheless in the display.

So in this case analog zooming (or resizing) is better than digital. That's that.

But with modern resizing alcorithms the advantage is so small that most of us won't notice it. Alcorithms like lanzcos etc.

Anamorphic is still far better than letterboxed but only in case when the anamorphic DVD can be made from proper source - not from letterboxed material.

I also prefer the DVD anamorphic rather than letterboxed. Simply because in the future I might not be able to use analog zooming.