Computer does not expand to edge of tv

[stackz07]

My media center is at 1920x1080 but there is a black border around the image so the computer actually only takes up 95 percent of the screen. I am connected through hdmi - any thoughts?

[lithium630]

You need to adjust the overscan (someone is sure to correct it to underscan) in the video card settings. Remember if your desktop is set to a different resolution than Media Center, you need to change the desktop to 1920x1080 first, otherwise the desktop will change but not Media Center.

[Crash2009]

That's a great place to start. Secondly I would run (in Media Center) Tasks/General/Windows Media Center Setup/Configure your TV or Monitor

[1454]

I actually have a semi similar problem. Only mine only occurs when first turn the tv on. When I minimize and maximize wmc, it goes back to normal. And it only happens after a restart.

[STC]

ATI or Nvidia perhaps?

[lithium630]

I actually have a semi similar problem. Only mine only occurs when first turn the tv on. When I minimize and maximize wmc, it goes back to normal. And it only happens after a restart.

I had a similar issue. It seemed that Media Center was loading before the graphics driver. I never did find a fix for it. All I did is stop Media Center from starting on a reboot. Now I just hit the green button.

[1454]

Cool, that might be the issue. Because it doesn't do it if I boot up with the tv on. I have it set to restart once a week to install updates. And it's when it restarted during the night that I have the issue the next day. It's not a big deal, I was just hoping there was an easy fix for it.

[CyberSimian]

Because it doesn't do it if I boot up with the tv on.

Mine does this too (Nvidia graphics card with DVI->HDMI connection), but not every time. And I do not autostart Media Center -- I always exit from Media Center before putting the HTPC to sleep, and then manually restart MC after waking the HTPC from sleep. But Windows still sometimes wakes up with (in my case) half of the task bar off the bottom of the screen (i.e. too much overscan, rather than the too much underscan of your case).

The circumstance that causes this to occur is the common case of the HTPC waking up to perform an unattended recording (i.e. with the TV switched off). To fit the video image exactly to the visible area of the TV screen, I have to use a customised screen resolution, and it is this that the Nvidia driver seems to lose when the HTPC wakes up with the TV switched off; instead, the Nvidia driver uses some sort of "placeholder" device definition (since it cannot query the TV to determine its properties), and the placeholder definition has the uncustomised screen resolution, leading to the overscan.

I have not found any solution to this. The workaround (for me) is to define the customised screen resolution in the Nvidia Control Panel, and in Media Center, and then restart Media Center after waking the HTPC.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[1454]

Because it doesn't do it if I boot up with the tv on.

Mine does this too (Nvidia graphics card with DVI->HDMI connection), but not every time. And I do not autostart Media Center -- I always exit from Media Center before putting the HTPC to sleep, and then manually restart MC after waking the HTPC from sleep. But Windows still sometimes wakes up with (in my case) half of the task bar off the bottom of the screen (i.e. too much overscan, rather than the too much underscan of your case).

The circumstance that causes this to occur is the common case of the HTPC waking up to perform an unattended recording (i.e. with the TV switched off). To fit the video image exactly to the visible area of the TV screen, I have to use a customised screen resolution, and it is this that the Nvidia driver seems to lose when the HTPC wakes up with the TV switched off; instead, the Nvidia driver uses some sort of "placeholder" device definition (since it cannot query the TV to determine its properties), and the placeholder definition has the uncustomised screen resolution, leading to the overscan.

I have not found any solution to this. The workaround (for me) is to define the customised screen resolution in the Nvidia Control Panel, and in Media Center, and then restart Media Center after waking the HTPC.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

Thanks cybersimian. I'll try defining the resolution in my video card and see if that helps. If it doesn't, then I'll just deal with it. It's not been a big deal, just a pita. Thanks for the tips.