How do YOU deal with overscan? (1 Viewer)

[LaMarcus]

I use the zoom out feature on my dvd player Tosh3750 prog. My tv only does 5% over, so that's not too bad. But being a HT geek and all, still wanna see every inch of the picture.

And does anybody know why 2.35 movies have overscan on them on my set but any ratio under that doesn't? That's just so strange to me.

And how does getting your set ISF'd control the overscan? Will it make your picture smaller like the dvd player does? Just how does that work? I guess Greg Loewen would be able to answer that one.

On a final note does anyone know why so many movies are in 2.35:1? I hate that ratio.

 

[David Susilo]

If you go into the service menu on your TV, you'll be able to change the Vertical and Horizontal size (which will, then, adjust the overscan). Make sure you also adjust the Vertical and Horizontal Position to center the picture.

My suggestion, don't go lesser than 3% overscan since certain DVDs and/or TV station have either 'junk' or blank on their sides which will be seen at 0%-2% overscan.

BTW. your Toshiba has Zoom Out on Progressive Mode?

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

2.35:1 more grander aspect ratio ... wider scope .... more cinematic ...

Regards

 

[LaMarcus]

It zooms in and out on progressive.
So Micheal how does the ISF cal effect the picture as far as the overscan goes? Does it make the pic smaller? You know,... you always do that to me. Answer so much of my question then leave me starving for more.
Your like a drunken prom date that sobers up soon as you pay for the hotel room

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

The calibration would reduce the overscan to whatever was possible and feasible on your set. I like to shoot for 2 to 3 % where possible. (Depends on the guy doing the work though YMMV)

The changing overscan may sometimes have to deal with power supply issues in the TV. The change in the juice being used may have a slight affect on the image size.

Of course while directors frame for the larger aspect ratio, he/she is not going to hide anything right on the edge since even theaters lose the edges sometimes to curtains and such.

Oh yes ... the overscan also changes in the DVD player when it outputs from the S-video compared to the component ... may also have slight differences between 480i and p outputs too ... unfortunate, but a reality in the equipment we use.

Regards

 

[Ken Garrison]

On a final note does anyone know why so many movies are in 2.35:1? I hate that ratio.

I like the 2.35:1 and wider aspect ratios. I mostly rent the 2.35:1 movies. But if there's a movie I really wanna see that's in 1.85:1, I'll rent that too. But my love for 2.35:1 makes me get those movies the most. A lot of action movies are done in 2.35:1. A lot of family films are done in 1.85:1. In action, you need 2.35:1 for the fights and stuff. It looks a whole lot better. What I don't understand is why they have the damn camera so close so the top of their heads are cut off. Not much headroom there. THey need to zoom out some. When Joe-6-Packs see that lack of headroom, then they're gonna think those black bars are actually cutting it off. My mom said this when we were watching Shanghai Noon, "If this was the full screen version, we'd see the top of their hats". I told her she wouldn't either. And she seemed to claim she would. IMO, the way they shot the movies back then are a lot better than the way they do it now. They zoomed out enough so the top of their heads weren't cut off. Why do they do that in the movies today? It only gives Joe 6 packs something to bitch about. In the fullscreen version, even more of the top of their heads are cut off due to overscan. So, in a widescreen movie, you see more of the top and bottom as well.

 

[Josh Lowe]

I noticed that Saving Private Ryan was in 1.85 and I found that to be a refreshing change from 2.35.. I do wonder what Spielberg's motivation for doing that was.

 

[Ken Garrison]

Is the OAR of Saving Private Ryan 2.35:1 then? If it was Pan and Scanned to 1.85:1, I don't really want it.

 

[Josh Lowe]

The OAR of pvt ryan is 1.85

 

[BruceSpielbauer]

>>I noticed that Saving Private Ryan was in 1.85 and I found that to be a refreshing change from 2.35.. I do wonder what Spielberg's motivation for doing that was.

 

[LaMarcus]

Well my position on it topic varies, depending on the display. When I watch a dvd (2.35) on my 36" it doesn't bother me at all. But on my 65" I'm trying to have size impact, and 2.35 doesn't accomplish it.

Now for those of you that have FP systems maybe it doesn't effect you as much. I will be among the FP owners soon enough, but I still think I will be bothered by the possibility of a grander size, versus what is being shown.

 

[Ken Garrison]

But on my 65" I'm trying to have size impact, and 2.35 doesn't accomplish it.

 

[LaMarcus]

Well I took David's advice and changed the overscan in the service menu. At first I did it at 5%, but there was still info not being shown. Went back in and did it at 4% and now it's perfect.
I'm pretty proud of myself, I almost felt like a junior ISF tech (yeah right). I was so nervous being in the service menu, from reading post they make you terrified to mess something up. But as long as you have the original setting written down I don't see how there could be a problem. Not to mention mine had a reset button that I assume will put everything back to the factory settings anyway.
There's a lot of controls inside of that service menu. Micheal when you all (ISF techs) go inside of the service menu do you change all of the levels inside of there? Just being inside of there my imagination ran wild to all of the possible changes you guys can make in there.
How do you get the black levels to be better, what setting to you mess with? Just out of curiosity.