16:9 resolution

[davemack]

Hey Gang, I am looking for a video card that properly supports 16:9 resolutions, specifically 1280x800. I was thinking of the Radeon 9700 Pro, but I was wondering if someone could try it on their card before I shell out the bucks for one, and find out it doesn't do it.

Dave

 

[titanmiller]

Wont any video card support that resolution if the correct monitor driver is installed?

 

[davemack]

1280X1024 is a commonly supported resolution, as it represents the common 4:3 ratio, but 1280x800 isn't that popular. Only the 3D labs wilcat cards list it as a supported resolution. And they start at $3150 Canadian (about $2000 USD)....

 

[tapir]

1280x800 is actually 16:10, just FYI. True 16:9 would be 1280x720.

A far more compatible resolution is 1280x768 which is compatible with a number of games and almost every video card. I run this resolution on my Radeon 8500 and 17" widescreen TFT monitor.

Are you looking at a specific display that has a native resolution of 1280x800? Your best bet would to be to take whatever card you want and make a custom resolution in powerstrip or something.

 

[davemack]

We have a Sony Widescreen display, that is currently being driven at 1280x800. We need to maintain this resolution, on another system. Before we drop 3 grand on a Wildcat card, I wanted to check out some other options.

 

[hans007]

nvidia cards support 1280x760, ati cards do not unless you get hacked omega driver.

 

[Boogak]

Have you considered using Powerstrip and setting your own custom resolutions? It works with most ATI and nVidia video cards and sounds like alot cheaper solution than that Wildcats card.

 

[tenoc]

For ATI cards, Rage3d Tweak offers custom resolutions.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: davemack
1280X1024 is a commonly supported resolution, as it represents the common 4:3 ratio...

Wrong! 1280x1024 is a 5:4 resolution, and it only looks right (despite what many ignorant ones around here claim) on native 5:4 displays (like most 17, 18, and 19 inch LCDs). CRTs, which are almost always native 4:3 displays, should use 1280x960, which is a true 4:3 resolution.

...but 1280x800 isn't that popular. Only the 3D labs wilcat cards list it as a supported resolution. And they start at $3150 Canadian (about $2000 USD)....

3DLabs Wildcat VP cards can be had for as low as US$300 or so (but I'm not sure if that model supports 1280x800 out of the box or not). You can use the Powerstrip utility that many have been mentioning to add custom resolutions to any video card that it supports (and it's a lot cheaper than buying a specialty video card just for the purpose).

 

[Afro000Dude]

Wrong! 1280x1024 is a 5:4 resolution, and it only looks right (despite what many ignorant ones around here claim) on native 5:4 displays (like most 17, 18, and 19 inch LCDs). CRTs, which are almost always native 4:3 displays, should use 1280x960, which is a true 4:3 resolution

jliechty beat me to it. I knew the 4:3 ratio and could not understand the 5:4 ratio. I run 1280x960 on my CRT, and I could never figure out why people ran 1280x1024. I forgot that other people have LCDs. 😀

 

[Auric]

Why would a 5:3 resolution "look right" on an LCD unless all of the screen is not utilized? Just because 1280x1024 is a common native resolution on LCD's does not mean it is not a distorted image.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Auric
Why would a 5:3 resolution "look right" on an LCD unless all of the screen is not utilized? Just because 1280x1024 is a common native resolution on LCD's does not mean it is not a distorted image.

Every 17 inch (except for SGI 1600SW LCD), 18 inch, and 19 inch LCD that I have ever heard of is built with a width / height ratio of 5:4; thus, it is imperative to use a 5:4 resolution to get the proper display. If you want proof, look at a 17 inch LCD next to a 19 inch CRT. The LCD will be of different proportions.

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: jliechty

Originally posted by: Auric
Why would a 5:3 resolution "look right" on an LCD unless all of the screen is not utilized? Just because 1280x1024 is a common native resolution on LCD's does not mean it is not a distorted image.

Every 17 inch (except for SGI 1600SW LCD), 18 inch, and 19 inch LCD that I have ever heard of is built with a width / height ratio of 5:4; thus, it is imperative to use a 5:4 resolution to get the proper display. If you want proof, look at a 17 inch LCD next to a 19 inch CRT. The LCD will be of different proportions.

Samsung has a 16:10 1280x800 17" screen. It's the 172W. I have the 172T though, which is the 5:4 version at 1280x1024 and costs a lot less.

 

[Auric]

What do you mean by "proper display"? Sure a 5:3 resolution needs to be used to match a 5:3 LCD screen because otherwise it will just look blurry. But that does not make 5:3 an accurate proportion for normal use.

 

[rbV5]

Sure a 5:3 resolution needs to be used to match a 5:3 LCD screen because otherwise it will just look blurry. But that does not make 5:3 an accurate proportion for normal use.

No, it doesn't just look blurry, it distorts the objects being displayed. Using a resolution with a different aspect ratio than the display device distorts the picture being displayed.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Auric
What do you mean by "proper display"? Sure a 5:3 resolution needs to be used to match a 5:3 LCD screen because otherwise it will just look blurry. But that does not make 5:3 an accurate proportion for normal use.

On a LCD with a 5:4 (note, it's not 5:3) aspect ratio, you must use its native resolution (a 5:4 resolution) to have things appear normally. They will also be in the correct proportion, because the aspect ratios of the display device and resolution are matched. On a 4:3 CRT, you must use a 4:3 resolution for the proportions to be correct. Have you still not got it?

 

[Auric]

I must stop sniffing glue. I don't know why I started typing 5:3. Anyhoo, I apparently still do not get it 'cause as far as I know all games do not have 1280x1024 mode so it will still be distorted when you have to choose a normal resolution.