overscanning

[BigBob]

Do any/all HDTV's overscan like analogue TV's do?  If so, do programmers take this into account when placing graphics, or anyting else important, on the screen during HD broadcasts?  I have always found overscan to be irratating (and unnecessary)on analogue TV's and, whenever possible, I change the settings in the service menu to offset it.  I haven't bought and HDTV yet and would like to get some facts straight before doing so.

BigBob

[Gregg Lengling]

A number of sets are known to be shipped with overscan, however with proper alignment you won't have any.  I'm on my second RPTV (HD) and neither of them did I have to adjust for overscan.

[StarvingForHDTV]

Yes, there is overscan on some HDTVs.  I don't know about the fixed pixel ones.  Broadcasters do take this into consideration when placing graphics etc.  I also find overscan irritating, but it is less irritating than viewing the "dirty edge" of the signal.

I wonder if plasma, LCD, DLP, and LCoS have overscan the same way as CRTs?

Starving

[Paul S.]

I know the overscan on my RPTV was all humped up!

[The Law]

What is overscan?

[Joseph S]

A number of sets are known to be shipped with overscan, however with proper alignment you won't have any.

But you may regret total elimination. Fox's 480p which I haven't seen much of until I was testing out the new FW HDTV Cable box features one of those nice fat 4+ line data streams across the top of all their programming. Ugh.

What is overscan?

My rough interpretation is that our TVs have typically been crappy. The TV makers knew this and to account for their inherent faults at displaying the picture all true edges  and their nearby distortions have been eliminated by pushing the actual edges off the visible screen so everything looks clean. Not bad, until you start seeing half the HD scoreboard on the 2003 SuperBowl is not visible.

[The Law]

aah.  that makes sense.  Thanks.  Now I can understand the rest of the thread.