VHS to DVD recording problem - strange line only shows up when viewed on PC

[CodySave]

Well, not so much that it's even a problem, but definitely a small quirk I'd like to fix.

I've recently began converting from VHS to DVD. I have my VCR hooked up to my Panasonic DVD Recorder.

After the footage is recorded to a DVD, the finished disc plays in a standalone DVD player just as it appeared in the VCR, without any problems. When watching it on a computer, however, all my recordings have a strange "tracking" style line at the bottom of the footage.

This strikes me as strange, because when you watch the original tape in a VCR, this line definitely isn't there. It's also occuring on every concersion I've made.

Is it a resolution issue on a computer or something I need to adjust on my VCR or DVD recorder?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[TJohns]

Check the definition of "overscan" in the glossary

[Sean Nelson]

Totally normal, it just doesn't show on your TV because the TV cuts off the edges of the image (ie, the image is "overscanned", as TJohns mentioned).

[CodySave]

OK, I figued it wasn't anything I or my equipment was doing wrong. Is there any way to prevent it from showing up on PC viewings though?

[Epicurus8a]

OK, I figued it wasn't anything I or my equipment was doing wrong. Is there any way to prevent it from showing up on PC viewings though?

You might try (temporarily) adjusting the screen settings on your monitor.

[thymej]

See if the program you are using to capture the video has a crop function. If it does, crop 1 line at the bottom. I always use the crop function in my encoder (FFMPEG) when I'm converting a HD recording that is in a piller-box (not wide-screen) format (black bars on the left and right).

Thymej

[CodySave]

I'm away from home for a few days so I can't check right now, but do standlone DVD recorders typically allow you to crop what shows up on the screen? I don't believe I've encountered an option to do that before, but can't sayI've looked for it either.

I should have been more clear - no matter which program I use to view the footage, it appears at the bottom of the program's screen. I assume adjusting my monitor's settings would only effect it if I was watching it in full screen view. It definitely sounds like an overscan issue though.

[thymej]

I have not heard of a standalone DVD recorders allow you to crop ether, so unless you re-encode, you can use zoom-player to play back the video. ZoomPlayer has a crop function within the player itself. I use ZoomPlayer and have mine set to blank out the top and bottom. I keep adding the number of line to blank until the tracking line are gone.

In ZoomPlayer options, switch to advanced mode
goto here:
-Playback,Video,Presets
-Pick and select a video blanking preset (I used 0, the top one)
-Set your number of line to blank on the right side
-Apply,Ok

[thecoalman]

Mask it with black or in simple terms cover it up, cropping will screw up the interlacing*. You can do this with most editors. The issue is you have to reencode the video which is somethng you want to avoid with MPEG and pretty much negates the benefit of capturing to MPEG to begin with.

*Note that some tutorials or advice will advise you to crop and then pad the frames with the same amount of lines which is different than simply cropping.

[LCSHG]

VHS tape is analog and does have an overscan as mentioned and isn’t seen with a properly adjusted player and screen.
DVD is digital and does not have [such] an overscan.
VHS tape is to the greatest extent 4x3 or 1:35 called full screen
I have dubbed [Many] VHS tape to DVD using a standalone recorder. The result has always been a full screen copy on DVD of the original VHS tape. When played on a properly adjusted TV Screen, a 16x9 42” LCD, the picture is full [top and bottom] with borders on both sides
I use Power DVD as a player in my PC, with a 4x3 17” LCD screen. With the screen size and aspect ratio properly set, the result is a full screen 1:35 No borders top, bottom or sides.
I have not seen any [tracking] bars or overscan in such a DVD burn, as they should no longer exist.


When it is said this exists only on the PC I should think that the PC player and or the screen is screwed up or not adjusted correctly. I should think the burns are fine

[lordsmurf]

DVD players output as analog, and overscan still exists. Anything on the tape is on the DVD, unless it was filtered (overscan, grain, chroma noise, etc).

The computer monitor does not have an overscan area, so it shows the information hidden on a tv screen.

[LCSHG]

I am using a Zenith LCD TV/Monitor unit with Power DVD and have had No problems with any DVD disk burned from a VHS tape, as to overscan
I also have a HP Monitor only LCD screen. If using it I also have No problems.


OK
My reference to analog/digital was confusing.

Overscan is a method that is used to account for errors in equipment, especially in CRT and older equip
I is not the problem it was with LCD and newer equipment and should not be a problem as mentioned in the original post, unless the equipment is defective. [Except for loss of information].

Hopefully the link below and its links will explain the overscan issue
http://www.transcoding.org/cgi-bin/transcode?Overscan

I cannot see using all kinds of programs etc to correct this. If all PC equipment is operating correctly It should be a non issue.

I played a DVD burned from a VHS tape and adjusted the HP monitor so as to show a line across the bottom. There was no overscan problem only that the screen was out of adjustment..
The same when I connected a Syvania 15" CRT PC monitor