[syhprum (OP)]

I have been watching a broadcast from my bible bashing friends in America but the picture format is 40 wide by 70 deep  rather like the 30 line tv broadcasts of the twenties.
Presumably they are using a pocket computer as the camera and microphone  is it possible to turn it thru 90 degrees and get a more modern picture format .

[evan_au]

40 wide by 70 deep

Are these numbers meant to represent the picture size on your mobile phone screen, in millimetres?

Do you mean "Portrait" format, today often recorded on a mobile phone held vertically?
- As distinct from "Landscape" mode, used on traditional still/TV/movie cameras? (or on a mobile phone held horizontally)

If it were recorded on a modern mobile phone, the original resolution is probably quite good, although it may have been compressed for storage on Youtube, etc.

If you have a High-Definition TV (or one of the more expensive 4k TVs), you can view this picture vertically in the center of the screen. Apple TV can do this from an Apple iphone; presumably most smart TVs or internet adapters for "dumb" TV can also do this...

I assume that you don't mean that the picture is 40 by 70 pixels - that would be using a camera from before the year 2000....

[Colin2B]

is it possible to turn it thru 90 degrees and get a more modern picture format .

No, you can’t  provide extra picture that isn’t there. You could change the pixel aspect ratio but that would make the picture look squashed vertically.
This problem is why tv companies put the blurred bars on either side of phone footage to pad out the picture.
The best way to solve this is for everyone to remember to use their phone in landscape mode when taking videos.

[syhprum (OP)]

I did not realise it was as simple a matter of holding the phone horizontal when transmitting until someone called me on messenger and I asked them to do it.
of course it is much easier to hold the phone vertical when recording an incident such as a murder but if you are broadcasting a revivalist church meeting they should be reminded to set the phone horizontal perhaps some manufacturer should market a tripod for this purpose   

[Colin2B]

perhaps some manufacturer should market a tripod for this purpose   

There are phone holders on the market that attach to a standard tripod

[RD]

There are "mirror" phone apps which can wirelessly transmit what's on the phone to a computer/TV ...

(I've not used one myself though)