IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

I don't have this problem because when setting up the camcorder to video the still photo I usually zoom well in. However a friend tells me that after setting up the camcorder with great care he edits the result using a casablanca and on the timeline the still photo looks exactly as he videod it. However when played back on an LCD TV the still photo has added info. around the edges e.g. a border. On a CRT TV the still photo does not show ther extra info. I suggested it might be because the LCD screen is flat and the CRT tube is rounded and so does not show everything at the edges. I'm probally wrong but we both would be happy if somebody can throw light on the subject.

I can't help with the cause, I'm afraid, other than to say that somewhere along the line he's got his setting wrong - yes, I know, that's obvious, so thanks for nothing!

However, I can explain the difference in the viewing experience. CRTs have a massive amount of overscan - that is part of the image all around which is not displayed - it's cropped. This is wy when creating titles, credits and captions people are advised to keep within what's knows as the "safe area". There is no guaranteed "safe area". My editor, Sony Vegas, has lines set at 10% and 15% - yes to be really safe, you might loose as much as 15% of the image all round.

LCDs have only a tiny amount, if any, of overscan.

I suggest your friend does some tests with his camcorder. It sounds as if his viewfinder is also cropping the image and showing him less than appears on the recording.

You can use fancy test charts but an easier way is to pin up a sheet of newspaper, stick a picture which has no border in the middle of it. Place the camera to frame it tightly and shoot a minute or so. Leave the newspaper and picture in place and play the recording on the LCD television. It should be possible to see how much more is recorded by checking the details on any of the newspaper which is visible.

I do not have a Cassie so cannot explain why it looks right on the timeline.

Dave

Which time zone are you in DW? Your post is dated Wed 25 2012 12:08am. My clock says 23.33pm 24/01/2012. I'll read your post in the morning!

For some reason the posts use UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) as indicated by a note at the bottom right of each thread. Yet the times displayed at the top are in current UK times!

Dave

There's a simple explanation. All camcorders up until a few years ago masked out the 4 edges of the viewfinder image (EVF as well as LCD screen) in an effort to mimic the overscan of all CRT TVs and the early flat panel displays.

I've gone into the service menu of my Sony Trinitron 16:9 CTR and dialed out the overscan, but the big Samsung LCD TV arrived with the default set to overscan. To compound the confusion, TV manufacturers don't refer to overscan, they call it silly things like true scan. No wonder the public's confused.

If your TV is set to overscan you're getting a reduced resolution picture as well as losing a lot of wide-angle coverage. Avoid it at all costs, it's a nasty, outdated idea that has no place here today.

tom.

Thanks everyone for your info. We have taken it all on board and if possible will act on the suggestions offered.

When shooting stills I never use the camera viewfinder or screen but hook up the video out to a TV or monitor, this lets me more accurately frame and also see how much of the image is on/off the screen. I use the remote to operate the camera to avoid wobble, you can also use the remote zoom.

ned c

When I transfer films to DVD I always make the film frame fill the digital frame as much as possible. Of course this means that people who show the DVD on overscanning CRTs or flat panels will not see a goodly chunk of their filmed image.

Ned. Your method is extremely useful and an excellent way of checking what will be shown in the finished product. It is not so simple, if not impossible, for my friend to use when he copies a lot of still photos in museums. He makes a lot of historical docs.

In that situation I would rather shoot stills with a still camera set at a high resolution and then set up a copy system back home or import directly into a photo management program and then the edit program. It doesn't matter if the stills are overscanned, even tilted as these can be resolved at the video shooting stage or on the timeline. It is also possible to select a part of the photo without loss of resolution.

ned c