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Gaming on a widescreen monitor

J

jjones

Lifer
Just curious about something. Many monitors these days seem to be widescreen and I was wondering how games appear on these monitors when the game resolution options are limited to 4:3.

Does the game display stretch to fit, or does a widescreen have the ability to black out the sides, sort of the opposite of letterbox on a standard tv?

If it stretches, how does it look?

Probably a stupid question, but I'm in the market for a new monitor and thinking widescreen, but am wondering about how this works out with available gaming resolutions.
 
Most decent WS monitors will let you manually switch to 4:3 if the game does not support WS. Some games are playable even when they are stretched. I prefer to stretch racing games that dont has a WS setting.
 
Depends on the game, most modern ones support WS resolutions -- except for some EA games, from what I hear (jeez how cheap can you be... I was looking at buying Tiger Woods 2007 but not if they refuse to spend 0.25 man hours supporting a new and growing standard... assholes). There are workarounds for most non-supported games, check out http://www.widescreengamingforum.com Then there are a few stubborn titles (Starcraft :|) that you have to either stretch, or cut off the top & bottom. I didn't know you could force 4:3 on some monitors as Oyeve said, I'll have to see if my monitor supports that, thanks for the idea.
 
On my notebook, the nvidia drivers allow you to use "Nvidia Scaling with Fixed Aspect Ratio" to make it not look stretched.


Forcing a 4:3 image to "stretch" to fill a widescreen display makes for a horrible looking image. On any sizable display.......
 
Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
On my notebook, the nvidia drivers allow you to use "Nvidia Scaling with Fixed Aspect Ratio" to make it not look stretched.
Click to expand...

As Schade said, nVidia has support to add the black bars into the screen if your monitor does not (some LCDs support showing the exact resolution unstretched).
 
Originally posted by: Aikouka
Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
On my notebook, the nvidia drivers allow you to use "Nvidia Scaling with Fixed Aspect Ratio" to make it not look stretched.
Click to expand...

As Schade said, nVidia has support to add the black bars into the screen if your monitor does not (some LCDs support showing the exact resolution unstretched).
Click to expand...

my dell 2005fpw works that way.
 
I almost forgot about this thread. Thanks for the info. I'll have to check out if my vid card supports the 4:3 res conversion on widescreen monitor. That would be nice if it does.
 
Yesterday I bought 22 inches WS LCD monitor and I am able to play EA Madden 2007 game. It looks nice. Not sure why people hate EA games so much.
 
Originally posted by: Rottie
Yesterday I bought 22 inches WS LCD monitor and I am able to play EA Madden 2007 game. It looks nice. Not sure why people hate EA games so much.
Click to expand...

You bought one of the EA games that support WS. Many don't; EA seems to think it's often a corner worth cutting.
 
I have yet to encounter a game that doesn't support WS from the past year or so (note the I, as in I don't play everything). Even then, my monitor will allow my to do 1:1 pixel mapping, so no biggy.
 
Originally posted by: CKent
Depends on the game, most modern ones support WS resolutions -- except for some EA games, from what I hear (jeez how cheap can you be... I was looking at buying Tiger Woods 2007 but not if they refuse to spend 0.25 man hours supporting a new and growing standard... assholes). There are workarounds for most non-supported games, check out http://www.widescreengamingforum.com Then there are a few stubborn titles (Starcraft :|) that you have to either stretch, or cut off the top & bottom. I didn't know you could force 4:3 on some monitors as Oyeve said, I'll have to see if my monitor supports that, thanks for the idea.
Click to expand...

I will never buy another game from the EA ass*#$ until it gets its sh^t together as far as w/s is concerned.

Back to the OP's question.
Yes as many have pointed out, w/s is now hitting mainstream so will all the modern games.
4:3 is a dinosaur.
Do not buy a dinosaur unless you're Jurassic fan. 😀
 
The option to use Nvidia's fixed aspect ratio scaling isnt in the control panel? where can i find this option? I know it should be there but it isnt.
 
Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
On my notebook, the nvidia drivers allow you to use "Nvidia Scaling with Fixed Aspect Ratio" to make it not look stretched.


Forcing a 4:3 image to "stretch" to fill a widescreen display makes for a horrible looking image. On any sizable display.......
Click to expand...

I was so disgusted with WC3 stretched into WS when I first got my WS monitor, then after a week or two of playing when I finally realized I could force it into 4:3 I couldn't handle the normal resolution anymore. Now I actually enjoy it stretched, I've gotten so used to it. 😛
 
Originally posted by: specWB
The option to use Nvidia's fixed aspect ratio scaling isnt in the control panel? where can i find this option? I know it should be there but it isnt.
Click to expand...

I had the same problem, here's how you fix it:
-Under display, go to manage custom resolutions
-uncheck treat as HDTV
-click apply
-there should be a new option called change flat panel scaling
-go there and check use NVIDIA scaling with fixed aspect ratio
 
Hm, the only thing i have under display, if you are refering to the one on the menu bar or what ever it is, is identify monitors. It is not on the thing on the left side either. im am getting kindof annoyed since it seems like i have a disfunctional control panel. i am using the 163.11 beta drivers if that makes a difference.
 
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