why 1280 x 1024 and not 1280 x 960?

[anthonysw1]

My question is, why do a lot of games, and a lot of hardware reviews, use 1280 by 1024 as one of the resolution choices? All of the other common resolutions have a 4 to 3 ratio, but 1280x1024 is 5 to 4. Doesn't everything look all scrunched if you play the game on that setting?

Sometimes games don't even offer 1152x864 or 1280x960 as resolution choices. Since my monitor won't support 1600x1200, I'm forced to choose between 1280x1024 and 1024x768. And I prefer something better than 1024x768 these days.

So does anyone really use 1280x1024, if so, why?

 

[beatle]

Many LCD users use 1280x1024 as their native resolution as the actual display is 5:4.

CRTs are 4:3 and would use 1280x960. I wish they'd use these resolutions as well.

 

[anthonysw1]

oh, ok. That explains it. Thanks.

 

[Fern]

So does anyone really use 1280x1024, if so, why?

Yeah, I used on my 22" cart. I didn't find it to look odd. Since I'm back to a 17" I use 10x7 or 11x8

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: Fern

So does anyone really use 1280x1024, if so, why?

Yeah, I used on my 22" cart. I didn't find it to look odd. Since I'm back to a 17" I use 10x7 or 11x8

Hmm I use a 17" CRT and it has 12x10 as an option...

 

[Alptraum]

I usually used 1280x1024 (nd sometimes 1600x1200) on my 21" and 22" CRTs (though of course 22" is mainly marketing as its the same viewable as 21", lol) and now use it on my 19" LCD. Its always been fine for me.

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: Mrvile

Originally posted by: Fern

So does anyone really use 1280x1024, if so, why?

Yeah, I used on my 22" cart. I didn't find it to look odd. Since I'm back to a 17" I use 10x7 or 11x8

Hmm I use a 17" CRT and it has 12x10 as an option...

Yeah, my 17" has it too. I guess it seems real small to me on the 17" after being on a 22" for so long

 

[Mrvile]

Yeah that's true...that's why I always run at 10 x 7

 

[McArra]

As a 17" LCD user I use 1280x1024. I don't see any strange looking, it looks very good to me.

 

[Gza]

What I find strange for me on my NEC-Mitsu DP930SB is that if I'm running 1280x1024, the res on my OSD appears accordingly. If I run at 1280x960, it doesn't. Any other res shows up. Does that mean 12x10 is "native" to it?

 

[piroroadkill]

The reason why 1280x1024 comes about is because for some perverted reason, LCD manufacturers decided to make 17", 18" and 19" desktop TFTs (for the most part) in this resolution.

It's not a standard 4:3 resolution and it's nasty. It means that that standard 4:3 wallpaper you downloaded will have borders or you will have to stretch it, it's just ick.

I'd rather they'd make the TFTs 1280x960 as mentioned in the title or 1400x1050, but then it's all down to preference.

It's also pointless since it's the only commonly used non-4:3 resolution (apart from Widescreens, which are 16:10, even more ick!, when they should be 16:9!), since 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x960, 1400x1050 and 1600x1200 are all standard 4:3 resolutions. *sigh*

 

[Peter]

1280x1024 LCD screens ARE 5:4 aspect ratio, so it's correct with those. On CRTs, it isn't.

However, back when all that stuff evolved, some airhead decided that the next step up from 1024x768 is to be 1280x1024, for whatever reason - possibly to not waste any of the two megabytes of display RAM these cards had.
CAD monitors of the time were carefully adjusted to have large left and right margins, in order to give the actual image the right aspect ratio. That was a lot of screen surface going to waste, and remember, those 20" monitors cost a fortune back then.

Strangely enough, despite this rather obvious stupidity, 1280x960 never caught on on CRTs, and that's answering your question, Gza: Monitors have geometry presets for and detect the standardized timings of the "usual" (VESA standardized) resolutions; non-standard resolutions like 1280x960 work just as well, it's only the monitor can't put a name to it. (Remember that CRTs don't receive pixels and lines, they receive an analog signal waveform. They can't actually count pixels nor lines. Mode "detection" is done by measuring horizontal and vertical sync pulse frequencies.)

 

[Gza]

Originally posted by: Peter
Strangely enough, despite this rather obvious stupidity, 1280x960 never caught on on CRTs, and that's answering your question, Gza: Monitors have geometry presets for and detect the standardized timings of the "usual" (VESA standardized) resolutions; non-standard resolutions like 1280x960 work just as well, it's only the monitor can't put a name to it. (Remember that CRTs don't receive pixels and lines, they receive an analog signal waveform. They can't actually count pixels nor lines. Mode "detection" is done by measuring horizontal and vertical sync pulse frequencies.)

Oh ok, makes more sense now. Was just pondering ever since on whether to run at 12x10 or 12x9 (been 12x9 ever since I found out about "it"). Guess I'm 100% decided now. Thanks.

 

[jer0608]

Originally posted by: Peter
1280x1024 LCD screens ARE 5:4 aspect ratio, so it's correct with those. On CRTs, it isn't.

However, back when all that stuff evolved, some airhead decided that the next step up from 1024x768 is to be 1280x1024, for whatever reason - possibly to not waste any of the two megabytes of display RAM these cards had.
CAD monitors of the time were carefully adjusted to have large left and right margins, in order to give the actual image the right aspect ratio. That was a lot of screen surface going to waste, and remember, those 20" monitors cost a fortune back then.

Strangely enough, despite this rather obvious stupidity, 1280x960 never caught on on CRTs, and that's answering your question, Gza: Monitors have geometry presets for and detect the standardized timings of the "usual" (VESA standardized) resolutions; non-standard resolutions like 1280x960 work just as well, it's only the monitor can't put a name to it. (Remember that CRTs don't receive pixels and lines, they receive an analog signal waveform. They can't actually count pixels nor lines. Mode "detection" is done by measuring horizontal and vertical sync pulse frequencies.)

So, do most current CRTs apply margins when 1280x1024 is selected? I just tried it out on my 19" work display (3-4 yr old Dell Trinitron on Nvidia Quadro2 PRO) and it creates black borders to maintain the correct aspect ratio. Would a newer model, like the Samsung Syncmaster 997DF I am considering, do the same or would it distort the image? Or does it depend on how the video card is configured?

 

[otispunkmeyer]

17inch lcd screen is a 5:4 ration isnt it hence native res of 12x10?

 

[imported_ewright]

Originally posted by: jer0608

Originally posted by: Peter
1280x1024 LCD screens ARE 5:4 aspect ratio, so it's correct with those. On CRTs, it isn't.

However, back when all that stuff evolved, some airhead decided that the next step up from 1024x768 is to be 1280x1024, for whatever reason - possibly to not waste any of the two megabytes of display RAM these cards had.
CAD monitors of the time were carefully adjusted to have large left and right margins, in order to give the actual image the right aspect ratio. That was a lot of screen surface going to waste, and remember, those 20" monitors cost a fortune back then.

Strangely enough, despite this rather obvious stupidity, 1280x960 never caught on on CRTs, and that's answering your question, Gza: Monitors have geometry presets for and detect the standardized timings of the "usual" (VESA standardized) resolutions; non-standard resolutions like 1280x960 work just as well, it's only the monitor can't put a name to it. (Remember that CRTs don't receive pixels and lines, they receive an analog signal waveform. They can't actually count pixels nor lines. Mode "detection" is done by measuring horizontal and vertical sync pulse frequencies.)

So, do most current CRTs apply margins when 1280x1024 is selected? I just tried it out on my 19" work display (3-4 yr old Dell Trinitron on Nvidia Quadro2 PRO) and it creates black borders to maintain the correct aspect ratio. Would a newer model, like the Samsung Syncmaster 997DF I am considering, do the same or would it distort the image? Or does it depend on how the video card is configured?

That may very well just be a Windows setting. Go to Display Properties-Desktop, and using the drop-down menu, choose Stretch instead of Center.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: ewright

Originally posted by: jer0608

Originally posted by: Peter
1280x1024 LCD screens ARE 5:4 aspect ratio, so it's correct with those. On CRTs, it isn't.

However, back when all that stuff evolved, some airhead decided that the next step up from 1024x768 is to be 1280x1024, for whatever reason - possibly to not waste any of the two megabytes of display RAM these cards had.
CAD monitors of the time were carefully adjusted to have large left and right margins, in order to give the actual image the right aspect ratio. That was a lot of screen surface going to waste, and remember, those 20" monitors cost a fortune back then.

Strangely enough, despite this rather obvious stupidity, 1280x960 never caught on on CRTs, and that's answering your question, Gza: Monitors have geometry presets for and detect the standardized timings of the "usual" (VESA standardized) resolutions; non-standard resolutions like 1280x960 work just as well, it's only the monitor can't put a name to it. (Remember that CRTs don't receive pixels and lines, they receive an analog signal waveform. They can't actually count pixels nor lines. Mode "detection" is done by measuring horizontal and vertical sync pulse frequencies.)

So, do most current CRTs apply margins when 1280x1024 is selected? I just tried it out on my 19" work display (3-4 yr old Dell Trinitron on Nvidia Quadro2 PRO) and it creates black borders to maintain the correct aspect ratio. Would a newer model, like the Samsung Syncmaster 997DF I am considering, do the same or would it distort the image? Or does it depend on how the video card is configured?

That may very well just be a Windows setting. Go to Display Properties-Desktop, and using the drop-down menu, choose Stretch instead of Center.

Um, that setting is for your wallpaper.

He's talking about the monitor output itself. I don't know how many monitors would automatically adjust for it, but you can almost always play with the horizontal and vertical stretch until you get the AR right.

 

[bob661]

I have a Viewsonic VP201b and run it at 1280x960. 1280x1024 looks odd to me.

 

[Peter]

Originally posted by: jer0608So, do most current CRTs apply margins when 1280x1024 is selected? I just tried it out on my 19" work display (3-4 yr old Dell Trinitron on Nvidia Quadro2 PRO) and it creates black borders to maintain the correct aspect ratio. Would a newer model, like the Samsung Syncmaster 997DF I am considering, do the same or would it distort the image? Or does it depend on how the video card is configured?

Today, you can adjust the monitor's image size and position from the monitor's own controls, any minute, without any special knowledge, and it'll remember your settings until next time you use the same resolution and refresh rate. Back in the days, you had to open the monitor up and tweak a dozen of internal dials before shipping it out to the customer.

 

[braytonak]

Any monitor will have a black edge or border if it hasn't been adjusted to a certain resolution and refresh on a given video card. Each video card has its quirks. If you set up a monitor to your preferred resolution and refresh, then switch video cards, you'll have to do it again. The monitor remembers your settings for a particular signal from a video card. It applies your geometry settings for that known signal. Since another video card will be slightly different in signal, the monitor will show an unadjusted image, which would include the borders when trying a new resolution for the first time.

I personally prefer digital displays because there's no fussing with geometry and such. If the pixel shape on an LCD is square, and the pixels are very small, then I'll be happy. (Say a 1600x1200 resolution on a 17" LCD.) The pixel size on a CRT can be adjusted with the monitor's controls. Although an LCD is stuck with one intended size, it's crisp and clear with no tweaks.

 

[puffpio]

Well are LCD screens reallt 5:4 and not 4:3?

if 1280x960 w/ square round pixels (ie CRT) is 4:3, would 1280x1024 w/ rectangular pixels (LCD pixels are wider than they are tall since they have a RGB light source arranged horizontally at each pixel) be 4:3?

 

[Peter]

LCDs come in all kinds of aspect ratios, depending on their resolution. E.g. 1280x1024 panels are 5:4, 1024x768 are 4:3, 1680x1050 and 1920x1200 are 16:10, etc. etc.