How to Fix HDTV Resolution and Overscan in Windows 11 and macOS

Your HDTV cuts off the Windows taskbar or Mac menu bar when you use it as a monitor. The TV’s picture mode or your computer’s display settings usually cause it.

Fix #1: Show the full picture on the TV

Overscan enlarges the picture and hides its edges. Correct the TV’s picture mode first.

1. Connect the computer to the TV with an HDMI cable. The TV should detect a connected device.
2. Select the matching HDMI input on the TV. You should see the computer’s desktop.
3. Open the TV’s picture or aspect-ratio settings. Look for a setting that controls how the image fits the screen.
4. Select Just Scan, Screen Fit, Full Pixel, Dot by Dot, or a similar 1:1 mode. The taskbar or menu bar should become fully visible.

Setting names vary by TV. If those choices aren’t available, try labeling the HDMI input PC in the TV’s input settings. Avoid Zoom modes, which crop the desktop.

Fix #2: Choose how Windows uses the TV

1. Press Windows + P. The projection menu should appear.
2. Select Extend to use the TV as a second desktop, or Second screen only to use it by itself. The TV should show a desktop.

If Duplicate makes one screen look wrong, use Extend so each display can use its own resolution.

Fix #3: Set the TV’s native resolution in Windows

1. Right-click an empty area of the desktop. A context menu should appear.
2. Select Display settings. Windows should open Settings > System > Display.
3. Select the numbered display for the TV. Use Identify if you can’t tell which one it is.
4. Under Scale & layout, open Display resolution. The available resolutions should appear.
5. Select the TV’s native resolution, using Recommended as a starting point; compare it with the panel resolution in the TV manual if the picture remains wrong. A Full HD TV commonly uses 1920 × 1080; a 4K TV uses 3840 × 2160.
6. Select Keep changes if Windows asks. Text and edges should look sharper.

If text is still too small, change Scale under Scale & layout. That makes text and apps larger; it won’t correct cropped edges.

Fix #4: Set a supported refresh rate in Windows

1. In Settings > System > Display, select the TV. Its settings should be active.
2. Select Advanced display. You should see the TV’s display information.
3. Under Choose a refresh rate, select 60 Hz if it’s available. The picture should stay steady without flickering or reconnecting.

A compatible gaming TV and PC may offer 120 Hz. If a higher rate makes the screen go black or flicker, return to 60 Hz.

Fix #5: Set the TV’s resolution on a Mac

1. Connect the Mac to the TV with HDMI or a USB-C-to-HDMI adapter. The TV should detect the connection.
2. Select the matching input on the TV. You should see the Mac’s desktop.
3. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Displays. The connected displays should appear.
4. Select the TV. Its display controls should appear.
5. Start with the default resolution. To select another, choose the TV’s advertised resolution from the available choices; Show all resolutions may reveal more. The TV’s 1:1 picture mode still controls whether its edges are cropped.

6. Choose a supported refresh rate if that control appears. The picture should remain steady.
7. Use the arrangement controls to position the TV beside the Mac display. The pointer should move between screens in the expected direction.
8. Choose the available mirroring or extended-display option that matches how you want to use the TV. The control’s label can vary by macOS version.

If black borders remain, check the TV’s picture mode. Some TVs also show an Underscan control in Displays; adjust it until the desktop reaches the edges. Apple’s overscan and underscan instructions show the current Mac controls.

Fix #6: Resize the desktop with NVIDIA Control Panel

Try this if the TV still crops the image after you’ve selected its full-pixel mode. These controls appear only when the NVIDIA GPU manages the TV connection.

1. Open Start and search for NVIDIA Control Panel. The app should appear in the results.

2. Open NVIDIA Control Panel. Its display controls should appear.
3. Under Display, select Adjust desktop size and position. You should see scaling controls for the connected displays.

4. Select the TV. Its scaling settings should appear.
5. Try No scaling or Aspect ratio. Check whether all four desktop edges are visible.
6. If the edges are still cropped, open the Size tab. The resize controls should appear.

7. Select Enable desktop resizing, then Resize, if those controls are available. Corner indicators should appear on the TV.

8. Adjust the sliders until all four corner indicators are visible, then select OK. The taskbar and window edges should fit on the TV.

On an AMD system, check the TV’s settings in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition for an HDMI scaling control. Its availability and location depend on the graphics hardware and driver.

When the fixes don’t work

If the TV offers only a low resolution or 4K at 30 Hz, try a direct connection instead of an HDMI dock. Check that the computer output, TV port, adapter, and cable support the resolution and refresh rate you want. If the screen repeatedly disconnects, try another TV port or cable at 60 Hz.

Conclusion

The TV’s full-pixel picture mode usually fixes a desktop with missing edges. If the problem keeps returning alongside flickering or black screens, check the HDMI connection and supported refresh rate before resizing the image again.