Gigabyte HD 4550 with 8.7 driver: problem with 2nd display and aspect ratio

[cheerful]

XP SP3

ATI_8.70_RC2_WinXP_Jan15

1280x1024 primary display, 1920x1080p second display, extended desktop

In full-screen theatre mode, 4:3 is stretched to 16:9 on HDTV

In full-screen theatre mode, 16:9 is compressed vertically, with black bars on the top and the bottom of the screen, looking like 4*16:3*9

I can't play back video on the 2nd display (not theatre mode) as it just get a black screen.

Any way to fix this? thx

 

[yh125d]

First of all, update your 2.5 year old drivers



Second, You're using a 4:3 computer monitor and also connected to your 16:9 TV? That's probably the problem, with a 4:3 monitor it may not be able to put 16"9 to the secondary at the same time. New drivers might enable this, but if not just switch your TV to "main" display whenever you're watching stuff on it. Sorta annoying, but it's pretty quick

 

[Lonyo]

Yes, fix it by changing the output of your video player.
Theater Mode AFAIK just does a clone, so you aren't ever going to be able to get it to work with both screens showing at their correct aspect ratio.

You should be able to output onto the secondary, but you might need to fiddle with your video player settings to make it work. Theater mode isn't ever going to let you run both monitors at native resolutions or aspect ratios.

 

[cheerful]

I used to have nVidia 6600 and Asus HD 4350 with the same setting and it works fine.

The driver is the latest from Gigabyte (dated 2010). ATI has more recent driver but my experience with non manufacturer driver has more issues.

 

[Lonyo]

What video player are you using, and have you tried any alternatives?

 

[cheerful]

MPC-HC

Last night I tried to upgrade to the latest ATI driver (10.x). It only gets worse -- if the HDTV is turned off and later turned back on, the display gets corrupted.

 

[yh125d]

Sometimes these companies and their naming of stuff makes me wanna punch an infant. I think "8.7 RC2 Jan 15" is actually 10.1 cats or something, so ignore my comment on old drivers

but I have a 4:3 secondary and 16:9 primary I will fool around with tonight