HDTV monitor: 16:9 or screen fit?

[Geoffrey Cox]

Hi All,

I edit using FCP output to a Samsung HDTV via the Matrox MXO2 Mini. It works wonderfully and solved loads of problems I had with blurred motion and interlacing when relying on the Mac native graphics card - I'd recommend it very highly.

One thing puzzles me though - I output using the 1080i 50 YUV 8 bit (1920x1080) Matrox setting via the express port into the MXO then via HDMI to the TV. My assumption was that if I set my screen to 16:9 aspect it would display the image correctly - it looked OK initially but had thin black bars top and bottom presumably because the maximum screen resolution of the TV is 1920x1200. However I noticed that when I compared the projected image with that in the viewer in FCP the sides were cut off slightly. When I change the screen setting to 'fill screen' it does so (no black bars, as would seem logical), presumably distorting the image slightly, but also the cut-off sides reappear! I'm confused....

[Dean Sensui]

To see if your aspect is correct, create a perfect square in your edit system, and have it appear in your display. Measure the square. If all four sides are of the proper dimension, you have the aspect correct.

[Geoffrey Cox]

Good thinking Dean. Tried it and (as you'd suspect) 16:9 is correct (forms a perfect square, screen fit slightly elongates it vertically) which still leaves the question as to why this ratio cuts off the sides of the image?

[Marty Welk]

i cant be sure, but some projectors, and LCD screens will still "crop" the picture to the "safe video area" the similar area that a CRT would show (with the rest of the crt picture behind the bezel).
mabey it is possible that you have one of those LCD screens that crops slightly?

i found out my LCD projector crops about 10% or so, right after i perfected getting the subjects exactally edge to edge , then (proudly) displayed it to them on a huge 72" projection . . . OOOPS

i guess i will be staying in the "safe Zone" for a few more years.
also my LCD Multi-monitor (computer & video) - crops video out worse then a crusty old Sony CRT that showed more top and bottom.

Pixels is pixels, and all the new LCD stuff Could be using/showing all the pixels of a video, even if that would include OLD stuff that was noise in/neer the blanking , but not all of them do . i am not sure what they should do? because older analog stuff including macrovision and all has sync noise junk in/neer the blanking.

buy an "Overscan"able pro monitor if you want to see everything, one that switches in and out of overscan? (overscan is showing the whole signal, every pixel)
in the mean time, mabey were stuck with a 90% safe zone, even if the display devices dont have stuff behind bezels anymore. And WYSIWTG (what you are seeing is what they get) so its a good thing that you see what they see.

with broadcast cameras/monitors they would SHOW the camera person LOTS of stuff that the customers/end-users never saw , wheras consumer devices would crop. when a person went out and Rented a $$$$ camera they didnt have enough hands-on with, they would often make the misteak of cutting out important stuff. welcome to "broadcast" having fun yet? :-)

once again, give it time and technology will ketch up to You, right now you get to ketch up to the old technology , because it still lives and breathes in compatability mode.

this message broght to you by the "Save The Lost Pixels In My Compression Scheme Foundation". a pixel is a terrible thing to waste.