Abstract: The bandwidth capability of a full-motion video buffer is prevented from being exceeded by automatically controlling the horizontal scaling of the incoming video data and the horizontal zooming or expansion of the outgoing display data to force the bandwidth of the video data to virtually match the bandwidth capability of the video buffer. In one embodiment, this automatic control of the horizontal scaling and zooming is performed in a dynamic fashion where a detector detects the dropping of any video bits caused by the bandwidth of the incoming video data exceeding the bandwidth capability of the video buffer. Upon detection of these dropped bits, the horizontal scaling of the incoming video data is incrementally reduced (and the horizontal zooming is proportionally increased) until the bandwidth of the incoming video data is at or below the maximum bandwidth capability of the memory buffer. In this way, the video buffer cannot be overdriven and no video data is lost.