Can't get HTPC to display 16:9 on 42' TV. Only allows 1024x768

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Can't get HTPC to display 16:9 on 42" TV. Only allows 1024x768

gished

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#60924 5-May-2010 22:02

I recently put together a htpc and although it has HDMI out, I opted to use the VGA cable instead to my plasma. That's all fine and dandy but the maximum resolution it will put to the TV is 1024x768. I'm sure the TV has had 1366×768 pushed to it from a XP laptop before.

The gfx card is an onboard ATI 4200 (Asus M4A785-M) with relatively newish CCC drivers. Also, I'm running Windows 7 ultimate. Forcing the resolution from CCC to 1366x786 puts the display out of range for the TV (wtf!?).

Has anyone else had this problem?

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#327135 5-May-2010 22:04

How old is your panel? Some of the older 42" Plasma weren't actually HD panels and only had XVGA resolutions

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lokeynz

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#327152 5-May-2010 22:28

From what I've seen most HD panels are max 1024x768 via VGA
You'll need an HDMI or DVI to HDMI cable before you'll see full resolution.

ajobbins

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#327154 5-May-2010 22:32

lokeynz: From what I've seen most HD panels are max 1024x768 via VGA
You'll need an HDMI or DVI to HDMI cable before you'll see full resolution.

My Bravia LCD will do 1360x768 over VGA (HD Ready Panel) and my LG Plasma will do 1920x1080 over VGA (Full HD Panel)

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gished

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Ultimate Geek
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#327155 5-May-2010 22:36

It is an older panel but I'm sure I've had the resolution beyond 1024x768 with XP. I'll give the hdmi cable a shot tomorrow and report back.

waldoverkill

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#327198 6-May-2010 06:56

Hi

I had the same problem when going to Win7.

It seems that Windows 7 is much more strict about sending video modes to your monitor.

Win7 reads the available modes from your screen using the data pin on the vga cable.

Even if you add new modes (with powerstrip) Win 7 will not let you use them.

My Pioneer monitor only officially supports 1024x768 but it would quite happily display 1366x768 in windows XP.

When I went to Win7 I had the same problem as you.

I tried HDMI but it was such a pain to get the scaling corrent that I gave up.

I looked around heaps on the net and found the only solution was to cut out the data (ddc?) pin from the VGA cable. Win7 then cannot tell what modes your monitor can display and it lets you display any!

I could then add 1366x768 at 75hz with power strip. Now it looks great.

I think it is pin 12 but I would reccomend some googling to be sure.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

Wal

sbiddle

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#327209 6-May-2010 07:43

The majority of HD ready 42" Plasma's are only 1024x768, there is no way would will (or would have) ever got a higher resolution than this.

Many older HD Ready LCD's in the ~32" size also 1280x768 but only support 1024x768 via HDMI or VGA as well.

This is simply a limitation of old technology. You can't fix it or get around it. The TV manual will list the maximum resolution in the manual, this is the first place to check.

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waldoverkill

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#327217 6-May-2010 08:30

While Sibble's comments above may be true for some TVs, because you were able to use the higher resolution in XP you should be able to get it to work in Win7 as I did.

Don't give up (unless you need an excuse to buy a bigger TV)

Cheers

sbiddle

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#327220 6-May-2010 08:44

I'd still put money on the TV only supporting 1024x768 and this being the native resolution of the panel - it is the case with 99% of HD ready 42" Plasma's on the market, only a small number ever came with 1280 or 1360/1366 panels.

The easiest way to check is to just look at the manual, I've never come across a TV that doesn't list the suppported VGA and HDMI resolutions in the manual.

The TV uses non square pixels to make 1024x768 appear as 16:9 even though we would associate it as only being 4:3 because in the PC world pixels are always square and VGA uses a 1:1 pixel aspect ratio.

Using HDMI may allow 1280x720/768 or 1360/1366x720/768 but you won't get 1:1 pixel mapping.

waldoverkill

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#327226 6-May-2010 09:02

sbiddle: I'd still put money on the TV only supporting 1024x768 and this being the native resolution of the panel - it is the case with 99% of HD ready 42" Plasma's on the market, only a small number ever came with 1280 or 1360/1366 panels.

The easiest way to check is to just look at the manual, I've never come across a TV that doesn't list the suppported VGA and HDMI resolutions in the manual.

The TV uses non square pixels to make 1024x768 appear as 16:9 even though we would associate it as only being 4:3 because in the PC world pixels are always square and VGA uses a 1:1 pixel aspect ratio.

Using HDMI may allow 1280x720/768 or 1360/1366x720/768 but you won't get 1:1 pixel mapping.

Hi Sbiddle

You are 100% correct. My Pioneer plasma has a native resolution of 1024x768. The pixels are non-square.

But it will allow 1366x768 (and other resolutions) on the input. It then scales them to 1024x768. What this does allow is for the correct aspect ratio from MCE.

You are not limited to the native resolution on the input. Obviously the display on the screen is still only 1024x768 but you can use other resolutions to make MCE look ok.

The problem with setting MCE to 1024x768 is that MCE knows this is 4:3 aspect and scales the picture accoringly. Then the TV stretches this to 16:9 and it looks funny.

The manual for my tv did not list 1366x768 as a supported resolution but it works perfectly.

So there is hope for the OP. Especially as he states <I'm sure the TV has had 1366×768 pushed to it from a XP laptop before.>

Cheers

ajobbins

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#327261 6-May-2010 10:01

sbiddle: The majority of HD ready 42" Plasma's are only 1024x768, there is no way would will (or would have) ever got a higher resolution than this.

Many older HD Ready LCD's in the ~32" size also 1280x768 but only support 1024x768 via HDMI or VGA as well.

This is simply a limitation of old technology. You can't fix it or get around it. The TV manual will list the maximum resolution in the manual, this is the first place to check.

But isn't calling a 1024x768 panel 'HD Ready' a bit of a farce, considering the vertical resolution of a 720p picture is 1280px?

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sbiddle

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#327276 6-May-2010 10:29

ajobbins:
sbiddle: The majority of HD ready 42" Plasma's are only 1024x768, there is no way would will (or would have) ever got a higher resolution than this.

Many older HD Ready LCD's in the ~32" size also 1280x768 but only support 1024x768 via HDMI or VGA as well.

This is simply a limitation of old technology. You can't fix it or get around it. The TV manual will list the maximum resolution in the manual, this is the first place to check.

But isn't calling a 1024x768 panel 'HD Ready' a bit of a farce, considering the vertical resolution of a 720p picture is 1280px?

No. HD is measures by the vertical resolution, in this case 720 pixels.

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gished

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#327301 6-May-2010 11:16

Hmm... after foraging the internet for my TV's user manual it appears that in PC mode the highest resolution is 1024x768 :(

Interesting to note it was listed as a 720p TV however this is only for HDMI inputs. So not sure if connecting via HDMI will allow me to push the resolution up. I'm assuming not but that does quite sit right as I was always under the impression that the resolution for 720 content was 1280x720...

Maybe it's time to consult the finance dept (aka mrs) about upgrading the TV

fahrenheit

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#327332 6-May-2010 12:08

TVs and monitors have a control chip called the EDID which lists the resolutions and refresh rates that the TV will accept. Often these are configured poorly, or have differences between inputs (like limited resolution on the VGA input compared to say DVI).

Windows 7/Vista have strict EDID requirements and if for any reason the EDID data does not get sent back from the display, those OS' will lock you out of all but the most basic resolutions.
Disconnecting the voltage on the DDC pin like Waldoverkill suggests can get you out of trouble sometimes but I've found its not always straightforwards.

A program like monifo http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/moninfo.shtm will give you a report on what resolutions your display will or will not accept (and for each input).

buzzy

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#327341 6-May-2010 12:23

My 42" Pioneer plasma is a native 1024x768 panel, and under both XP and Windows 7 it handles 1360x768 resolution via VGA. 1360x768 is listed in the manual as a supported resolution.

As others have said, this means it's not a 1:1 pixel mapping, but the aspect ratio is correct and there aren't any jaggies or artifacts. Video card is an nVidia 210, with the latest drivers.

gished

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#327576 6-May-2010 23:19

Well it seems that plugging the HDMI cable in allows for higher resolutions (all the way up to 1920x1080) and the TV displayed it, albeit as you can imagine not particularly defined.

Changing it to 1280x720 still looked kinda ugly but I suspect it may be a matter of tweaking something in the CCC which I can't locate any more. PLaying 720 mkv's looked ok though. Hard to say if there was any noticable difference between that and using the PC/VGA setting

Oddly enough setting it back to 1024 still looked kinda ugly. I had to return the hdmi cable back to the mrs for her girly programs on the other tv after I got that far...

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