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MCE 2005 Aspect Ratio Problem, need help?

487 Views 6 Replies 6 Participants Last post by gplasky, Dec 27, 2005

Rambo2000

Discussion Starter · Dec 26, 2005

I'm looking for some assistance with MCE2005 connected to my LG DU42PX12XC 42" Plasma TV. I've got a 6800GT video card connected to the panel via a DVI connector. I've loaded the Nvidia pure video codec.

I've fully patched MCE and have all the latest drivers for all of my components (including the latest forceware MCE drivers from Nvidia).

The problem I'm having: It appears that I can't convince Windows that the monitor I'm using is a 16:9 monitor. Windows correctly shows that I have 1024 x 768 pixels (which is the native resolution for the LG TV), however, when I have the TV in 16:9 mode, everything is "short and fat" and fully fills the 16:9 screen (it appears to me that windows is putting out a 1024x768 screen formatted for a 4:3 monitor). When I switch the TV's aspect ratio to 4:3, the windows desktop appears to be formatted correctly (but I have the grey bars from the TV on the sides of a 4:3 desktop). I believe I need to convince windows that I have 1025x768 pixels on a 16:9 screen.

So, when I'm running MCE, if I put up an MPEG-2 stream, I can go into the Nvidia driver and select the proper zoom mode to make mpeg-2 streams look correct on a 16:9 screen. However, if I'm viewing some conent from my DV video camera that was recorded in 4:3, everything is "short and fat" unless I switch the TV's aspect ratio to 4:3. I would've expected MCE to put up bars on the sides of 4:3 content when displayed on a 16:9 monitor?

I have gone through the MCE setup and specified that my display is a 16:9 TV. Does anyone know how I can convince windows that my monitor is 16:9 (normally I'd use an .inf file, but I haven't been able to find one for an LG TV)? I'm pretty sure my issue lies within Windows and/or the Nvidia driver and not MCE itself.

Thanks ahead for any assistance!

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scorch123

· #2 · Dec 26, 2005

Rambo2000,

I'm surprised you don't find a suitable resolution using the Nvidia Display utility.

You can download PowerStrip, and create a custom resolution for your display, too.

- Steve O.

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miketech

· #3 · Dec 27, 2005

Put it in 16:9 mode. Send it 1280x768/1360x768 resolutions.

Make sure you uncheck "hide modes this monitor can't display under monitor properties.

Many of us don't have much experience w/ rectangular pixels. This is all a guess.

Good Luck!

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Rambo2000

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 27, 2005

Steve,

Well, the Nvidia driver is giving me the option to set the screen to 1024x768, it just "thinks" that I've got a 4:3 monitor instead of a 16:9 monitor. I've never used power strip, does it allow you to specify that the monitor has a 16:9 aspect ratio?

Mike,

Thanks for the suggestion. I've actually tried setting the Nvidia driver to 1280x720. The monitor will display a desktop, but the desktop actually ends up bigger than the display. I believe you are on the right track with the whole rectangular pixel "thing". I've seen it mentioned elsewhere, but I have no experience with it.

The TV has two modes DVI PC and DVI TV. If I put the monitor on DVI TV, I get no picture. However, I'm starting to wonder if that may be "messing up" the DVI negotiation between the monitor and the video card?

If anyone knows of any good white papers on the DVI protocol, I'd welcome some links?

I also found a little utility on the net called moninfo.exe. The utility reads the device info from the DVI port and allows you to see what the monitor is reporting to the video driver. Based on how I read it, it looks to be reporting a 16:9 screen size.

I'm thinking of trying a support email to Nvidia to see if they have any suggestions. I might try to build a monitor.inf for the LG and see if I can convince the NVidia driver via an .inf file that I have a 16:9 monitor (not too sure if that would work either).

Anyhow, thanks for the suggestions

and I welcome anyone else who might have some ideas / things to try.

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Schroinx

· #5 · Dec 27, 2005

I better say from the beginning that I don't have any experience with this, but only information that I have read here and in the LCD/Plasma forum. As far as I know, windows does not allow rectangular pixels, hence it treats all displays as if they have square pixels. I therefore would assume that this cannot be fixed with drivers/powerstip.

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huesmann

· #6 · Dec 27, 2005

You need to set your output to 1280x768 to get the right AR.

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gplasky

· #7 · Dec 27, 2005

Change the monitor in Windows to either what your TV is or a monitor that supports the resolution you need. If you're using nVidia read the manual and use nView and tell it to force detect your TV.

Gerry

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