[SOLVED] Linux mint PC connected to TV -overscan problem

[Micik]

Hello guys,

I'm relatively new to Linux and already had some issues since I installed it. However I decided to keep Linux Mint 20.2 Cinnamon in dual bot with Windows 10 on my PC. My 39 inch Toshiba TV is connected to the PC via HDMI cable and there is so called overscan problem. I found a few topics discussed on this forum how to solve the issue.
It is easy on my TV, I just need to choose Picture Size and set it to Native on the TV using its remote control. But I winder why is that? I hope there is someone here to explain the background of this problem. The resolution is 1080p, but everything works perfectly in Windows 10. Windows always adjust the picture to fit the TV screen, while Linux picture is always a bit larger that actual TV screen area.
I wonder how and why Windows can auto adjust the picture to fit the screen area and Linux Mint cannot do it?
The issue on the Linux is also present if the computer wakes from the sleep. It's not a big deal and I can easily fix it with setting on the TV, but would like to know why is this issue present.

Thank you.

[SMG]

I wonder how and why Windows can auto adjust the picture to fit the screen area and Linux Mint cannot do it?
The issue on the Linux is also present if the computer wakes from the sleep. It's not a big deal and I can easily fix it with setting on the TV, but would like to know why is this issue present.

Please give us information about your install by entering this command in a terminal: inxi -Fxxxrz
Click </> from the mini toolbar above the textbox where you type your reply and then place your cursor between the code markers and paste the results of the command between the code markers [code]Results[/code]. This will let us know how Mint sees your hardware.

Please also give us information about the make and model of the TV.

[Micik]

Hello SMG and thanks for the reply.

Here is the requested info:

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.11.0-38-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 5.0.6 wm: muffin 5.0.2 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20.2 Uma base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: HP product: HP ProDesk 400 G4 DM v: N/A 
  serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 6 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: HP model: 83F3 v: KBC Version 07.D1.00 serial: <filter> UEFI: HP 
  v: Q23 Ver. 02.14.01 date: 10/16/2020 
CPU:
  Topology: 6-Core model: Intel Core i5-8500T bits: 64 type: MCP 
  arch: Kaby Lake rev: A L2 cache: 9216 KiB 
  flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx 
  bogomips: 25199 
  Speed: 800 MHz min/max: 800/3500 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 800 2: 1225 
  3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 630 vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: i915 
  v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:3e92 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: modesetting 
  unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~50Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.0.3 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Cannon Lake PCH cAVS vendor: Hewlett-Packard 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3 chip ID: 8086:a348 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.11.0-38-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
  vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: r8169 v: kernel port: 3000 bus ID: 02:00.0 
  chip ID: 10ec:8168 
  IF: enp2s0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 232.89 GiB used: 15.56 GiB (6.7%) 
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Kingston model: SA2000M8250G size: 232.89 GiB 
  speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 serial: <filter> rev: S5Z42109 scheme: GPT 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 47.44 GiB used: 15.45 GiB (32.6%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/nvme0n1p6 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 46.0 C mobo: N/A 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list 
  1: deb [arch=amd64] https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
  1: deb http://packages.linuxmint.com uma main upstream import backport #id:linuxmint_main
  2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
  3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
  4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
  5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
  6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list 
  1: deb [arch=amd64,arm64,armhf] http://packages.microsoft.com/repos/code stable main
Info:
  Processes: 242 Uptime: 1h 54m Memory: 7.49 GiB used: 1.23 GiB (16.5%) 
  Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash 
  v: 5.0.17 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.38 

[SMG]

Your graphics information indicates your television is resolution: 1920x1080~50Hz. Other than a few files not being the most recent ones available, all looks as one would expect. (Open Update Manager and install the updates.)

It is easy on my TV, I just need to choose Picture Size and set it to Native on the TV using its remote control. But I winder why is that?

Probably because it was designed as a television and not a monitor? Here is an explanation of HDTV Overscan: What It Is and Why You Should (Probably) Turn It Off.

I do not see where you provided the model number, but the fact the television keeps resetting itself when it goes to sleep seems to be an issue with the television. The X Server which runs the graphics on Mint scans the ports to pick up the information which the HDMI cable is sending it. If the information from the television changes, then Mint is going to use different information. I suggest you check your Toshiba documentation for how to make Native the default setting if you want to use the television as a monitor.

I do not know what technology Windows uses to determine it is getting the incorrect information from your Toshiba and changing it.

[Micik]

Hello SMG and thank you for the reply. The TV model is Toshiba 39L2333D.
Like I said before, each time the computer goes to sleep and wakes, desktop picture is out of the bounds and I need again to choose "Native" on the TV with remote controller. There is no option to turn teh overscan off permanently on the TV, but this is something I can live with. I just wonder how Windows knows to correct it automatically each and every time.

[SMG]

Hello SMG and thank you for the reply. The TV model is Toshiba 39L2333D.

I was not able to find any information about Toshiba TV's so I do not have any suggestions. All I could find was this older information How do I fix overscan on my HDMI HDTV? and no one had a response for the person asking about Toshiba TVs.

I just wonder how Windows knows to correct it automatically each and every time.

You might want to ask that on a Windows forum.

[Micik]

Hello guys,
just want to say that I managed to solve my overscan problem that appeared only on Linux Mint (I have dual boot Win10/Mint, and the problem is only on Linux, Windows automatically adjust proper size and switch my TV setting to Native).
After s[ending many hours playing with xrandr command and trying many suggestions it was actually a setting on the TV. Until today, after Linux Mint is booted, I used TV remote control to set up Picture size to Native. Of course, when computer wakes up from sleep I had to do it again. It wasn't a big deal, but it was a small annoyance.
This morning I have accidentally found option in my TV menu "Menu->Preferences->Auto Format" and set it to OFF. Now both on Windows and Linux, the desktop area perfectly fit the TV area of the screen.

I have attached an image of this menu, so it can be helpful if someone else experience this problem on the same or similar TV.

Toshiba TV settings.png (131.11 KiB) Viewed 1751 times

[SMG]

just want to say that I managed to solve my overscan problem

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