No, it's not a stretched screen, I'm 100% positive that it is a 16:9 picture. If it is a still shot, in a living room for example, a window might be on the far left side of the screen. When you look above the bar, you can see the curtains continue till the end of the window, then maybe a picture on the wall after that. Or somebody might walk by the window, and you can see them keep walking beyond the edge where the black bar is. This happens on the animated shows also, but only brand new one's, like this season, they might have started 16:9. I'm not seeing things. I'm positive! I'll try to take a picture. I didn't think it was a tv problem because whenever House, Prison Break, or the OC which is on now, comes on, it's shown completely in 16:9, but then when commercials come on, they have the bars that you can see over. I know I'm not seeing things.
Eli