[mythtv-users] overscan problems with nvidia 8400 GS

Simon Hobson linux at thehobsons.co.uk
Mon Jul 13 21:46:05 UTC 2009


Matthew Harrison wrote:

>I suppose a more usefull question is: Have broadcasters stopped 
>letting junk into the edges of their transmissions to allow us to 
>safely reduce overscan?

With digital there is no reason for there to be any junk. There is no 
need for any signalling, and no need for any guard areas to separate 
the picture from non-existant sync and colour phase signals.

As I mentioned earlier, I've been watching UK Freeview for several 
years without overscan and never noticed anything untoward. Since 
they don't transmit a test card any more I can't be certain, but from 
the location of the squigglies (channel logo), it certainly looks 
like I'm getting the full image including the bit that's normally off 
the tube. The only annoying thing is having the squigglies a long way 
into the picture - made worse by them being positioned to be visible 
on a 4:3 set with the edges cropped as well as overscanned.

With an all digital setup, overscan makes no sense. Anything 
converted from analogue could be overscanned at source. I guess we're 
stuck with this historical artifact from the quickly vanishing days 
of CRT displays.
-- 
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.


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