How can you watch a DVD on an LCD? Sucks?

[VBboy]

I am considering purchasing a 18" LCD (most likely, the Samsung 181T).

The native resolution of this and most other 18" and 19" LCDs is 1280x1024. This comes out to be a ratio of 5/4. However, the standard DVD ratio is 4/3 (e.g. with 1024x768). So the picture will be stretched out vertically on a 18" and 19" LCDs. Is there any way around this problem?

I hope I haven't confused anyone with the math I just don't want to buy an LCD and not be able to watch movies on it because things look "stretched out" (e.g. a person's face being too "long"). Is there any way around this problem, other than running the monitor at 1024x768? Do any monitors offer "wide screen" mode, where they simply won't stretch the image vertically onto the screen?

Thanks!

 

[joeryu]

i think most LCD's with a native resolution of 1280x1024 wont have distortion because their physical dimensions fit in to the 5:4 ratio. on my cuz's 17" lcd, 1280x1024 looks perfect, and other 4:3 resolutions look out of shape. i measured the size of the LCD with a ruler and it came out to a 5:4 ratio, so there was no distortion. CRT's however look distorted with 1280x1024 because CRT's measure 4:3. i dunno if i'm to clear or not...but hope it helps.

 

[acejj26]

there'll be black bars on the top and the bottom of the picture...the software shouldn't rescale the picture to be full screen...if it does, then it'll look bad....but if not, you'll see a nice clear image

 

[Gosharkss]

Also TV's are gamma corretced for better colors. Most computer monitors are not gamma corrected. The only monitor I know of that does gamma correction is the Sharp LL18020.

 

[Hender]

I just finished "A Beautiful Mind" on my laptop not 20 minutes ago, and it worked just fine. The problem with laptops is not quality (it looks better on my laptop than my desktop), but rather angle and distance. On my desktop with my 19" monitor at 1280x1024 resolution, I can watch it across the room with no problems, but on my laptopp with the same resoltuion I have to be fairly close because the picture washes out and the colors change at a distance or at different angles. Laptops are great for watching DVDs up close if you have a nice pair of headphones, but DVDs suck if you're on a couch watching them on an LCD across the room.

 

[zephyrprime]

DVD players I use just stick a black space on the top and bottom to compensate for the aspect ratio incompatabilities.

 

[RemyCanad]

I know of no DVD player or DVD software that automaticaly stretches the screen. I don't even know if most player even let you stretch the screen.

 

[VBboy]

Cool.

Thanks to all who responded. You've been most helpful. Thanks for helping me to justify my future $900 purchase

 

[UlricT]

I know of no DVD player or DVD software that automaticaly stretches the screen. I don't even know if most player even let you stretch the screen.

Ummm.... I seem to have that problem with PowerDVD XP. It stretches the output to the monitor, and the faces look long, as VBboy was fearin. Maybe its some setting in the program, as i havent really looked into it. I just settled for Windows Media Player, as it works without hassle. ( Even though you dont get the more advanced docoding options!!)

 

[RemyCanad]

Hmm I am building a new computer for my friend and his graphics card came with a copy of powerDVD XP and he got a LCD for it. I guess I will see what happens. I have used powerDVD on my CRT and have not noticed any stretching... but it is a crt and not an LCD wich it in question.

 

[Judgement]

I watched a dvd at a buddy of mines, he ordered a gateway (ugh!) and the package came with a 17 inch LCD, and it was horrible to watch... he was really disappointed.

On the other hand at CompUSA when I was in NYC they had a dvd movie playing on a Samsung 170T and the picture was just as good as my CRT.

 

[SocrPlyr]

UlricT
your problem might be that it is automatically set in powerdvd xp to resize the resolution to 1024x768 when playing a certain ratio... all you have to do is set it to the resolution of the monitor and it should work out ok... actually when i finally get my mobo and case i'll let you know (i have everything else already... including my planar 17.4) i did hook this monitor up to this computer and it worked flawlessly... but i am too lazy to get everything out and hook it all up

Josh