I just bought the Samsung HL-S5087W 50" DLP a few weeks ago and noticed the picture looks to have an "hourglass" effect when it displays a 4:3 picture. The picture goes from wide at the top, to narrow in the middle to wide at the bottom. The total distortion is on the order of 1/2".
At first I contributed it to me using S-Video for my cable box, but when I upgraded to HI-Def and went to an HDMI cable, the same thing happens.
I even noticed the effect on wide screen formats as well, but it was a little harder to see since the image takes up the whole screen.
I've read other postings on how to get into the Setup screen, but I cannot figure out which setting can correct this problem.
Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem before I go and look into my service plan.
This is a normal "hour glass effect". It's not caused by any electronic geometry, but rather is a condition of the front screen. You can actually take your knuckle and press the screen at the edge of the black bar and see the change. Amounts that vary an inch or more are cause for screen adjustment or replacement, but 1/2 inch variation is very common and won't be addressed by a tech if he doesn't think improvement is possible. It's not really a "problem" as much as it is a "characteristic" and you will soon forget about it.