Fixing TV Picture Cut-Off Issues in 5 Steps

Televisions need to handle different input and signal types. Depending on the signal you receive, your TV will decide how to process this signal and display it on your screen.

Typically, a TV screen cuts off due to an “overscan”. Most TVs automatically fit the input image to the screen, but some TVs cut out a portion (about 2-5%) and stretch the rest of the image to fit the screen.

TV picture cutting off

Overscan solutions vary from TV to TV. If the tips below don’t work, or if you can’t find a particular setting in your TV menu, refer to your TV’s documentation or contact your TV manufacturer for more information.

Today, most TV content is broadcast in widescreen (16: 9) format. New TVs are built to display widescreen images, but many older TVs (4: 3) need to be tuned.

To ensure that you get the big picture on a 4: 3 TV, you need to use Freeview to adjust the aspect ratio of your receiver. Check your TV user guide for more information on how to do this.

 Common 4: 3 display options are:

  • Center Cut or Pan Scan: This allows the image to fill the entire screen. There are no black bars around the image, but the edges of the graphic are lost and the outer edges of the widescreen video are lost.
  • Letter Box – With this option, you get the big picture that will be broadcast, so you won’t miss anything. There are black bars at the top and bottom of the photo, but it’s the same as most DVDs. A black border appears around the entire image when old 4: 3 (non-widescreen) content is broadcast.

Best Fixes for TV Cutting Off the Part of Screen

TV Cutting Off the Part of Screen

All new high-definition TVs are equipped with multiple aspect ratios that allow you to crop a portion of your screen. If you chose the wrong option, you could crop parts of the movie, or the video will have too much black padding around it.

In addition to the TV’s aspect mode feature, non-TV elements such as DVD players, DVRs, cables, or satellite set-top boxes can also cause this problem.

Start with the TV menu or its remote control and go from there to solve the problem.

1. Television Adjustment

Use the TV’s Menu button or the remote’s Menu feature to navigate to the TV screen features. Screen features may appear on your TV with a different name.

Usually, you can find this setting in the “Picture” or “Input” settings on your TV’s menu system.

For details, refer to your TV’s operation manual. Once you find the setting, change it until you see “Normal”. In TV screen mode, you can change the setting from normal to zoom or a widescreen setting.

If your TV is equipped with a vertical setting, this can also change the position of the image on the screen via this setting.

2. Satellite System or Cable

Many cable and satellite receivers like DVD players and TVs come with screen setting adjustments.

This is because stations that broadcast high-resolution signals usually project widescreen images along with the HD signals. To accurately portray this image on your TV, set the cable or satellite box normally.

3. Check Other Channels

Check the other channels to see if they have the same issue. If the image is choppy, there may be a problem with the channel, not the TV.

When receiving HDTV signals, changing channels often changes the screen’s appearance. Depending on the broadcast, some of these channels may or may not show black bars at the top and bottom of the screen in normal mode.

4. Universal remote control

For quick and easy screen adjustments, use one remote as a “universal” remote and program it on all the devices used in your TV.

If you have a DVR system with cable or satellite services, use its remote control to control your TV, cable, satellite set-top box, DVR, and audio system.

You must be careful when purchasing a universal remote, as older universal remotes do not have this feature.

With the right universal remote, it is very easy to scale the aspect ratio. Follow the instructions for programming the remote control using the user manual.

5. Check Your Cables

If you have a high-definition (HD) receiver and an HDTV, you must ensure the receiver connection uses an HDMI cable.

Connecting your receiver using standard definition cable or SD Cables, such as RCA or coaxial, can distort the shape of your TV picture.

6. Backlight Issues

If your TV shows a half picture and bluish display, it’s more severe. You might need a professional to repair the panel and replace the backlight with a new set.