Ever since flat screens came out it has driven me NUTS when I go to a sports bar, someone’s home, or anywhere else, and the tv is in wide screen mode, giving black bars at the top and bottom even though the source itself is already widescreen. Round things are ovals, people are fat. etc. I simply can’t watch it.
"Stretch mode"?
That's stretching HD into a theatrical widescreen.
Black bars on top and bottom is what you must have to correctly view a widescreen movie (2.35:1 aspect ratio) on a HD screen (16:9 aspect ration).
It's like people taking videos in portrait mode with their smartphones. It's enough to drive a man to drink.