Unable to get higher than 800x600 res on my TV

[ScissorClaw]

I have my computer set-up to output to my TV which is a RCA 29 incher. It's a goos TV, just bought it a year ago and XBOX looks fantastic on it. However, I have a TI4400 that will NOT output anyhogher than 800x600 to it. I hooked the rig up to a monitor yesterday and it allowed me to go all the way up to 2048xsomething or another, I forget, sorry. But the point is that the card does work correctly with a monitor plugged in. Does anybody have any ideas on how to force the higher res? I can't do some bechmarks or play some games because I get an openGL error when it looks for a higher res at startup. Ugh, it's driveing me crazy. Here are my specs....

Pentium 3.0C @ 3.25 (overclocking is not a problem because it didn't work at 3.0 either)
Asus P4C800-Deluxe
PNY TI4400 (not overclocked)
MCX4000 with a Vantec Tornado
Soundblaster Audigy2 platinum EX
Leadtek Winfast2000 Deluxe
Sony Dru-500

Okay, I think that about covers it. Any help would be mucho appreciado...

 

[vss1980]

TV output resolution is limited to a resolution 800x600, or if your lucky 1024x768. This is because TV's aren't designed for even that amount of pixels on the screen, so the lower quality of CRT used on TV's is main problem.

I do think some GF4 cards support 1024x768 tv output resolution, but I dont know which ones....... it all depends on the TV-out encoder used.

You may be able to tweak the resolution out of the card using something like TvTool if you know the card can do the higher resolution, otherwise your stuck with 800x600.

 

[MichaelZ]

depends on the TV. old analogs can barely do 640x480. flatscreens can do around 720x(...) and it's already very impressive that you are getting 800x600.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

my tv runs at 1024x768 no problem.

does your tv have svideo jacks? use those if it does.

JBLaze

 

[Mingon]

if you get a decent scan line coverter (vga-svideo) you can use higher resolutions, but in all honesty why bother. I use 800*600 on my 32"widescreen for general usage and games - I can got upto 1024*768, but the picture isnt as sharp and on halo I couldnt get 50fps solid at 1024*768 so I didnt bother (ati9600 pro @ 500/650) stick with 800*600 and increase aa/af.

 

[ScissorClaw]

Originally posted by: JonnyBlaze
my tv runs at 1024x768 no problem.

does your tv have svideo jacks? use those if it does.

JBLaze

I am using the s-video jack on the card straight into the s-video on the TV, so that won't help.

I will look to see if I can find this TVTool mentioned. As for purchasinga converter, It's really not that nig of a problem at the moment. The main things I can't get to run are PCMark2002 and "Call of Duty". Both look for the higher resolution at startup and when it can't find it, the ptogram crashes, as in PCMARK, or I get an OPENGL error as in COD. Maybe I'll ask for a converter for XMAS from my wife. The upside is that we are buying a new house and with that new house we are upgrading the TV to a Plasma HDTV (have no idea how I talked my wife into that one), so the problem should be moot in a couple of months. Assuming the card will see the new TV as an upgrade and allow the higer res.

Thanks for all the ideas guys. I always know I'll get some good leads here at Anandtech.

 

[vss1980]

Unlike most monitors, TV's have absolutely no communication back to the graphics card to inform them of their abilities.

The graphics card doesn't KNOW that your TV will or will not support a resolution of 1024x768, the graphics card just isn't giving you the option either because the drivers will not allow it to be set or because the TV encoder chip on the card doesn't allow it. I think PNY use the Connexant 871 TV-out chip which I think does support 1024x768 output. As far as the TV is concerned, it just receives a signal from the graphics card and even if the tv out signal was 640x480, or 800x600, the format of the signal is identical and still drives the TV in the same resolution (although the different resolutions will obviously change whats shown on the tv). With 1024x768 support, the TV encoder chip is basically squashing more information into this signal whilst not changing the normal native TV resolution at all - one reason why most people will say it looks more blurry, etc.

 

[InlineFive]

If you get a HDTV you can get even higher resolutions.

 

[JeremiahTheGreat]

When i had my GF2MX, the max TV output was 800 x 600, and there's nothing to the contrary that nVidia has increased this.

Radeon card however, do support 1024x768, but since the text is so small, its really only useful for games and movies.

 

[Peter]

As a reminder, an NTSC TV _never_ actually displays more than 480 lines, and about 320 distinguishable pixels per line. Unlike on monitors, the TV signal properties are a given - 480 lines split in two interlaced half frames, 15 kHz line frequency, around 6~7 MHz pixel frequency.

So when you set your graphics card to a higher resolution, then the signal gets interpolated and aliased down to this standard before even going out the SVideo plug toward the TV - because this output signal will always and ever have to contain an exact 525 lines (480 visible) at 15 kHz each, else the TV set will just show garbage, or not sync at all.

HDTV output is a different story - here, there are actually higher resolution modes.

 

[Viper96720]

Can't you set the applications your running to 800x600 then hook the TV up.