Mini DV output to TV - edges of recording chopped off!!??

[EricS]

On other camcorders, I have lost some of the edges or top and bottom, but I am using a new Sony HDR-FX1 in mini DV mode (4:3), and I am losing more than I would expect from the right and left sides of the screen.

I.e. - something that is on the extreme left of the LCD on the camera does not show up on the dub or the TV screen during playback.

This is a widescreen camcorder that has bars on the sides when shooting in 4:3, but the picture that is being lost should be viewable (on the interior or the bars).

Has anyone dealt with this issue?

[takeshi]

On every camera you need to be careful with framing because what you see on the camera LCD or viewfinder is not exactly what you will see on a television set. The problem is that the image on most TV sets extends beyond what you can actually see (i.e. the bezel masks part of the image).

I'm guessing with the HDR-FX1 that it is more extreme, though I haven't personally used one.

Try Googling and reading up on "action safe" and "safe title" areas. Generally, the rule of thumb is that anything that is important needs to be within a certain margin from the edges of the viewfinder. Don't assume that the edges of your viewfinder are equivalent to the edges of a TV screen.

[EricS]

Ok thanks - I've always left a margin, but I was just surprised this time big the margin is.

[inuyasha]

leave 10% margin at least.
If you really want to see the whole thing on the TV since it has after the fact, you can use a program to resample the data down to a smaller matrix, e.g. 684x456 ,and encode it to 720x480. Expect a slight loss in quality due to conversion.

[guns1inger]

And the real bitch of overscan is that it varies from TV to TV, so you will never get a perfect result. Simply shoot for the worst case scenerio, perhaps mark out the corners of the action safe area with a thin pen, and accept that it is inevitable.