AH already uses a 90-degree POV. Direct X can't go past what AH is already using without things looking fisheye and distorted. AH cannot get any wider. Thus, any widescreen settings crop out, rather than add on. It's a directX limitation.
Hmmm..strange to hear that DirectX 9.0c or DirectX 10/10.1 don't support Widescreen monitors or resolutions, considering how games like Bioshock, Crysis, Tabula Rasa, WoW, EQ2, CoD4, F.E.A.R, Stalker all have direct Widescreen Monitor support through DirectX and DirectX itself supports widescreen monitor resolutions. Do you have a link on this limitation? I know DirectX9 has issues with high resolution, which is why you can't run AA with any lighting effects but that's been fixed in DX10.
ack-ack