[epiczero]

So I have a question. I have a HD htpc and a 46 inch Sony Bravia which i like to surf the web on and also watch my movie collection on from the comfort of my couch. The problem is that the windows interface set at the 1080 resolution is really tiny. My question is that if I set the desktop resolution in Windows to something lower than 1080 (which would make all the words on websites and things bigger and easier to read), how does that affect the playback resolution of my dvd's and video files?


-Eason

 

[davdev]



Quote:
Originally Posted by epiczero /forum/post/15439951


So I have a question. I have a HD htpc and a 46 inch Sony Bravia which i like to surf the web on and also watch my movie collection on from the comfort of my couch. The problem is that the windows interface set at the 1080 resolution is really tiny. My question is that if I set the desktop resolution in Windows to something lower than 1080 (which would make all the words on websites and things bigger and easier to read), how does that affect the playback resolution of my dvd's and video files?


-Eason

I have my desktop resolution set at 1280x720, but I have configured Media Center to play at 1920x1080. This is done in the TV Setup function in Media Center.


My TV will tell me what resolution it is recieving, and so far all my tests have worked fine with this. However, I do use VMC for all my media playback (including MKV converted Blu-Ray). I am not sure if an application like PDVD or TMT will do this as well, but I assume there would be a setting for it somewhere

 

[Gensufz]

Just increase your DPI...

 

[epiczero]



Quote:
Originally Posted by davdev /forum/post/15440115


I have my desktop resolution set at 1280x720, but I have configured Media Center to play at 1920x1080. This is done in the TV Setup function in Media Center.


My TV will tell me what resolution it is recieving, and so far all my tests have worked fine with this. However, I do use VMC for all my media playback (including MKV converted Blu-Ray). I am not sure if an application like PDVD or TMT will do this as well, but I assume there would be a setting for it somewhere

Thanks, this sounds like the solution I was looking for.


Does anyone know if TMT will do this too?

 

[getnate12345]



Quote:
Originally Posted by epiczero /forum/post/15439951


So I have a question. I have a HD htpc and a 46 inch Sony Bravia which i like to surf the web on and also watch my movie collection on from the comfort of my couch. The problem is that the windows interface set at the 1080 resolution is really tiny. My question is that if I set the desktop resolution in Windows to something lower than 1080 (which would make all the words on websites and things bigger and easier to read), how does that affect the playback resolution of my dvd's and video files?


-Eason

I have the same problem. At 1080p I get eye strain browsing the web. My solution was to use Firefox 3.0. It has good webpage scaling, it scales the whole page, including images, not just text like IE and Firefox 2.x.


To activate scaling in firefox 3.0 hold ctrl and roll the mouse wheel.

 

[epiczero]



Quote:
Originally Posted by getnate12345 /forum/post/15440613


I have the same problem. At 1080p I get eye strain browsing the web. My solution was to use Firefox 3.0. It has good webpage scaling, it scales the whole page, including images, not just text like IE and Firefox 2.x.


To activate scaling in firefox 3.0 hold ctrl and roll the mouse wheel.

Good to know (and firefox is such a good browser).


Essentially, my current solution of having windows desktop resolution set lower than 1080 is great for almost everything i do on the HTPC, but I'm not so clear on how good (or bad) it is for video playback. So my question is whether video playback resolution is messed up by my desktop resolution being lower and if so, how exactly? The programs I currently use are VMC and VLC. A complete switch to TMT is in my near future.

 

[DeadmanInc]

As NFUZ suggested, you should up your DPI to 120 (default is 96). This will help, but unless you have 1:1 pixel mapping and good eye sight, I doubt it will really be good enough for general desktop use.

 

[K-Spaz]

I use 120 DPI , and Opera which does really nice scaling as well. In Opera, just use the + - on the numberpad for zoom in and out.

 

[Suntan]

What I have found most useful is to use a laptop to surf... while using the big screen to playback actual video...


Anyway, the two things I would do in the case of using the main TV to surf is up the DPI to 120 and use Firefox 3's resizing to increase everything (ctrl + -)


-Suntan

 

[stanger89]



Quote:
Originally Posted by epiczero /forum/post/15441165


...but I'm not so clear on how good (or bad) it is for video playback. So my question is whether video playback resolution is messed up by my desktop resolution being lower and if so, how exactly?

Video is always scaled to your desktop resolution, so if you're running 1280x720 desktop on a 1080p TV, 1080p content will be scaled down to 720p, which is sent to the TV and scaled back to 1080p.

 

[ChrisL01]



Quote:
Originally Posted by stanger89 /forum/post/15449202


Video is always scaled to your desktop resolution, so if you're running 1280x720 desktop on a 1080p TV, 1080p content will be scaled down to 720p, which is sent to the TV and scaled back to 1080p.

Addition: Video is always scaled to your desktop resolution unless your playback application has independent resolution settings. Windows Media Center can be set to run at 1080p while the desktop is 720p. I don't know how many other applications do this.


Chris

 

[stanger89]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisL01 /forum/post/15449238


Addition: Video is always scaled to your desktop resolution unless your playback application has independent resolution settings. Windows Media Center can be set to run at 1080p while the desktop is 720p.

Well technically it sets the "desktop" (and by that I mean Windows rendered) resolution to 1080p when you start it

Quote:
I don't know how many other applications do this.

None that I'm aware of, though you can approximate it with reclock and it's scripting interface (and powerstrip or anydvd).

 

[J.B.]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisL01 /forum/post/15449238


Windows Media Center can be set to run at 1080p while the desktop is 720p. I don't know how many other applications do this.

Zoom Player.

 

[Vern Dias]

Welcome to the new world of 1080 HD displays.


If you are sitting more than 1.5x the width of the screen from the set, your eyes will not be able to resolve a 1080 image due to limitations of the human optical system, even with perfect 20/20 vision...


Time to move closer to or use a bigger display, if you truly want the benefit of 1080 HD.


Vern

 

[CSMR]

Unbelievable! Setting the desktop resolution to below native to make things easier to read! I'll excuse my mum and dad but not members of AVS forum!

 

[CSMR]



Quote:
Originally Posted by getnate12345 /forum/post/15440613


My solution was to use Firefox 3.0. It has good webpage scaling, it scales the whole page, including images, not just text like IE and Firefox 2.x.

Both firefox 3 and IE 7 scale correctly (the whole page). (You have to specifically zoom in; they don't obey the OS dpi setting.) Firefox zoom is site specific and to get a permanent zoom you need something like the "no squint" add-on.

 

[Suntan]

Sorry, but 20/20 is not "perfect." It is average. People can and do have better than 20/20 vision.


Anyway, as for resolution, yes once you hit a certain distance added res does little for you. However, it is different for each individual. It is not just a matter of X times the screen width and such and such.


-Suntan

 

[epiczero]



Quote:
Originally Posted by CSMR /forum/post/15452161


Unbelievable! Setting the desktop resolution to below native to make things easier to read! I'll excuse my mum and dad but not members of AVS forum!

I'm not quite sure what you are saying here. Are you saying that managing files in windows explorer displayed natively in 1080p on a wallmounted 46 inch sony bravia viewed from a couch roughly 14 feet away is easy to read? My couch is within what would be considered "optimal viewing distance", and while I can certainly assure you my vision is documented at 20/20, I'm also fairly certain I could have kept reading the chart for a few more lines had the nurse let me keep going. So I think we can just go ahead and "believe" that the native 1080p desktop resolution makes things "hard to read".


That being stated, do you know of any video programs that will force the desktop into 1080 for video playback besides VMC?

 

[Vern Dias]



Quote:
Sorry, but 20/20 is not "perfect." It is average. People can and do have better than 20/20 vision.

Yep, maybe .001% of the population. 20/20 is the standard that opticians and optometrists used as the acceptable norm.


Perhaps this chart will help....

http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/12/09...o-screen-size/


Vern

 

[Suntan]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Vern Dias /forum/post/15468902


the acceptable norm.

...Quite different than "perfect" don't you agree?


As for your chart, I said I agreed with you. My disagreement is in the using of absolutes based on someone else's webpage to tell you what you should and shout not be able to see when it only takes a little bit of effort to determine for yourself what you actually can and can not see.


-Suntan