outlaw1323

I have a Sony widescreen kp-46wt500 plus HD service from Charter. I have noticed when I watch DVDs or HD programming I can see a border on both sides of the screen that matches up where the black bars are when I watch regular programming. Is the TV getting burn-in? Most programming is watch in 4:3 and since I got the HD serivice from Charter a year ago I can no longer stretch 4:3 programs to fit the whole screen. If it is burn-in what can I do so it doesn't keep happening?

chipmac

It does sound like burn in and once it's happens there's not much you can do about it other than to avoid what caused it to begin with or replace the bad CRT(s). I assume the way your cable box is set up that it's up converting all 4:3 SD programming to output at HD res and adding black bars to the sides. Does the box have component outs and svideo. You can then feed the TV both and use svideo for all 4:3 SD programming and your TV's stretch modes will work. Then just switch TV inputs to the input being fed component for all HD programming. Finally make sure you contrast is set to proper levels with a calibration disc.

tonyc3742

I'm not sure what your cable box is, but my HD cable box from Time Warner does allow me to stretch non-HD content. [My TV does as well, but in HD mode it can't, so I have to use the box to do so.]
I can either hit the 'Bypass' button on the remote, and it goes 4:3 -> Zoom -> Stretch; or go into the Settings -> More Settings, and tell it I have a WS tv, and to Stretch 4:3 content.
I can't stretch HD content, I guess it's always 'sent' at 16:9, even though the actual 'show' is only 4:3 inside of that, with windowbox bars that usually say 'Fox' rather than just being black.
Play with the settings on your cable box, I don't know about you, but TWC basically said Here's your box, here's your remote, here's some batteries, here's how to turn it on, and I had to figure the rest out.

outlaw1323

I was reading on google and it said the black bars on the screen could result in burn. They way they made it seam, was that after a while the black bars will start to burn in. On my tv it seems like the picture is starting to burn in. We cant strectch regular shows so when we watch a widescreen it seems the old picture has burned in.

tonyc3742

Any static image, especially those with high contrast ["black bars", dark station bugs, etc], can cause burn in on plasma or RPTVs, basically anything but a conventional tube [and could happen there as well, I think, but it takes much longer].
"They" say to vary your content, and try to use all the screen space with moving images if you at all can.

What brand/model is your cable box?

shelland

You can't stretch images from your component inputs. As mentioned previously, you can probably run an S-video cable, and use that input when watching SD material. Then you would be able to stretch the image.

chipmac

The image is what is burning in since that is the area that is being used while the black bar area isn't. So when you have an image that fills the screen you're seeing the difference between what is in use more than the other. You either need to feed t he TV a separate line so you can use the TV's stretch modes like aI said earlier or you need to find a way to do it with the cable box. Many STBs have a way to do it but it's hidden in the box's service menu.