Re: Defining safe areas for media devices and set top boxes

> From: Nick Jones <nick.jones@meanbee.com>
>
> Could this not be achieved through a simple media query such as the following?
> @media tv and (max-width: Npx) {}

I don't see one that solves the problem. Targeting a TV with a specific width doesn't tell whether a safe area needs to be defined or not. Also, a set top box, or an external media device, might not apply tv media to the document if it understands that it's outputing it's signal to a hi-res screen, like a computer one.

> From: Brad Kemper <brad.kemper@gmail.com>
>
> Right. I understand. My point remains. How important is it have a special media query whose purpose is to support issues related to regrettable cabling choices? I am willing to be convinced it is important if, say, this is extremely common and expected to stay common for years. But so far I am not convinced. 

I gave real examples. 'State of the art' TV was one of them. Using an RCA cable was another example of how your perfectly crafted setup may not produce the results you expect. If a HDMI cable is used, there is also a safe area, but with much smaller edges  (bug on hardware ? maybe). But it's quite pointless to debate whether CRT screen are obsolete or not. Not everyone in the world has access to HD TVs and state of the art technology, so the safe area problem will still last for years. I'm certainly not buying one in the near future.

There is no point in debating here whether CRT screens, VGA, RCA or whatever cables are obsolete, and that everyone might not have a HDTV with HDMI cable in the next couple months, this is a CSS mailing list, so I'd like to concentrate on the CSS part of the discussion.

> From: David Singer <singer@apple.com>
>
> Would it be enough to say that the page background may extend beyond the declared 'writable' area of the page, in this case?  I.e. we define the page dimensions as the safe area, while allowing the background to fill the unsafe area as well?
> 

Not enough at all. Content (significant or not) can very well reach the edges of screen, as in any other user agent.

Received on Tuesday, 7 December 2010 11:46:29 UTC