How to Fix Overscan and Underscan Between a TV and Computer

Streaming may steadily be replacing good old-fashioned cables as a means of watching PC-based media on our TVs, but there’s still something to be said for the directness of using an HDMI cable. The quality of data transmission is flawless, and it’s definitely the better option if your PC is in the same room as your TV.

But there’s a good chance you’ll encounter problems with overscanning, which is when the monitor or TV cuts off the edges of your desktop. The opposite problem is underscan, where the image is too small for the screen.

This tendency of TVs is a relic from the olden days of CRT TVs, but thankfully, it can be fixed using a number of methods we have for you here.

Also read: Why Does My TV Say No Signal? A Quick Troubleshooting Guide

Fix Overscan and Underscan Using Windows

Depending on what make your GPU is, there are a few ways to fix overscan and underscan problems using your graphics card’s control panel.

Fix Overscan and Underscan Using AMD Radeon Software

If you’re using an AMD GPU, then you can use the Radeon Software driver package to fix overscan and underscan.

After connecting your TV to your PC, make the TV your primary display by pressing Win + P until your TV is selected as the “only” screen.

Once you’ve done this, open the Radeon Software app, click the “Settings cog -> DIsplay” then find the “HDM Scaling” slider and move it until the image perfectly fits the TV.

Fix Overscan and Underscan Using Nvidia Control Panel

If you have an Nvidia GPU, go to the Nvidia Control Panel, select “Display” in the pane on the left, then “Adjust desktop size and position.”

Select the TV from the options that appear, then tick the “Enable desktop resizing” box. (You need to make sure you’re not duplicating the laptop display for this to work: press Ctrl + P on your Windows desktop to select an option other than “Duplicate.”)

Next, click “Resize” and use the sliders to make your desktop fit on the TV screen.

Fix Overscan and Underscan Using Intel Graphics Driver

If you use Intel Graphics Drivers (i.e., if you have an Intel CPU), then you can use the Intel Graphics Control Panel to fix the overscan on your TV.

Go to the Intel HD Graphics Control Panel (either through the taskbar or by right-clicking on your desktop and finding it there). In the Control Panel click “General Settings,” select the TV from the “Display” drop-down, then click “Customize Aspect Ratio” under Scaling.

Finally, use the sliders in the “Preview” image to the right to adjust the picture until it fits on your TV.

Fix Overscan and Underscan on TV

The quickest way to fix overscan is to use the settings of whatever TV you’re using. This way you’re likely to retain a better picture quality than you would using whatever onboard options your PC has. (We’ll get to those in a moment).

The exact name of this setting varies between TV brands, but generally speaking, you’ll find it by pressing the “Menu” button on your remote, then navigating to Picture Size, Aspect Ratio or something similar, where you’ll get to pick between settings like 16:9, 4:3, Zoom, Super Zoom and so on.

Also read: Is a 4K TV Worth Buying in 2021?

Here’s how to fix overscan and underscan on specific TV brands.

Fix Overscan and Underscan on Samsung TV

To resolve this issue on your Samsung TV, press “Home -> Settings -> Picture -> Picture Size Settings -> Picture Size”.

Once here, select “Screen Fit” if that’s an option, or 1:1, or you can even go to “Custom” and manually resize the desktop so it fits on your screen.

Fix Overscan and Underscan on LG TV

To fix overscan and underscan problems on an LG TV, go to “Smart/Home button -> Settings -> PICTURE -> Aspect Ratio”.

Here, change the setting to “16:9” or “Just Scan” to see which one works.

Fix Overscan and Underscan on Sony TV

Next up is Sony. Here’s how to sort your overscan and underscan issues on a Sony Smart TV: “Menu button -> Picture -> Picture Mode”.

Here, set it to “Full Pixel”. If you can’t see this option, in Picture Settings set your TV to the “Graphics” picture mode.

Also read: 22 Android TV Apps to Supercharge Your Smart TV

If you’re spending a lot of time in front of your TV, then it’s good practice to clean and sanitize your remote in these germophobic times. You should also see this list of the best DLNA streaming apps for Android if you want to beam your movie collection to your TV.