Variable aspect ratio television receiver

In a variable aspect ratio television receiver comprising:

• a video signal input terminal supplied with a video signal which can be either a standard composite video signal intended to be displayed at with standard aspect ratio or a non-standard composite video signal having an identification signal and intended to be displayed with a non-standard aspect ratio;
• a video amplifier having an input connected to said video input terminal and an output providing an image output signal;
• an image reproducing apparatus supplied with the image output signal from said amplifier and displaying a video picture;
• deflecting means associated with said image reproducing apparatus and developing said video picture according to a predetermined format with a deflection height and a deflection width, such that a portion of said video signal occurs in an overscan portion beyond the deflection height of said format;
• an identification signal detecting circuit supplied with said input video signal for detecting the presence of said identification signal carried in said non-standard composite video signal;
• and
• a deflection width changing circuit means connected between said identification signal detecting circuit and said deflecting means for changing said deflection width developed at said deflecting means in response to said identification signal, thereby varying the aspect ratio of said video picture;
• the improvement in which said identification signal is carried in said non-standard composite video signal during said overscan portion of said video picture of said non-standard video signal, and said identification signal detecting circuit includes means adapted for detecting of said identification signal during said overscan period.