TV overscan
 

So I've got a telly that lets me set overscan on for SD broadcasts (getting rid of the rough edges and using only the viewing area a SD TV would expect) and overscan off for HD broadcasts (so the pixels from the broadcast are exactly what the TV shows).

However, the V HD box upscales SD content to HD so the TV isn't able to choose the right setting. So either you get annoying rough edges to the screen on SD content or you lose picture on HD (including chopping the discreet BBC DOG on HD on-demand shows).

Am I missing something or is this just the way it is? Couldn't the V HD box output according to whether a broadcast is SD or HD, or cut the edges when it upscales SD content?

Re: TV overscan
 

Not sure what you mean?

SD upscaled on the V HD and V+ looks great on most channels.

Re: TV overscan
 

Re: TV overscan
 

If you set the vhd to scart widescreen im sure the vhds HDMI slot broadcasts in 576p

Re: TV overscan
 

But then they're not going to get HD output as HD.

This is just the way it is, once the HD boxes are in HD mode everything coming out of them will be treated as HD and either overscanned or not. The only solution is manually switching picture modes on your TV.

Re: TV overscan
 

I have never noticed anything getting chopped off on my TV SD or HD.

Re: TV overscan
 

When Watching Come fly with me on Catch up tv, Saturday night Hd Version

If i have my TV set to 16:9 the BBC logo on the left top of screen is not displayed properly on the TV screen. a part of it disapears only showing the bottom part of the second B and C. I ndont know if the rest of the picture is displayed properly

If i put my TV in overscan the BBC logo will appear properly in the left hand corner.

andrewlutonuk

Re: TV overscan
 

Just put your TV on SCREEN FIT or JUST SCAN or whatever the relevant one is that way it will display the native resolution being output from the box

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What is the setting on your V+? 720/1080 or 720/1080wide?

Re: TV overscan
 

My Setting is 1080 not 1080 wide

As Tweedie says puting my TV on JUST SCAN i BBC logo on top left appears properly

on having it set on 16:9 it does not

Samsung V+

andrewlutonuk

Re: TV overscan
 

I first noticed the BBC logo on top left being cut off over the christmas hoildays. It was fine before then. Maybe the BBC have moved the logo a little?

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Set it to 1080 wide aswell

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That would just stretch 4:3 SD programmes.

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As Tweedy says, set your stb for 1080 wide, all programmes will be shown in their original aspect ratio.

Re: TV overscan
 

No, they won't.

All programmes will be stretched to 16:9 if you do that, nothing original about that. Leave it off wide and 4:3 content gets shown in 4:3, and 16:9 gets shown in 16:9.

That's not the issue the op is having anyway.

To explain as many people seem to not be getting it, on SD the top few lines are often filled with junk which is encoded data for closed captioning and teletext. If you have your TV set to just scan (or 1:1 pixel mapping or whatever it calls it) you'll see this encoded data on the top line of pixels flashing away, the way to hide it is to turn overscan on (because all SD tvs were assumed to have overscan as it was in the nature of how CRTs work).
Turning overscan on when your box is set to HD though will not just hide this unwanted data, it will also crop the picture on a HD image that doesn't need overscan.

Re: TV overscan
 

You have it the wrong way round. The wide modes do the opposite of what you're saying and stretch 4:3 SD programmes to fit the screen.

---------- Post added at 09:25 ---------- Previous post was at 09:24 ----------

I have the same issue on my TV, but I've learned to ignore it.

Re: TV overscan
 

You should be very careful watching 4:3 programs in 4:3 on some plasmas, it will wreck your screen.

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No it won't.

Re: TV overscan
 

Thanks for all your comments.

To me it does seem a bit of a flaw that set top boxes don't take account of overscan when upscaling SD content, but if HD TVs out of the box are all set for overscan on HD content then I guess for most users it isn't an issue. It does seem wrong though that SD content then has to be rescaled both in the set top box to convert it to HD and then again in the TV to remove the edges.

---------- Post added at 11:06 ---------- Previous post was at 11:02 ----------

With normal usage it shouldn't be a problem.

This is a good summary: http://reviews.cnet.com/plasma-burn-...-need-to-know/. Also mentions that some set top box companies in the States have an option to set the bars on the side of 4:3 broadcasts to grey for plasma users, which the Virgin boxes don't do yet.

Re: TV overscan
 

I have LG full HD and i have a samsung v+ What setting is the best 720, 720 wide,1080, 1080 wide? Virgin guy said age's ago that its 720p and 1080i on the v+ boxes?
I've tried both but i just don't think its still not a smooth picture.
Sorry to jump in on this post with a question.

Re: TV overscan
 

http://www.plasmasaver.com/burnin.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...8174902AAuGfmr
http://www.avforums.com/forums/plasm...rn-plasma.html

p.s. i have personally seen it on screens, especially over time.

---------- Post added at 19:47 ---------- Previous post was at 19:41 ----------

[QUOTE=steveh;35154348]
With normal usage it shouldn't be a problem.

QUOTE]

some peoples tv's are on 24 hours a day, and these people have no idea how to stretch the screen, never mind why they should. also the grey bars is a semi good idea, but so would sending a '4:3 full' signal change on the hd channels that arn't transmitting hd content i.e. CH4 HD / E4HD with friends etc.

Re: TV overscan
 

This would be great if they did it - never understood why they don't. Is it a technical limitation somewhere?