The edges of my tv picture are left off the screen. for example the by lines on a news programe are halve missing. even when using normal aspect ratio

get the main screen menu up and look for aspect ratio or pixel settings
adjust to full screen picture

CHANGING THE SCREEN ASPECT RATIO: ( From Manual )
The TV can display images in four different modes: Wide, Zoom, Panoramic, and Normal. Each mode displays the picture differently. To change the screen aspect ratio:
1. Press the MENU button on the remote.
2. Use the Arrow buttons to highlight the Wide icon. Press OK.
3. Use the Arrow buttons to highlight your desired screen mode and press OK:
• Normal preserves the content's original aspect ratio. Since the 4:3 aspect ratio is not large enough to fill the TV's screen, black bars are added to the left and right of the display image.
• Wide stretches a 4:3 aspect ratio picture to the edges of the screen. Since the picture is being stretched, the display image may appear distorted. If the program is already formatted for widescreen viewing (1.85:1 or 2.35:1), then black bars will appear on the top and bottom of the display image.
• Zoom expands images with black bars to fit the screen.
• Panoramic expands the display image to fill the screen.
images may appear wider than intended.
If you are watching widescreen (1.85:1 or 2.35:1) content, black bars will still appear on the top and bottom of the display image. This option is only available when the TV is displaying a 480i/480p source.

you need to change the 'zoom' on the tv by the remote.
Normal mode frames the 4:3 video to the 16:9 picture area by displaying it in its original aspect ratio, with vertical gray or black bars on both sides of the screen. The disadvantage of this method is the fact that the image is small by virtue of not using the entire width of the screen. This is also known as the 4:3 mode.
Full mode Full mode horizontally stretches the 4:3 video evenly across the entire width of the screen. This is the proper mode to display anamorphic video. If used for standard aspect ratio video, everything on the screen will appear wider than normal. Contrast this with anamorphic video displayed without processing on a 4:3 display, in which people on the screen will appear taller than normal. This is also known as the 16:9 mode.
Zoom mode Zoom mode evenly stretches the picture both horizontally and vertically, until the picture fills the entire width of the screen. This crops out the top and bottom of the picture. This mode is used for letterboxed and open matte video.
14:9 mode Main article: 14:9
In 14:9 mode, the picture is magnified more than in Normal mode, but less than in Zoom mode, while retaining the original aspect ratio.
Wide Zoom mode Wide Zoom mode, also called Just mode, Horizon, or Smart Stretch, progressively stretches the picture horizontally, less in the middle and more on the edges. This allows normal aspect ratio video to be displayed across the entire width of the screen, with minimal cropping, and with much less of the unpleasing visual stretching effect of Full mode.

The Aspect ratio of the TV could be on the wrong setting for the image you are trying to view. Widescreen's standard ratio is 16:9 ensure the TV is not set to zoom, 4:3, or pan & scan in the picture menu of your TV.

If the picture looks normal except it's just missing the edges or looks squashed or looks like it is zoomed in from the normal image then aspect ratio is probably the cause.

It's probably an issue of the "Aspect" or the "Screen Mode" you're in. I'm no TV repair expert, but if you look in your Main Menu for "Screen Mode" or even your remote might have a button labeled "Asp" or "Aspect" or "Mode"....or even "Wide" (which when pressed repeatedly will cycle through the most common 4 screen modes = Wide, Screen Fit, Zoom, 4:3.) The last one refers to the ratio aspect, but depending on your TV, they could be named differently.
Given your description, it seems you're in "Zoom" mode, since it's cutting off the edges of the picture. Put it on a station like CNN, which has a streaming ticker at the bottom and cycle through the options you have until you find the one you prefer. (Note: you should also be able to set this in your Main Menu somewhere as your preferred view, but some shows and movies might come through as full screen or 'Letterbox' regardless of your preference.
One final observation I've found on several units is that the remote button that's in the bottom right-hand corner (which may not be labeled as such) is the default location for your aspect selections. Push it and see what happens.
Good luck!

When TVs first appeared, they had an picture ratio of 4:3, which matched that of most movie screens at the time. Terrified of losing their business, movie studios struck back with "widescreen" films using 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 ratios. When widescreen TVs started appearing, they emulated those same ratios, but many TV shows (and some movies) were still in 4:3---and we were eventually left with a bit of a mess. Canny manufacturers, including LG, have solved the problem by allowing you to adjust the picture ratio on the TV to fit the program you're watching. If it's not set properly, however, your image will look distorted or cut off. A quick bit of troubleshooting can fix the problem easily.

1. Press the "Menu" button on the remote and scroll down to the "Option" title (it should be second from the bottom ). Then select "Aspect Ratio." You should see a list of ratio options. You simply need to pick the one which fits the show you're watching.
   
2. Choose the 4:3 ratio for older movies and TV programs. You should see a pair of bars on the left and right side of the screen. (That's okay: the bars keep the program in the same proportion in which it was filmed.)
   
3. Select the 16:9 ratio for widescreen movies and for more recent shows to match their longer width. For some movies, you may see black bars and the top and bottom of the screen. Again, that allows the movie to be shown in the manner it was filmed.
   
4. Pick "Set By Program" to automatically switch the LG TV between 4:3 and 16:9 to match whatever show is on at the time.
   
5. Select "Horizon" to horizontally expand the image onscreen. It will fill the whole screen---eliminating the black bars to the left and the right---but it may look distorted.
   
6. Use the "Zoom 1" option to zoom the image forward. That will eliminate the black bars at the top or the bottom of the screen, though you will cut off the edges of the image.
   
7. Pick the "Zoom 2" button to select a midway point between "Horizon" and "Zoom 1." The picture is stretched, but not as much as with "Horizon," and fills the screen, but doesn't cut off as much as "Zoom 1."
   
8. Use the "Cinema Zoom" button to enlarge the picture to fit the screen. This option allows you to adjust the proportion to your liking, rather than use the set proportions of the other aspect options.
   
9. Exit the menu when you are done and watch your programming normally.
   

Normal aspect ratio is 4:3, and the wide aspect ratio is 16:9. If you play a game meant for 4:3 and you change the TVs aspect ratio to 16:9; part of the picture will be cut off. It is not the fault of the TV.

Yes, it is possible the settings from your cable box maybe set to the wrong ratio eg:letterbox. Depending on what type of box you have, look in the cable box menu for a settings option, then change the aspect ratio to a different format.

Dilon, 311's have no aspect ratio adjustment and is not able to switch from the standard 4:3 setting therfore if it is connected to a TV with a large screen the TV has to stretch the picture to fill the screen thus cutting off portions of the picture. I suggest you get a HD receiver as they will be able to change the format and aspect ratio but even these make some sacrifices to fill the screen as well. Most notable of the losses will be the ticker tape at the bottom of the screen where sports scores usually are displayed. Thhis is all a result of the plethora of screen sizes on the market and will not be resolved anytime soon that I am aware. Dish has a 211 which is a one room HD receiver, 612 which is a one room dual tuner receiver with DVR, 222 which is a dual tuner two room receiver with HD capability to the first location and SD to the second, 622 and 722 which are both dual tuner two room DVR receivers with HD to the first location and SD to second. I am sorry I could not bear better news but I wanted to thank you for using Fix Ya and if you need further assistance please let me know.
Jim

it sounds like you have hit the zoom button or your aspect ratio isnt right. the aspect ratio should be set to 16:9 (if there isnt a button for aspect ratio, change it in the menu) and there should be a zoom button on your remote and just keep hitting that and it should return to normal. If neither works, post your tv brand and model and i'll try to find another answer