[JoseChasez]

Hello -


I'm running an HTPC into a Samsung plasma TV (HPR4272C). My video card is a Radeon 9600 XT, and I am running the latest Catalyst drivers. My HTPC is connected to the VGA input on the TV.


I would like to run at a 16:9 aspect ratio, and this seems to be the root of my problem. If I set my screen resolution to 1280x720, I get blue screen on the the TV and a message saying that it is an unsupported mode. If, however, I set the resolution to 1024x768, it boots up correctly (I can see the screen on the TV), and can even switch the resolution to 1280x720 and still see the screen on the TV.


My question is: Is it possible for me to keep the machine running at 1280x720; or is it normal to boot up at 1024x768, and have to switch to 1280x720 (and then back to 1024x768 before shutting down)?


Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[umdivx]

Problem is that the TV will only accept 4:3 "PC mode" resolutions via VGA input. I had an older Samsung DLP that did the same thing.


I had to use the DVI/HDMI inputs on the TV to accomplish the 16:9 resolutions, however I never could get 1:1 pixel mapping so I ended up getting a new TV, well Projector in my case.


- Josh

 

[JoseChasez]

Thanks for the reply. What seems odd to me is that the TV will, in fact, accept a 16:9 resolution (i.e., 1280x720) but only if the machine is booted up in 1024x768 and switched. The only time it complains about the 1280x720and won't display it is if the machine is booted up at this resolution.

 

[umdivx]

I am wondering if you are still in the 4:3 video mode, and the video card is doing the "emulation" or the video within a video thing and not truely going into 16:9 mode.


when you get it in what you think is 16:9 click the info button on the tv remote and verify if it is infact in 16:9


- Josh

 

[rockytt]

what do you see in your manual as a supported resolution for the VGA (D-Sub) connection?

 

[JoseChasez]

According to the manual, the TV doesn't support VGA resolutions above 1024x768. As mentioned in my previous post, though, if I boot up in 1024x768, I can change the resolution to 1280x720.


As a previous poster suggested, I hit the Info button the remote, and the TV did confirm that it is running at 1280x720 (60 Hz vertical frequency and 45 KHz horizontal).


So, it's interesting (and surprising) that it does seem to support this resolution, it just can't sync to it at boot up. In any case, a quick but inelegant fix has been to assign hot keys in my Catalyst drivers - one for 1024x768 resolution (used temporarily to get the PC signal running to the TV), and a second for 1280x720 (to get the 16:9 aspect ratio that I want).

 

[rockytt]

Here's the thing though - your plasma is a 1024x768 native panel and by forcing anything other than that your image quality will suffer appreciably. (Lots and lots of posts here about panels with non-square pixels such as yours - and mine for that matter)


Sucks for web surfing, but most video playback apps can be configured to take advantage of this situation w/o compromising picture quality.