Widescreen DVDs shouldn't pose burn-in problem

Q I recently purchased a Samsung plasma TV and love it, but I am confused about widescreen DVDs and the possibility of burn-in. With widescreen DVDs, I sometimes still get black bars. They are relatively small, but I thought a widescreen DVD should fill up a wide screen 100 percent. I know that with plasma, you should not watch with bars for long lengths of time because it can cause burn-in. Am I in danger of damaging my TV?

WAYNE TODD, BETHEL PARK, VA.

A Widescreen HDTVs have a 16:9 aspect ratio, meaning they are 16 units wide to 9 units high. While nearly all HDTV broadcasts are 16:9, many DVDs and Blu-ray Discs are recorded in the movie's original format. This is often 2.35:1, which will result in black bars above and below the image. If you mix it up between widescreen movies with bars and other source material that fills the screen entirely (such as HDTV broadcasts, or stretched or zoomed standard TV broadcasts), the chance of burn-in is remote, especially in newer plasma TVs with antiburn-in technology.

If you want to go an extra step to protect yourself, after you watch a widescreen movie, go to your TV's setup menu and select the burn-in protection feature. Run the white screen until the screen is a solid white, then run the scrolling gray bar for a pass or two. This will clean up any faint image that might remain.

Q What do you think of the Toshiba XDE DVD player? It looks interesting, but at $149 it costs more than other players. Is it worth it?

DAWN WALTON, NORFOLK, VA.

A The Toshiba XDE-500 is an up-converting DVD player that uses proprietary technology to enhance the colors, sharpness and contrast of ordinary DVDs. Some reviewers like it; others have been less impressed.

The downside is the price. You can get an Insignia Blu-ray player for $229, and it up-converts DVDs as well as plays Blu-ray Discs in true high-definition picture and sound. The Insignia does not do as well with DVDs as the XDE-500 does, but DVD performance will be satisfactory for most consumers.

I'd recommend the XDE to anyone with a large DVD collection or who wants the best DVD playback for less than $200. If you can only have one player, spend more for the Insignia Blu-ray. With its true high-definition capability, it's a better long-term investment.