The difference between the center and where the 'side bars' were, is
definitely caused by burn-in. I kept the TV on 4:3 most of the time
because that's what looked the best. This option causes damage ('burn
in') to the area where there's no picture, making it stand out from the
rest of the screen. Too bad the instructions that came with it said
nothing of burn-in. I reread it for the tenth time; not a single word
about it. So, even though widescreen or 16:9 looks like crap when not
using HDTV, you're suppose to keep it on that mode -- or risk damaging
your TV.