dvd burner

[skim36]

Ok, I picked up a dvd burner to connect to my dvr to get some programs off it.   
What I found was, no matter how I set up my dvr, I still get the black bars at the top and bottom....and I have a 50 inch widescreen HDTV.  It squashes the image.  I'm rather picky about that, so if anyone has had similar problems, have you fixed them?  I have a samsung 50 inch DLP HDTV with a motorola DVR and a samsung DVD recorder.  Any help is appreciated.

[Loki]

You can't change your screen mode?
I can choose auto, normal, panoramic, 14/9, 16/9, 16/9 with subs and full on my JVC.  I usually have it on auto but sometimes I have to switch because I still have bars.

[whammoed]

What is your output to your TV?
I am using VGA output to my plasma, and I simply set the resolution out to the proper aspect ratio of the tv.  YMMV.

[skim36]

Output to my TV is through HDMI at 720p...which is what my TV is.  Input on DVD Burner is only composite video or S-video.  I had another DVD burner before this one...a philips...with component in but it could not decode the signal.  Just looked scrambled.  The burner also has component out...I've tried that too.  I set my motorola box for 4:3 and I get rid of the bars, but it still stretches the picture to the point that some graphics and text on the screen is beyond the viewing area. 

[ChadTower]

Those VCR-style DVD burners are a pain in the ass anyway.  I've had two, one high end (at the time) and the other lower end... both died quickly with mpeg daughterboard failures.  They burned really odd discs even when they did work that often wouldn't work on most other DVD players.