[mythtv-users] Recommendations for HDTV?

[Simon Hobson]

Mike Holden <mythtv at mikeholden.org> wrote:

> I would suggest you get a TV which allows Overscan to be turned off.
...
> Check online, look at manuals etc. to check this out for shortlisted sets.

That would be the manuals that generally don't even mention it - or if they do, it's merely in the menu map for overscan options (but usually under a different name) and only lists the settings (which usually don't include "Off" - at least under that name) with no description of what the setting does.

My experience is that you can only find out some of this stuff by trying it out - and for that, there's nothing quite like a good "bricks-n-mortar" place that'll let you plug your laptop into their sets. I did this a couple of years ago when looking for a large computer screen for my mother (who has poor eyesight). There is (or was) a good spot with a lot of Sony and another make I can't recall models on show - and they let be do just that. I don't think I found all the right settings because I never did manage to get an acceptable "unmangled" image on one !

As well as the overscan issue, there's the image processing stuff - many sets "mangle" the image to make it "look better". Smoothing might help certain types of video, but it certainly doesn't help a computer desktop :-(