Moving to big screen monitor...

I have now officially moved. One of the things I needed to do was incorporate my PC into my standard TV set up.

Colour me converted!

My laptop is connected to a 50" Panasonic plasma via an HDMI connection. My keyboard and mouse are wireless and across the room from the laptop/monitor.

Which means I just typed this from my couch and am reading a HUGE sandbox page on TV. Tres cool!

I have only one complaint. I have set the recommended screen resolution at 1280 x 720. Too big! This resolution overfills the TV screen. However, I'd say the image is over-sized by maybe 5 or 10%. That means things like the bottom taskbar is cut in half. That same dynamic applies to the whole image.

If I set it to the next highest resolution of 1280 x 768 the screen shrinks to about 2/3 the available size. Too small!

Any ideas to maximize BOTH resolution and screen size?

I found when I hooked my media center to my 52" Samsung that I had to tweak the DPI Settings in Windows 7 to get the screen to fill properly. Which in turn made it so HD movies and Shows that I download are also running in the proper aspect ratio and resolution.

Your video driver package, I am assuming Intel Graphics with a laptop, will have the ability to tweak the screen position as well as making sure that you run in the proper resolution. I seem to recall my screen res being higher than 1280x768 though I could be wrong.

Interesting, I am still living in the stoneage wth CRT TV and VCR, but probably will have to move into the new millenium when stuff breaks down or is not compatible with content anymore. With a setup as you describe, would it not be much more convenient to use a PiP feature so you can watch your show/game at the same time as you have your computer activity in a separate, appropriately sized, picture/window going on? Or is this feature not a common standard feature on modern TVs?

"Or is this feature not a common standard feature on modern TVs?"
not a common standard feature.

PiP is not on most TVs anymore is it?

I think mine does that, but it isn't a feature I use.

Deank wrote:"Or is this feature not a common standard feature on modern TVs?"
not a common standard feature.

PiP is not on most TVs anymore is it?

Interesting - I thought it would be useful to view computer stuff at the same time as TV. Is there an alternative approach to that?

Oh I am not disagreeing it would be a good feature. I am saying I seem to remember reading somewhere that PiP was being phased out.. or was phased out?

Deank wrote:"Or is this feature not a common standard feature on modern TVs?"
not a common standard feature.

PiP is not on most TVs anymore is it?

TVs are no longer the cable tuners, your cable box is.

If you want PIP you will need two cable boxes.

grumpy old man wrote:I have now officially moved. One of the things I needed to do was incorporate my PC into my standard TV set up.

Colour me converted!

My laptop is connected to a 50" Panasonic plasma via an HDMI connection. My keyboard and mouse are wireless and across the room from the laptop/monitor.

Which means I just typed this from my couch and am reading a HUGE sandbox page on TV. Tres cool!

I have only one complaint. I have set the recommended screen resolution at 1280 x 720. Too big! This resolution overfills the TV screen. However, I'd say the image is over-sized by maybe 5 or 10%. That means things like the bottom taskbar is cut in half. That same dynamic applies to the whole image.

If I set it to the next highest resolution of 1280 x 768 the screen shrinks to about 2/3 the available size. Too small!

Any ideas to maximize BOTH resolution and screen size?

Have you tried setting your laptop resolution to 1920x1080?

eViL tRoLl wrote:Interesting, I am still living in the stoneage wth CRT TV and VCR, but probably will have to move into the new millenium when stuff breaks down or is not compatible with content anymore. With a setup as you describe, would it not be much more convenient to use a PiP feature so you can watch your show/game at the same time as you have your computer activity in a separate, appropriately sized, picture/window going on? Or is this feature not a common standard feature on modern TVs?

if you're looking to add to your VHS collection, come out to the Rivercrest Inn tomorrow...I'll have about 700 of them available for sale for only $1.00 each.

Have about 300 cassette tapes too. (4/$1.00)

sputnik wrote:

Deank wrote:"Or is this feature not a common standard feature on modern TVs?"
not a common standard feature.

PiP is not on most TVs anymore is it?

TVs are no longer the cable tuners, your cable box is.

If you want PIP you will need two cable boxes.

Yeah I think the PiP is not two channels but two different video sources. Have TV running in one, and computer on the main screen.

ahh so its probably a case of.... most people wont use the feature so its not included on the lower end model sets?

makes sense.

PiP, while a neat concept...isn't used often, even by those who seek out the option.

and since the cable companies are basically forcing the channel control to be from the box, rather than through the tv directly...it kind of negates the option designed for direct digital feed.

My TV is no more than 3-4 years old and it does not have PIP...

sputnik wrote:resolution to 1920x1080?

I will try that now. I think I tried it already and had the same 2/3 screen result. I'll let you'all know what happens...

1680x1050 worked PERFECTLY. 1920x1080 resulted in exactly the same slightly over-sized screen.

The sandbox comes through once again...

Ta da. Seek and ye shall find...



btw. Did anyone ever actually use PiP?

grumpy old man wrote:1680x1050 worked PERFECTLY. 1920x1080 resulted in exactly the same slightly over-sized screen.

The sandbox comes through once again...

Do you have your TV set to zoom? I know a lot of people that do just so that they have a "full screen" when they watch standard definition channels.

Have you also checked your picture position settings? That might be one of the reasons why a 1080 signal is getting cut off the edges.

I would today if the new digital cable units provided that capability.

sputnik wrote:

grumpy old man wrote:1680x1050 worked PERFECTLY. 1920x1080 resulted in exactly the same slightly over-sized screen.

The sandbox comes through once again...

Do you have your TV set to zoom? I know a lot of people that do just so that they have a "full screen" when they watch standard definition channels.

Have you also checked your picture position settings? That might be one of the reasons why a 1080 signal is getting cut off the edges.

I checked the aspect and it was correctly set at "full". The over-sized pictures were over-sized around each edge.

grumpy old man wrote:

sputnik wrote:

grumpy old man wrote:1680x1050 worked PERFECTLY. 1920x1080 resulted in exactly the same slightly over-sized screen.

The sandbox comes through once again...

Do you have your TV set to zoom? I know a lot of people that do just so that they have a "full screen" when they watch standard definition channels.

Have you also checked your picture position settings? That might be one of the reasons why a 1080 signal is getting cut off the edges.

I checked the aspect and it was correctly set at "full". The over-sized pictures were over-sized around each edge.

On your TV is "full" normal? That said, SD shows have black bars on the sides?

Do you have any position settings where you can move and size the screen horizontally and vertically?

sputnik wrote:On your TV is "full" normal? That said, SD shows have black bars on the sides?

I think so.

sputnik wrote:Do you have any position settings where you can move and size the screen horizontally and vertically?

Yes. I've looked at those settings. The TV is set perfectly centred.

JTF wrote:Ta da. Seek and ye shall find...



btw. Did anyone ever actually use PiP?

I did years ago (2000-2003) and it worked fine.
But we weren't allowed to have "pay" channels and use it...it would only work with basic service plugged directly into the TV.

In order to watch pay channels, we had to flip an A/B switch to select direct feed, or digital box.