• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

TV to PC question

A

Atheus

Diamond Member
I've hooked my new HTPC up to the TV and almost everything works, which is great, but there's a bit of a display problem.

---PIC---

In 'normal' operation only a square section of the screen is used to show the desktop as shown in fig.1 - this perfectly is fine, I don't need a widescreen desktop. The problem is that when I play a full screen video it uses an even smaller section of the screen as shown in fig.2... this is less fine.

I am running 640*480 because I assumed this was my only option - I don't have HDTV. It seems to think that the center section of the screen is all that is available to it and so when I switch to a widescreen digital TV signal it shrinks the whole thing down to fit. Do I need to choose a larger resolution? Are widescreen TV signals not 640*480? Or is it just something in 'video overlay' options?

ASUS M2NPV-VM with onboard 6150 graphics and the latest forceware installed.

Thanks for any help.
 
We need to know your TV before we can be very helpful.

Do you have a wide screen EDTV or what do you have exactly?
 
Originally posted by: krotchy
We need to know your TV before we can be very helpful.

Do you have a wide screen EDTV or what do you have exactly?
Click to expand...

I don't know much about TVs so be prepared...

It's a JVC AV32T25EK or AV28T25EK - the manual is for both and I'm not sure which we have. It's a kinda old CRT but it's 30" and has S-Video input. It's not HD.

It is widescreen but I have no idea what EDTV means... I don't see anything like that in the specs section of the manual.

That help?
 
i have a non-hd tv hooked up to my pc - running at 1280x1024 in the options on the nvidia TV-out panel - it doesn't display 1280x1024 obviously, but it fills the screen nicely
 
640x480 is 4:3, so it will assume your display is not widescreen and will display accordingly. It's displaying the way a DVD player would attempt to display 16:9 on a 4:3 display. Are you running through the S-Video? Do you have an RGB input?
 
What you are seeing is the result of widescreen format video sent out in a 4:3 letterbox resolution. The problem could originate from the source material or it could be improper resolution settings for your TV
 
Originally posted by: Slammy1
640x480 is 4:3, so it will assume your display is not widescreen and will display accordingly.
Click to expand...

So are widescreen SDTV signals not 640*480? What are they?

It's displaying the way a DVD player would attempt to display 16:9 on a 4:3 display.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Are you running through the S-Video? Do you have an RGB input?
Click to expand...

Yes I'm running through s-video. I have that, plus scart in/out, plus composite video/audio in.

Do I need to select a different resolution? Whatever res I select it only uses the center section of the screen...

 
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
The problem could originate from the source material or it could be improper resolution settings for your TV
Click to expand...

So that would narrow it down how? 😉
 
You mean playing the video from your pc, right?

You're going to need to output a widescreen desktop to get one, and videos played will go to the monitor based on the same settings as the desktop (so if it thinks it has a 4:3 monitor, it will output for 4:3). I don't know for sure what the tv or your video card are capable of, but 1280x720 will fill the screen if it will output properly.

EDTV is something like 852x480.
 
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
What's the resolution of the video you are playing? Try playing a fullscreen DVD if you haven't
Click to expand...

I don't really know the resolution... I assumed it was 640*480... I don't think I have EDTV or HDTV.

What's the resolution of a standard widescreen DVD? Or a widescreen DVB TV signal? Both of those play in a letterbox as shown in the pic.

I'm gonna have another play around with the thing now, look at the BIOS settings as suggested earlier, and try some different resolutions.
 
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
What's the resolution of the video you are playing? Try playing a fullscreen DVD if you haven't
Click to expand...

I don't really know the resolution... I assumed it was 640*480... I don't think I have EDTV or HDTV.

What's the resolution of a standard widescreen DVD? Or a widescreen DVB TV signal? Both of those play in a letterbox as shown in the pic.

I'm gonna have another play around with the thing now, look at the BIOS settings as suggested earlier, and try some different resolutions.
Click to expand...

I believe that's exactly how it should be displayed. The S-Video connection cannot transmit a widescreen image, so you get the letterbox effect on your widescreen TV.
 
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
What's the resolution of the video you are playing? Try playing a fullscreen DVD if you haven't
Click to expand...

I don't really know the resolution... I assumed it was 640*480... I don't think I have EDTV or HDTV.

What's the resolution of a standard widescreen DVD? Or a widescreen DVB TV signal? Both of those play in a letterbox as shown in the pic.

I'm gonna have another play around with the thing now, look at the BIOS settings as suggested earlier, and try some different resolutions.
Click to expand...

I believe that's exactly how it should be displayed. The S-Video connection cannot transmit a widescreen image, so you get the letterbox effect on your widescreen TV.
Click to expand...

Really? Why not?

Should I go for composite then?
 
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
What's the resolution of the video you are playing? Try playing a fullscreen DVD if you haven't
Click to expand...

I don't really know the resolution... I assumed it was 640*480... I don't think I have EDTV or HDTV.

What's the resolution of a standard widescreen DVD? Or a widescreen DVB TV signal? Both of those play in a letterbox as shown in the pic.

I'm gonna have another play around with the thing now, look at the BIOS settings as suggested earlier, and try some different resolutions.
Click to expand...

I believe that's exactly how it should be displayed. The S-Video connection cannot transmit a widescreen image, so you get the letterbox effect on your widescreen TV.
Click to expand...

Really? Why not?

Should I go for composite then?
Click to expand...

Composite would be worse. Now that I think about it....I think I am wrong. Have you tried setting your secondary display(TV) to a 16:9 resolution in the control panel?
 
Originally posted by: PurdueRyHave you tried setting your secondary display(TV) to a 16:9 resolution in the control panel?
Click to expand...

No, good idea, i'll try now.

Not sure I saw anything like that last time i looked though.
 
I've been messing around with the TV settings (with the TV remote, not in windows control panel) and it works reasonably well if I set it to 'panoramic' display mode, although it still cuts off bits at the top and bottom. What I really want is 'full' mode which uses the entire screen, but that stretches the picture left and right.

It's also warped at the edges... maybe there's a pincushion setting like an old CRT monitor.
 
Originally posted by: Atheus
Where would that be in the control panel? I can't see it.
Click to expand...

Just go to your desktop...right click....properties....settings and choose the second display adapter(secondary output) and choose a widescreen resolution
 
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Originally posted by: Atheus
Where would that be in the control panel? I can't see it.
Click to expand...

Just go to your desktop...right click....properties....settings and choose the second display adapter(secondary output) and choose a widescreen resolution
Click to expand...

Oh right, just normally.

Yea I'm running 720*480 at the moment which looks ok in panoramic mode, but panoramic mode does not fill the entire screen...

It's also not 16:9... is this a problem?
 
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Originally posted by: Atheus
Where would that be in the control panel? I can't see it.
Click to expand...

Just go to your desktop...right click....properties....settings and choose the second display adapter(secondary output) and choose a widescreen resolution
Click to expand...

Oh right, just normally.

Yea I'm running 720*480 at the moment which looks ok in panoramic mode, but panoramic mode does not fill the entire screen...

It's also not 16:9... is this a problem?
Click to expand...

Yeah it should pretty much fill the screen(there can be some gaps) and you should set it to exactly 16:9 resolution
 
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Originally posted by: Atheus
Where would that be in the control panel? I can't see it.
Click to expand...

Just go to your desktop...right click....properties....settings and choose the second display adapter(secondary output) and choose a widescreen resolution
Click to expand...

Oh right, just normally.

Yea I'm running 720*480 at the moment which looks ok in panoramic mode, but panoramic mode does not fill the entire screen...

It's also not 16:9... is this a problem?
Click to expand...

Yeah it should pretty much fill the screen(there can be some gaps) and you should set it to exactly 16:9 resolution
Click to expand...

There isn't a 16:9 resolution listed unfortunately 🙁 I got 640*480, 720*480, 1024*768, and a couple of other smaller ones.

I guess that's my problem - could be the cheap 6150 graphics, I dunno.

It does look reasonable in panoramic mode though with 720*480, and a little zoom, so I might have to stick with what I've got for now. I know it's not distorted either because I drew a perfect circle in photoshop and it remained perfect on the TV.

Thanks PurdueRy.

 
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Originally posted by: Atheus
Where would that be in the control panel? I can't see it.
Click to expand...

Just go to your desktop...right click....properties....settings and choose the second display adapter(secondary output) and choose a widescreen resolution
Click to expand...

Oh right, just normally.

Yea I'm running 720*480 at the moment which looks ok in panoramic mode, but panoramic mode does not fill the entire screen...

It's also not 16:9... is this a problem?
Click to expand...

Yeah it should pretty much fill the screen(there can be some gaps) and you should set it to exactly 16:9 resolution
Click to expand...

There isn't a 16:9 resolution listed unfortunately 🙁 I got 640*480, 720*480, 1024*768, and a couple of other smaller ones.

I guess that's my problem - could be the cheap 6150 graphics, I dunno.

It does look reasonable in panoramic mode though with 720*480, and a little zoom, so I might have to stick with what I've got for now. I know it's not distorted either because I drew a perfect circle in photoshop and it remained perfect on the TV.

Thanks PurdueRy.
Click to expand...

In my ATI drivers there is a option for "Video Mode" or "Overscan mode". That might take off the gaps on the side of your screen if you have a similar option in the Nvidia drivers. I can't check it because I don't have access to computer with Nvidia graphics. Might be worth looking into.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top