when switching the source buffer for video output can happen without causing a visible tear. This is especially true in video game systems, where the fixed frequency of the blanking period might also be used to derive in-game timing. On many consoles there is an extended blanking period, as the console opts to paint graphics on fewer lines than the television would natively allow, permitting its output to be surrounded by a border. On some very early machines such as the Atari 2600, the programmer is in full control of video output and therefore may select their own blanking period, allowing arbitrarily few painted lines. On others such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, a predefined blanking period could be extended. Most consumer VCRs use the known black level of the vertical blanking pulse to set their recording levels. The Macrovision copy protection scheme inserts pulses in the VBI, where the recorder expects a constant level, to disrupt recording to videotapes. Vertical blanking interval in digital video While digital video interconnects (such as DVI and HDMI) generally do have a "vertical blanking" part of the datastream, they are unable to carry closed caption text or most of the other items that, in analog TV interconnects, are transmitted during the "vertical blanking interval". This can lead to . See also Vertical blank interrupt Datacasting Horizontal blanking interval Nominal analogue blanking Raster scan Television technology