Question regarding aspect ratios!

[Will]

I have just recently tried running my laptop on my new toy (Panasonic 42" Plasma Screen).

Picture quality is excellent :bannana: (I mean really good ) but there is one problem:

The plasma screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio, and my laptop (Toshiba Satellite - P4 2.8, ATI Radeon 9000 running windows XP etc) uses a 15" 4:3 screen. As with the majority of computers I have seen, all resolutions appear to be a 4:3 VGA derivative (eg, 800x600 1024x768 etc etc)

Using the VGA connection into the screen, I get a stretched image, which is out of aspect. I can set the screen itself into a 4:3 mode, which just puts blanking strips along both sides (what a waste! ), but obviously doesn't make use of what the screen is designed for!

Did a quick search, and found not much help, except a company whom supply a new graphics card for desktop PCs designed for more professional use (airports etc)

Only then did I remember that I have seen laptops before with W-XGA (I think?!?) screens, which appear to be in a widescreen format.

What I basically wanted to know was, is there any way I can get my current laptop to output a 16:9 type image? Is it a case of finding a certain driver etc, or is the limiting factor the physical hardware of my current graphics card? Is it also possible to run a different resolution on one screen (the laptop) and another on the other (plasma)?

Any help much appreciated,

Cheers,

Will

 

[McGreggor]

It depends on the resolutions of your plasma screen, which depends on its native resolution. By the sounds of it you have a VGA connection (i.e normal monitor cable connection) so windows should delect what resolutions it can display on the screen. So long as the plasma screen supports resolutions in 16:9 ratio, you should be able to set windows to display it. In my experience, windows can be a little difficult in recognising a second display correctly, but this can usually be overcome by playing with the primary monitor setting, unplugging the old monitor etc. If your still unable to get it working how you want, there is a very good app called TVTool, its very good at setting up a TV display for films/games etc.

 

[Spinal]

Actually; from what I read, it all depends from your laptops graphics card. Right click on your desktop; then click on properties. In the window, click on the settings tab. Now there is a little slider where you can choose the resolutions (as supported by your graphics card; note I am assuming you are running just one graphics card as it is a laptop). If you run the slider along, you should be able to choose non4:3 ratio aspects. Look at the picture I've attached to see what I mean. (Note that in my pic you see two screens, that because I have two graphics cards running, you will see only one screen)
Spinal

 

[McGreggor]

Actually; from what I read, it all depends from your laptops graphics card. Right click on your desktop; then click on properties. In the window, click on the settings tab. Now there is a little slider where you can choose the resolutions (as supported by your graphics card; note I am assuming you are running just one graphics card as it is a laptop). If you run the slider along, you should be able to choose non4:3 ratio aspects. Look at the picture I've attached to see what I mean. (Note that in my pic you see two screens, that because I have two graphics cards running, you will see only one screen)
Spinal

Yes, but you'll only see resolutions that windows detects are compatable with the display. It's quite common for plasma displays to have "widescreen" but the supported VGA modes are all 4:3 ratios... I was looking at projectors a while ago, many of them are able to project in both widescreen and 4:3, but their native resolutions were all 4:3, and therefore any VGA signals would be displayed in 4:3. Thats not to say you can't have a widescreen shape to the picture, most displays will squash/crop the picture down, but unless the native resolution is in widescreen it aint really widescreen in my book.

 

[scotth_uk]

>Yes, but you'll only see resolutions that windows detects are compatable with the display.

Not strictly true. Most machines have a "hide modes that this monitor cannot display". Turn that off, and the world is your oyster, based on the modes in the GPU.

My laptop has the most incredible list of resolution modes that I have ever seen for driving the external port.

 

[Spinal]

Yes, but you'll only see resolutions that windows detects are compatable with the display. It's quite common for plasma displays to have "widescreen" but the supported VGA modes are all 4:3 ratios... I was looking at projectors a while ago, many of them are able to project in both widescreen and 4:3, but their native resolutions were all 4:3, and therefore any VGA signals would be displayed in 4:3. Thats not to say you can't have a widescreen shape to the picture, most displays will squash/crop the picture down, but unless the native resolution is in widescreen it aint really widescreen in my book.

That can't be possible. I'm running two screens, both are 4:3 aspect ratio (no pics of thsoe as theyre hidden behind all the other junk I have on my desk, which is an absolute mess) One is connected via DVI and one via VGA. Now, the card will output 1600x900, which on a 4:3 screen will be squashed or have lines at the top and bottom (i.e. NOT widescreen). BUT, and I say again BUT, if the screen is a 16:9 ratio, then the screen will not need to squash or expand anything, and output true 16:0 widescreen.
Spinal

 

[Will]

Thanks for the help so far guys - a little more information.

Ok, I have already spent quite some time playing around with "Display Properties".

One of the problems that I am facing at present is that although I can choose/change the resolution on one screen (laptop) and the other (plasma), the options are all a VGA derivative (ie, 4:3!).

Now, I am probably talking a few years ago, but I remember in the past with Windows that you could "choose" what type of make/model of monitor you were using, and if it wasn't listed, you could specify a default type that was suitable?!?

Well, when looking under "Device Manager", it lists 3 devices under the tab of "Monitors". Yesterday, I tried uninstalling all 3, and re-booting to see if this would make any difference (ie, allow me to choose the display type etc), but to no avail (just automatically set up the same 3 devices!).

Anyway, as it lists it as a "Default Monitor", could this be partly why I cannot select a 16:9 type resolution to try?!? If the screen isn't "plug and play", and hasn't set up its own properties (ie, supported resolutions), then why can't I choose an alternative aspect ratio/resolution (eg, 1600x900 as shown by Spinal)

Anyway, also found a sheet showing a few specifications of the display:

Still can't decide whether the screen does or does not support 16:9 in PC mode (the screen does allow you to choose between 4:3 and 16:9 in this mode!). Even if it didn't, how could Spinal's system allow him to output a 16:9 image, regardless of whether the display was compatible or not!

The "Hide modes that this monitor cannot display" option is greyed out (ie, cannot select or de-select this). You can adjust options such as refresh rate, just not aspect ratio!

I am starting to assume that it must be a restriction of the graphics card itself?!? . The reason I say this is because in past experiences, even if a device was not compatible (eg, too high a resolution, wrong refresh rate etc), you could still attempt to output this image! I can't find anything about putting out a 16:9 display!

Anyone got any more ideas?!?

Thanks in advance,

Will

 

[McGreggor]

That can't be possible. I'm running two screens, both are 4:3 aspect ratio (no pics of thsoe as theyre hidden behind all the other junk I have on my desk, which is an absolute mess) One is connected via DVI and one via VGA. Now, the card will output 1600x900, which on a 4:3 screen will be squashed or have lines at the top and bottom (i.e. NOT widescreen). BUT, and I say again BUT, if the screen is a 16:9 ratio, then the screen will not need to squash or expand anything, and output true 16:0 widescreen.
Spinal

Yes you can tweak windows into displaying other ratios and resolution, but there is little point in doing this unless the display can handle it. With your setup you end up getting black lines as you say, and it is true you wouldnt need to squash the output if you had a 16:9 screen, ONLY if the screen had a native resolution of 1600X900. Most tv's and plasmas have smaller native resolutions though, I've seen many plasmas with 16:9 screens, but the native (and therefore VGA) pixels are only 1280x1024 which is 4:3 ratio. If the native res is 1280x1024, your never gonna be able to output a fullscreen 16:9 VGA image. What Will should do is find out what the supported resolutions are for the plasma. Finally, even if the support resolutions are 4:3 ratio, you can still achive widescreen by using Spinals method to output a 16:9 image, you should end up with black boarders all round the image, and using zoom on the telly to get it fullscreen. May take a bit of playing around with though....

 

[Steve_Perry]

Would Powerstrip be able to out put a signal that you require?

Download here:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,6241,00.asp

Read Guide here:
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/powerstrip.html

Any good?

S.

 

[Will]

Yes you can tweak windows into displaying other ratios and resolution, but there is little point in doing this unless the display can handle it. With your setup you end up getting black lines as you say, and it is true you wouldnt need to squash the output if you had a 16:9 screen, ONLY if the screen had a native resolution of 1600X900. Most tv's and plasmas have smaller native resolutions though, I've seen many plasmas with 16:9 screens, but the native (and therefore VGA) pixels are only 1280x1024 which is 4:3 ratio. If the native res is 1280x1024, your never gonna be able to output a fullscreen 16:9 VGA image. What Will should do is find out what the supported resolutions are for the plasma. Finally, even if the support resolutions are 4:3 ratio, you can still achive widescreen by using Spinals method to output a 16:9 image, you should end up with black boarders all round the image, and using zoom on the telly to get it fullscreen. May take a bit of playing around with though....

It shows the number of pixels as 408,960 (852x480). I have found a pdf file with a list of pre-set resolution specs, which includes at least a couple of 16:9 formats (1067x600, 1366x768)

What I need to do is to be able to get my laptop to output an image in 16:9!

If it doesn't display properly on the plasma, then fair enough, but if I can't try it I will never know!

So does anybody know of a way to get my laptop to be able to select a 16:9 type image for output?!?

Thanks again for everybody's help.

Cheers,

Will

 

[Will]

Would Powerstrip be able to out put a signal that you require?

Download here:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,6241,00.asp

Read Guide here:
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/powerstrip.html

Any good?

S.

Thanks Steve,

That looks very interesting, i'll check it out and let you know how I get on!

Other than by using a third-party program such as that, is there any other way of adjusting the aspect ratio used in windows?!?

I am just mystified as to how Spinal can openly choose a 16:9 resolution, but I am unable to do so? Is it simply down to his graphics card and drivers?!?

Thanks Again,

Will

 

[Spinal]

I am just mystified as to how Spinal can openly choose a 16:9 resolution, but I am unable to do so? Is it simply down to his graphics card and drivers?!?

Just checked... I can do it with both graphics cards (geforce 2 ultra and a geforce 4 mx). Maybe it has something to do with me installing NVidia's Xperttool thingy (found on their site) which allows me to play with how my screens are positioned, coloured, sized, etc....
SPinal

 

[Will]

Looks like Powerstrip is along the right lines!

It allows you to create a custom resolution, choose aspect ratios, refresh rates etc etc etc.

It can be heavily customised, and even allows you to create a custom driver for monitors or displays not recognised by windows!

So, a little fettling to choose a few perfect resolutions, but at present I am typing on MBClub in 1056x594, and a whole 42"s!

Thanks Steve (and everybody else for trying) :bannana:

Cheers,

Will

 

[Steve_Perry]

No probs

I've done a little investigating myself as I also hook up my laptop to my Panny plasma Powerstrip is a killer app imho, it's very tweakable and it's talking directly to your graphics card chips.

Good luck with your plasma!!

S.

P.S. Don't leave static images on for too long and don't use dynamic viewing mode!!

 

[Will]

No probs

I've done a little investigating myself as I also hook up my laptop to my Panny plasma Powerstrip is a killer app imho, it's very tweakable and it's talking directly to your graphics card chips.

Good luck with your plasma!!

S.

P.S. Don't leave static images on for too long and don't use dynamic viewing mode!!

Hi Steve,

Thanks again - I know about the static images (risk of burn in ), but what is the dynamic viewing mode?!?

Many Thanks,

Cheers,

Will

 

[Steve_Perry]

Your Panny plasma, I'm assuming you have a 42" PW6, will have four different viewing modes (I think, I have a Viera myself)... Normal, Auto, Cinema and Dynamic. The dynamic viewing mode boosts contrast and has an extremely high gamma setting which will basically nuke the phosphors on your lovely new plasma display, great for advertising boards in shops/stations/airports etc but not so good for the private individual and his home cinema set up.

S.

 

[Will]

Your Panny plasma, I'm assuming you have a 42" PW6, will have four different viewing modes (I think, I have a Viera myself)... Normal, Auto, Cinema and Dynamic. The dynamic viewing mode boosts contrast and has an extremely high gamma setting which will basically nuke the phosphors on your lovely new plasma display, great for advertising boards in shops/stations/airports etc but not so good for the private individual and his home cinema set up.

S.

Thanks Steve - I'll have to watch that one then!

Cheers,

Will

 

[andy_k]

it's going to depend on the display resolution of your plasma screen it will be 852x480, 1366x768 or something along those lines. ATI has made a specific HDTV/EDTV driver and I'm pretty sure that nvidias new forceware drivers should provide these resolutions for you

HTH

Andy

 

[Will]

Cheers Andy, I am pretty much sorted now using the Powerstrip software that Steve pointed out!

Must have been a restriction on the drivers that I am using, because after I created a couple of custom resolutions, I can now quickly change from one to the other using Display Properties!

Interesting software, and worth checking out for any unusual requirements such as mine!

Cheers,

Will