Top and bottom of screen cutoff

[Flake]

Hello there, I was wondering if someone knew the solution to fixing the display problem I have.

My windows taskbar is cutoff about half-way in the windows desktop display and when I'm inside MAME, the top and bottom of the screen are also cutoff slightly.  I dont care about the desktop as much as I do the MAME screen.  It cuts the hi-score display in half and cuts off the credits in the bottom.

I am using XP, have an Nvidia 8400 GS graphics card, a Toshiba 27" flat screen (not panel) TV made in 2005 (not sure about model number right now) and I'm using Maximus Arcade as my FE.  I have been able to access the service menu but all it does is move around the cutoff, it doesnt cure the problem.  So I figured it must be a display problem with windows or the videocard.

Any thoughts would be appreciated,

Thanks in advance.

[Ginsu Victim]

What display resolution are you using?

[ahofle]

Some video card drivers have special settings for TV out functionality, allowing you to size the screen down a bit.  Look under the display control panel, under settings -> 'advanced'. 
Otherwise, you may have to track down the codes to get into your TV's service menu which will allow you to adjust the horizontal and vertical sizing (overscan).  Remember to write down any previous values before changing anything.  Try a site like this to get the codes: http://www.bruzziforum.com/vbf/forumdisplay.php?f=5
or just google your TV model + 'service menu code'

EDIT: misread your original post and see that you've already tried the service menu (although I've never heard of a service menu not having H and V size adjustments.

[Droler]

I had this problem with a Sanyo 26" TV and ATI All in Wonder and had to really torque the V size down to the minimum (still had a few lines missing at the top and bottom). It may not be 100% curable.

I had to use the ATI utility to adjust the output size.

[Timstuff]

Are you by any chance using component out to the TV, rather than S-Video? I was trying to connect my TV to my PC using a component adapter on my Radeon 9800, and while the picture was undeniably sharp, it caused huge underscan problems like you described, where the top and bottom of the screen were cut off. I eventually gave up on component output and just went back to s-video, because the ATI catalyst control center lets you adjust overscan and underscan if you're using S-video (or a TV capable of the resolutions 1080i, 720p, or higher). The S-video is not nearly as sharp as component (or a real arcade monitor, for that matter), but it's at least better than losing half the image to overscan.

If you were using an ATI graphics card with S-video, I'd suggest adjusting overscan from the Catalyst Control Center. However, you're using an Nvidia, so I'm not sure how you'd adjust the settings for that. Still, overscan is the term you should be researching to solve the problem.

[Flake]

I'm running 720 x 480 at 480i using component to the TV.  However, since the video card is Nvidia I can only use the S-video port's 7-din multipin adapter to component (I think thats what its called).  Inside the Nvidia control panel is an option to "resize TV" but it doesnt let me select it - says its not available. 

I have messed with the service menu options till I was blue in the face. 

On another note, does anyone know if I am just getting S-video PQ in this fashion or is it really upconverting to component quality.  I dont think it as it's only set at 480i.  Wouldnt component be 480p?

[ahofle]

However, since the video card is Nvidia I can only use the S-video port's 7-din multipin adapter to component (I think thats what its called).

Interesting.  So this is NVidia's answer to ATI's DVI to component adapter then.

[BASS!]

       Svideo is 480i only (or pal 576i). Component could run 480i, 480p 720p, and 1080i. Any resolution you feed it now will downconvert it to 480i.
       For the overscan settings, you may have to update your drivers, and make sure that the tv is installed as a tv and not a computer monitor in the driver settings. If it is set to "default monitor" and not "generic television" overscan settings will not show up. Your other option is to google omega drivers and throw those on for testing. Omega has been making awesome custom driver sets for years that unlock all of the options that manufacturers hide. They also have a huge section of tweaks for televisions.

Before you adjust anything in your service menu write everything down.

      As far as the service menu on toshiba sets you are going to want to tweak HSIZE and VSIZE ( careful with the vpos setting as I have seen this cause a bug in certain rptv sets that causes one of the main drive chips to burn out). I don't think it will have a effect on direct view sets though. If you are still getting screen cutoff there is always settings burried in the service menu that are blanking settings. Most sets will have something like Hblank ( or top blank-tblank and bottom blank-bblank) and Rblank Lblank. They allow you digitally cutoff the overscan directly to the edge of your screen bezel. If they are set wrong they will cut off the image.

(edit addition) If blanking is set too far away ive seen it cause hazyness in the edges of the picture.

[ahofle]

       Svideo is 480i only (or pal 576i). Component could run 480i, 480p 720p, and 1080i. Any resolution you feed it now will downconvert it to 480i.

I don't think it's an "S-Video" port.  It is a 7 pin port which requires a special cable (although it looks similar to an S-Video port).  It is supposed to support HD resolutions.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-865813.html

[BASS!]

Hmmmm weird. I have a Geforce 8400 gs and it just has a svideo port. I'm not saying your wrong but the only other model I have seen was that weird s-video looking cable to svideo and composite. Which model of gfx card is it? Like asus,xfx,msi etc?

[BASS!]

Ahhh I must have bought the cheap one, didn't come with that adapter. The 8400 does take both that special adapter and svideo in one port. Now that is some handy engineering, I didn't even notice.

[brock.sampson]

I have an ATI card using a dvi to component adapter and I have to run at 640x432 to get windows to display correctly after slight adjustments in the service menu.  I also had the jump up to maximus arcade 2.10 to stop it from running mame at 640x480 and cutting off the top and bottom again. http://maximusarcade.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1239

[Flake]

       Svideo is 480i only (or pal 576i). Component could run 480i, 480p 720p, and 1080i. Any resolution you feed it now will downconvert it to 480i.

I don't think it's an "S-Video" port.  It is a 7 pin port which requires a special cable (although it looks similar to an S-Video port).  It is supposed to support HD resolutions.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-865813.html

So I am getting component to the TV?  Well if thats the case I wonder why I cant change it to 480p?

My card is a Asus BTW.

I will keep tweaking it based on the suggestions made here.  Thanks everyone.