[mbaxter]

Are any of you X1 owners running off an HTPC and also using a 16:9 screen? I would like to know what resolution you are running the computer at. As we all know, the X1 is a native 4:3 ratio display. This is fine if you have a 4:3 screen, but what if your screen is 16:9?


What I want to do is limit windows to using 800x450 pixels, vertically centered in the 800x600 area. Like this:

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/mbaxter/800x450.JPG


The computer would be sending an 800x600 signal to the X1, but only 800x450 of these pixels would be used by windows. The top and bottom 75 pixels would be nothing, just blackness. The X1 would be set to 4:3. This would provide pixel-to-pixel mapping accuracy between the X1 and HTPC while still limiting windows to 800x450, filling the 16:9 screen with no overspill. Zoomplayer and TV Tuner display would use the 800x450 area, not 800x600, thus no overspill from these programs either.


This would serve my needs very well but so far I can't figure out how to do it, even with powerstrip. I would think this is a common issue, though. There must be a lot of HTPC users out there that have native 4:3 projectors and 16:9 screens.


Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[Nodecam]

IANAHTPCU (I am not a HTPC User) but it would seem to me that you should set your HTPC to 800x450, and set the X1 to native mode, and what you want will happen automatically...


From my understanding, the Native mode is the 1:1 pixel mapping mode that you want.

 

[mbaxter]

Yes, I have tried that, but the projector can't lock onto the 800x450 signal for some reason. However if I use the predefined "800x480p" resolution in Powerstrip, the X1 can see that just fine, and I can drag the taskbar up a couple of notches to bring it into view on my screen.


It's a workable solution but I'll probably just stick to using my XP30 and VCR for dvd playback and TV/VHS viewing. I'm thinking HTPC is not the way to go with the X1 unless I trade up my 16:9 screen for a 4:3 one. And I don't want to do that.