Screw widescreen monitors....I want my non-WS back!!

[nOOky]

Originally posted by: cheap

Originally posted by: nOOky

Originally posted by: quattro1

Originally posted by: nOOky
Some dvd's also do this, and it means instead of showing the video in it's original widescreen aspect ratio, it is cropping it for the still-average 4:3 aspect television. That is what I was complaining about.

Heh, that means you are buying the wrong DVD ;-p
Read the package before you buy!

I never buy dvd's, I rent them. And sometime you gots to take whatever they have on the shelf.

Look for the DVD box to say "Wide Screen" on top instead of "Full Screen". I rent in Hollywood Video and they usually stock both versions. Have to be carefull which one you grab off the shelf since they all sit side by side. And another thing, some DVDs will have both versions on the same disk just different sides, if you get that kind make sure you use the right side. It would be a bummer to blow couple Gs on an HDTV set and have to watch cropped DVDs which is in turn get stretched back to full screen.

Sheesh, I know some dvd's are available in both formats. I'm not a noob at audio and video equipment. I just don't run all over town to find widescreen movies. If they are there great, if not I don't waste the gas going to the next place that has it in stock. Some movies are only available in the pan and scan format also. You'd be suprised at how many movies are not dolby digital or dts also, but let's not get into that.

 

[nitromullet]

You have it backwards... You don't return your WS LCD because some slack ass developers don't support it, you don't buy the games... WS isn't exactly 'cutting edge' anymore. I simply won't accept (or buy) games that can't run WS properly.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: nitromullet
You have it backwards... You don't return your WS LCD because some slack ass developers don't support it, you don't buy the games... WS isn't exactly 'cutting edge' anymore. I simply won't accept (or buy) games that can't run WS properly.

Thats sort of my opinion as well, and it definately is for new games. Its not like its really asking a lot to stick some resolution options in the option panel.

But with old games, you're sort of stuck. Some of them have tricks, but others I'd be happy to run with fixed aspect ratio scaling.

 

[apoppin]

i am *done* with old games
:disgust:

WS is the future ... no more looking back to '99

 

[Trell]

This reminds me of having to write custom .bat files just to get games to run.

 

[Starbuck1975]

By 1:1 pixel mapping, I assume you all mean that even on a widescreen monitor, you can scale games to 4:3 and simply play with black bars on the side for unused screen real estate.

More and more games are supporting WS, so I don't think this will be a problem say a year from now.

Given that I am playing most games in 4:3 aspect anyway, I dont necessarily have a problem continuing to play those games in 4:3, with unused space on my WS monitor.

Given that I am considering going at least 22" on a WS monitor, even at 4:3, and with wasted real estate, I will still have a larger gaming view area than on my current CRT.

 

[Matt2]

Originally posted by: Starbuck1975
By 1:1 pixel mapping, I assume you all mean that even on a widescreen monitor, you can scale games to 4:3 and simply play with black bars on the side for unused screen real estate.

More and more games are supporting WS, so I don't think this will be a problem say a year from now.

Given that I am playing most games in 4:3 aspect anyway, I dont necessarily have a problem continuing to play those games in 4:3, with unused space on my WS monitor.

Given that I am considering going at least 22" on a WS monitor, even at 4:3, and with wasted real estate, I will still have a larger gaming view area than on my current CRT.

AFAIK there arent any 22" TN panels that support 1:1 pixel mapping.

1:1 pixel mapping is something that I will never give up.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Matt2

Originally posted by: Starbuck1975
By 1:1 pixel mapping, I assume you all mean that even on a widescreen monitor, you can scale games to 4:3 and simply play with black bars on the side for unused screen real estate.

More and more games are supporting WS, so I don't think this will be a problem say a year from now.

Given that I am playing most games in 4:3 aspect anyway, I dont necessarily have a problem continuing to play those games in 4:3, with unused space on my WS monitor.

Given that I am considering going at least 22" on a WS monitor, even at 4:3, and with wasted real estate, I will still have a larger gaming view area than on my current CRT.

AFAIK there arent any 22" TN panels that support 1:1 pixel mapping.

1:1 pixel mapping is something that I will never give up.

why? ... i didn't even consider it when i got my cheapie 19" WS
:Q

all the new games - at least the ones i care to play - support WS

the old games look terrible, anyway - pre-Q3 is fUgly on ANY screen

if i Missed it, well then i missed it

you can't get *everything* in this short life

so *Why* do i need 1:1 pixel mapping? -- this one becomes my 2nd monitor when i really upgrade to a higher resolution screen

'sell' it to me ... i can still exchange my LCD

 

[SlowSpyder]

the old games look terrible, anyway - pre-Q3 is fUgly on ANY screen

Not all of use play games just for the graphics. That being said, I still love my TN, and Diablo II doesn't even look bad on it.

<hugs Sega Genesis>

 

[KeithTalent]

The only game I have really had issues with is DeusEx: IW, I just can't quite get it to feel right. I feel like I am playing through a fishbowl.

KT

 

[Starbuck1975]

AFAIK there arent any 22" TN panels that support 1:1 pixel mapping.

I thought the Samsung 226BW and LG 226W both support 1:1 pixel mapping?

So if I am incorrect that these monitors support 1:1 pixel mapping, what are the implications if I try to play a game that does not already have widescreen support?

 

[Matt2]

Originally posted by: Starbuck1975

AFAIK there arent any 22" TN panels that support 1:1 pixel mapping.

I thought the Samsung 226BW and LG 226W both support 1:1 pixel mapping?

So if I am incorrect that these monitors support 1:1 pixel mapping, what are the implications if I try to play a game that does not already have widescreen support?

I honestly don't know if the Samsung and LG suuport 1:1 pixel mapping, that's why I said "AFAIK".

You'll have to get someone with either of those monitors to confirm that.

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: Matt2

Originally posted by: Starbuck1975
By 1:1 pixel mapping, I assume you all mean that even on a widescreen monitor, you can scale games to 4:3 and simply play with black bars on the side for unused screen real estate.

More and more games are supporting WS, so I don't think this will be a problem say a year from now.

Given that I am playing most games in 4:3 aspect anyway, I dont necessarily have a problem continuing to play those games in 4:3, with unused space on my WS monitor.

Given that I am considering going at least 22" on a WS monitor, even at 4:3, and with wasted real estate, I will still have a larger gaming view area than on my current CRT.

AFAIK there arent any 22" TN panels that support 1:1 pixel mapping.

1:1 pixel mapping is something that I will never give up.

why? ... i didn't even consider it when i got my cheapie 19" WS
:Q

all the new games - at least the ones i care to play - support WS

the old games look terrible, anyway - pre-Q3 is fUgly on ANY screen

if i Missed it, well then i missed it

you can't get *everything* in this short life

so *Why* do i need 1:1 pixel mapping? -- this one becomes my 2nd monitor when i really upgrade to a higher resolution screen

'sell' it to me ... i can still exchange my LCD

1:1 pixel mapping allows the monitor to display content in it's original form without scaling.

For example, if you want to run BF2 at a WS resolution, how would you achieve that? You'd go to the widescreen gaming forum and find out how to hack the .cfg and adjust the resolution that way. But if the game doesnt natively support WS then you're not *really* getting a WS resolution. You may be seeing a WS screen picture, but the game is just stretching it's original 4:3 or 5:4 resolutions to fit the 16:10 screen.

It's the same as watching standard definition 4:3 content on a 16:9 HDTV. The picture is filling the entire screen, but it's still only 4:3 picture that the TV is stretching. That's why everyone looks fat and distorted compared to a regular 4:3 SDTV.

If you have 1:1 pixel mapping, you can defeat this deficiency, but it will cost you black bars.

When I play Xbox 360 on my 24" 1920x1200 with 1:1 pixel mapping enabled, I actually have 2 small blacks bars at the top and bottom of my screen. THis is because the Xbox isnt outputting 1920x1200, but 1920x1080 (1080p). If I didnt have 1:1 pixel mapping, it would still be outputting 1920x1080, but I would be looking at a 1920x1200 picture that has been stretched vertically to fit the screen.

The same is true when playing PC games. If I want to run a game that doesnt support WS out of the box, I dont even really have to hack the game to display a WS resolution. I can play at 1600x1200 with black bars on the left and right and the picture i am seeing will look just as good as it would on a 1600x1200 native resolution LCD.

This is also extremely useful when I'm playing a PC game that requires more horsepower than my GFX card can provide when running at 1920x1200. I can drop the resolution down to any resolution I want and not sacrifice IQ.

Say I wanted to play GRAW on my system, but at 1920x1200 the game brings my system to it's knees. So I drop the resolution down to 1680x1050. Normally, running a game at a lower resolution than your LCDs native res will look like crap. But with 1:1 pixel mapping I'm not looking at a full screen stretched mess. I'll be looking at a native 1680x1050 picture but with black bars on top and on the sides.

Hope that helps apoppin, hope I didnt confuse you.

 

[gramboh]

Originally posted by: apoppin


why? ... i didn't even consider it when i got my cheapie 19" WS
:Q

all the new games - at least the ones i care to play - support WS

the old games look terrible, anyway - pre-Q3 is fUgly on ANY screen

if i Missed it, well then i missed it

you can't get *everything* in this short life

so *Why* do i need 1:1 pixel mapping? -- this one becomes my 2nd monitor when i really upgrade to a higher resolution screen

'sell' it to me ... i can still exchange my LCD

I just bought a Dell 2407WFP the other day (on sale for $649CDN shipped). The new revision A04 supports 1:1 pixel mapping at all resolutions. This is important to me because some online FPS games (CS 1.6, DOD 1.3) do not allow you to play in 16:10 widescreen as it gives an unfair advantage over 4:3 users. This is because you can see more of the map/playing field (horizontally) than the 4:3 users (e.g. 1920 lines for a 16:10 display vs. 1600 lines for a 4:3 display).

Because of 1:1 pixel mapping, for these games I will play at 1600x1200 with black bars on the side. Also this is useful for games that don't support WS properly, as stretching a 4:3 image to 16:10 looks ugly. I know because with my HDTV watching any SD television at 4:3 stretched out looks terrible, it's much better to have the bars on the side.

This is my first foray into having an LCD for desktop and gaming as well as widescreen (other than my HDTV with Xbox and Wii). I'm hoping it goes well.

 

[quattro1]

Originally posted by: nOOky
Sheesh, I know some dvd's are available in both formats. I'm not a noob at audio and video equipment. I just don't run all over town to find widescreen movies. If they are there great, if not I don't waste the gas going to the next place that has it in stock. Some movies are only available in the pan and scan format also. You'd be suprised at how many movies are not dolby digital or dts also, but let's not get into that.

Ok, then I don't know what your original complaint was. You know you are not getting the widescreen version yet it is available, so what's the issue?
Also seems you are watching a really old movie if you think they are only available in 4:3 or without DD and DTS. But anyway, we've jump off topic ;-p

 

[Raduque]

Star Wars: Empire at War supports widescreen

 

[Atlantean]

Stop playing old games... or do a bit of research and use workarounds/solutions that other people have found. Or you could just set your display to 4:3 for those games... doesn't really make sense to give up on widescreen for old games that were made before widescreen monitors were mainstream. Most games now support widescreen resolutions...

 

[Starbuck1975]

If I were to purchase a WS LCD without 1:1 pixel mapping, would the nvidia control panel enable me to run in 4:3 at non-native resolutions?

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Matt2

Originally posted by: Starbuck1975

AFAIK there arent any 22" TN panels that support 1:1 pixel mapping.

I thought the Samsung 226BW and LG 226W both support 1:1 pixel mapping?

So if I am incorrect that these monitors support 1:1 pixel mapping, what are the implications if I try to play a game that does not already have widescreen support?

I honestly don't know if the Samsung and LG suuport 1:1 pixel mapping, that's why I said "AFAIK".

You'll have to get someone with either of those monitors to confirm that.

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: Matt2

Originally posted by: Starbuck1975
By 1:1 pixel mapping, I assume you all mean that even on a widescreen monitor, you can scale games to 4:3 and simply play with black bars on the side for unused screen real estate.

More and more games are supporting WS, so I don't think this will be a problem say a year from now.

Given that I am playing most games in 4:3 aspect anyway, I dont necessarily have a problem continuing to play those games in 4:3, with unused space on my WS monitor.

Given that I am considering going at least 22" on a WS monitor, even at 4:3, and with wasted real estate, I will still have a larger gaming view area than on my current CRT.

AFAIK there arent any 22" TN panels that support 1:1 pixel mapping.

1:1 pixel mapping is something that I will never give up.

why? ... i didn't even consider it when i got my cheapie 19" WS
:Q

all the new games - at least the ones i care to play - support WS

the old games look terrible, anyway - pre-Q3 is fUgly on ANY screen

if i Missed it, well then i missed it

you can't get *everything* in this short life

so *Why* do i need 1:1 pixel mapping? -- this one becomes my 2nd monitor when i really upgrade to a higher resolution screen

'sell' it to me ... i can still exchange my LCD

1:1 pixel mapping allows the monitor to display content in it's original form without scaling.

For example, if you want to run BF2 at a WS resolution, how would you achieve that? You'd go to the widescreen gaming forum and find out how to hack the .cfg and adjust the resolution that way. But if the game doesnt natively support WS then you're not *really* getting a WS resolution. You may be seeing a WS screen picture, but the game is just stretching it's original 4:3 or 5:4 resolutions to fit the 16:10 screen.

It's the same as watching standard definition 4:3 content on a 16:9 HDTV. The picture is filling the entire screen, but it's still only 4:3 picture that the TV is stretching. That's why everyone looks fat and distorted compared to a regular 4:3 SDTV.

If you have 1:1 pixel mapping, you can defeat this deficiency, but it will cost you black bars.

When I play Xbox 360 on my 24" 1920x1200 with 1:1 pixel mapping enabled, I actually have 2 small blacks bars at the top and bottom of my screen. THis is because the Xbox isnt outputting 1920x1200, but 1920x1080 (1080p). If I didnt have 1:1 pixel mapping, it would still be outputting 1920x1080, but I would be looking at a 1920x1200 picture that has been stretched vertically to fit the screen.

The same is true when playing PC games. If I want to run a game that doesnt support WS out of the box, I dont even really have to hack the game to display a WS resolution. I can play at 1600x1200 with black bars on the left and right and the picture i am seeing will look just as good as it would on a 1600x1200 native resolution LCD.

This is also extremely useful when I'm playing a PC game that requires more horsepower than my GFX card can provide when running at 1920x1200. I can drop the resolution down to any resolution I want and not sacrifice IQ.

Say I wanted to play GRAW on my system, but at 1920x1200 the game brings my system to it's knees. So I drop the resolution down to 1680x1050. Normally, running a game at a lower resolution than your LCDs native res will look like crap. But with 1:1 pixel mapping I'm not looking at a full screen stretched mess. I'll be looking at a native 1680x1050 picture but with black bars on top and on the sides.

Hope that helps apoppin, hope I didnt confuse you.

i don't confuse so easily

anyway, i read about it before and your added explanation is excellent
it allows you to change resolutions - without distorting the image - at the cost of black bars

you have *confirmed* that i don't need it ... thanks!
--since i run at a much lower resolution than you do, since i don't play online or old games, i can get by at half the price [admittedly with a lower quality screen, also]

i *might* consider it when i fully upgrade my system next year ... this budget 19" 14x9 is gonna be my 2nd monitor.

 

[Painman]

Originally posted by: Starbuck1975
If I were to purchase a WS LCD without 1:1 pixel mapping, would the nvidia control panel enable me to run in 4:3 at non-native resolutions?

If it's in the mood nVidia breaks that feature with every other release - save yourself the headache and buy a display with its own scaling, along with a VGA input for a secondary connection because when nVidia breaks the scaling, it locks your DVI input @ full aspect no matter what.

ATi needs to get with the program - CATALYST currently doesn't have aspect scaling at all.

 

[Starbuck1975]

So I guess the follow on question is that without 1:1 pixel mapping, if a game does not support WS, I can expect the stretching effect as the image adjusts to fill the WS.

Is 1:1 pixel mapping also required to run games at non native resolutions...say for instance I were to get a 24" LCD, and my GPU simply cannot handle running native resolution AND all the graphic bells and whistles on most games. With 1:1 pixel mapping, I assume I can scale down to a lower resolution, and while not using the full extent of my LCD real estate, at least be able to play the game until I can upgrade my GPU?

 

[apoppin]

yep

 

[Starbuck1975]

Great...now I just need to find an LCD with 1:1 pixel mapping capabilities.

 

[VooDooAddict]

I got lucky since I went with a large 1360x768 WS ... 1024x768 centered works for just about anything.

WS gaming forum is the best though.

 

[AnotherGuy]

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php?title=Master_Games_List_-_A

Thats the list of games with the hacks to change em to WS

 

[kmmatney]

Besides my 22" widescreen LCD in my sig, I also own a 20" non-widescreen which is a

awesome for games that can't go widescreen. I have the ViewSonic VG2021, but this one is just as good:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009086

It's a great mopnitor for $225 shipped, much better than a 19" widescreen.