42 inch plasma widescreen (16x9 hdtv has native resolution 1024 x 768 (4x3)

[sbt5]

Heres the thing the native resolution of the my 42 inch plasma is 1024x768 (I checked both samsung and panasonic 42 inch widescreens are the same). When I watch HDTV via my cable box I get a non distorted full screen picture. When watching a non-HD program I stretch the picture horizontally to get a full screen image. If I use the pc input on the tv, the video card selects the optimum resolution which again is 1024x768 and image on desktop is streached to fill the screen. Now, I have burnt a HD-wmv file (720p) to dvd. The software player on my computer says the resolution is 1280x720 (which indeed is a standard HD format). Playback on the tv via the computer result in letter boxing. So here is where it gets comfusing I know that avi file have a pixel ratio of 1:1, but that mpeg2 can have wider pixel ratios. So why is it that the cable box and tv displays correctly yet the computer and tv has letter boxing. If I want to back up dvds (using dvix or xvid) to HD resolutions for full screen viewing what resolutions should I use? Thanks

[bugster]

If I want to back up dvds (using dvix or xvid) to HD resolutions for full screen viewing what resolutions should I use? Thanks

Why would you want to do that, they won't look any better. Let the resizer in your TV scale up the native DVD resolution (720 x 480) to the display resolution, it will probably do a better job than you can with software.

[sbt5]

Maybe its more trouble than its worth. At the present I use the pc along with windows media player classic to view all my videos. WMPC will resize the picture and correct for different aspect ratios to view at full screen without any letter boxing occuring. I rather see the picture at full screen and lose a little on the sides. If I view dvds (2.35:1 or 1.85:1) just using the dvd player and the tv I still have letterboxing. I can zoom with the dvd player to get full screen playback but the the zoom choices are 1.5x, 2x and 3x. With the zoom I loose picture on the top and bottom as well as on the sides. What I really dont understand is that the native resolution on the 42 inch hdtv (16x9) has an aspect ratio of 4:3. That why my desktop on the tv looks stretched. Also I have noticed that a 50 inch plasma has a native resolution at a 1366x768 which is a true 16x9 aspect ratio. That's probably why they cost so much more that the 42 inch (bigger screen size and higher resolutions). I quess the pixel on the 42 inch are wider the they long? In the mean time I am still experimenting on encoding video on the tv (resizing and croping) to get it to display the way I want. In hindsight I should have bought the 50 inch, but the wife was against it (thought it was too big).

[bugster]

How do you connect your PC to the TV. If it is VGA then the TV is probably displaying the received picture on a 1:1 basis and not doing any scaling. If your PC has a TV out, try using that and see what happens, the TV should scale the videos directly.

As for letterboxing on DVD's, many are a wider aspect ration than 16:9 and the letterboxing is supposed to be there.

[turk690]

I don't know much about PC playback, but this much I've gathered over time: a plasma TV's mechanical (native) resolution has little to do with its aspect ratio. Most plasma TVs are 16:9, but their native resolutions are all over the place: 1024x768, 1366x768, 1024x1024 (Sony), etc., all indicating that the pixels ARE NOT always square. Some of us are lulled into assuming that pixels will always be square, therefore description of 1024x768 as 16:9 may initially raise eyebrows. A classic example is of DV and DVD: 720x480 (720x576) IS the same resolution for both 4:3 AND 16:9, indicating various situations where they ARE NEVER square (1:1). And even when they are indeed square, there are other aspect ratios to be aware of; PC LCD monitors have square pixels, and a typical 15" is indeed 4:3 at 1078x768, but most 17" and 19" at 1280x1024 ARE 5:4.

[freshprince]

A related question - I am purchasing at 42 inch Philips LCD widescreen TV. The manual says TV accepts 1024 x 768 computer signals. However this is a 4:3 ratio. Thus when displaying on widescreen (16:9) does this mean that the picture will be stretched? Any help / advice would be appreciated. Thanks

[turk690]

There are a few possibilities. One could be, if the LCD was 1366x768, it will display the 1024x768 image from the PC correctly in the middle, with black bars on left and right. Or it will stretch it left-right to fill the screen which will cause pancake faces. Final appearance will most likely depend on the aspect ratio setting of the monitor.

[jeremy_p73]

I just hooked up my 42" Plasma with PC hook up (VGA) and found that full screen views are stretched for widescreen movies/shows. The TV manual states that PCs hooked up via VGA or HDMI will display 1024 X 768.

I found that widescreen format movies (avi. mkv. etc.) played on the Movie Player for Ubuntu 9.04 (64 bit) fills the TV screen with no distortion, but both sides may be cut off a little (not sure). The picture looks awesome though.

I would like this view for Hulu shows that play in widescreen, but cannot figure how to get other media players/web browsers to display like the Ubuntu Movie Player. I am wondering if I purchased a video card with component (red, green, blue) hook ups if the TV would display all the resolutions that the video card is capable of. The TV manual does not mention this method for connecting a PC. I don't want to purchase a new video card unless I know it will do this.

Any suggestion would be much appreciated.

[jagabo]

Try a player that lets you specify the monitor's pixel aspect ratio. Like VLC. The graphics card setup applet may also have this setting.

[Phlexor]

I'd hook up the PC to the TV using either HDMI/DVI if you can or Component, and then get the PC to output a HDTV res like 1080p/i or 720p. Considering the TV would have to handle that signal if you hooked up a Bluray player, then everything should be fine.

[guns1inger]

You can't use VGA and get the correct picture. The TV uses non-square pixels to make 1020 x 768 fit a 16:9 aspect ratio. Your computer uses 1:1 PAR (square pixels), hence the distorted 4:3 image. If you HDMI it should translate correctly.

1024 x 768 was always a cop-out resolution, as it doesn't even meet minimum HD spec.

[jeremy_p73]

I set VLC to 4:3 aspect ratio and the picture filled the entire screen like the Ubuntu movie player. Thanks jagabo! However, I cannot figure how to do this for flash videos on Hulu.com viewed on full screen.

Can anyone verify that a different input such as HDMI or component will allow a higher resolution, even though my TV manual states that the max display resolution for a PC connected via RGB-PC or HDMI/DVI mode is 1024 x 768? The manual does mention 480p, 720p, 1080i in the same section, but the statement in the manual does not make sense to me. Something about a specification.

I would like to here from someone who has a similar TV (LG 42" Plasma--42PC3D). I don't want to spend the money to buy a new video card and power supply and still be limited to 1024 x768.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

[guns1inger]

A different connection wont give you a higher resolution, as your TV will scale to 1024 X 768 anyway. What you want is a connection that will match Pixel Aspect Ratios with the display. Your TV is limited to 1024 X 768. There is nothing you can do about it, except get a real HDTV.

It could be worse. A mate of mine bought an early 42" plasma that claimed to be "HD Ready" (which really just means you can plug a HD source into it - hell, I have a 51cm CRT that meets that criteria), and it had a native resolution of 864 X 480.

[jagabo]

Can anyone verify that a different input such as HDMI or component will allow a higher resolution, even though my TV manual states that the max display resolution for a PC connected via RGB-PC or HDMI/DVI mode is 1024 x 768?

If it's a USA HDTV it must accept 1280x720 at 60p and 1920x1080 30i via HDMI because those are standard broadcast resolutions. It will scale the incoming video to 1024x768 and retain the correct aspect ratio.

As mentioned earlier Windows also has the ability to output with the correct aspect ratio to non-square pixel displays via VGA. It will be in the graphics card's setup applet but exactly how it's done varies from driver to driver.

[jeremy_p73]

I just did some browsing for new TVs and found that a new one with similar specs is going for half the price ($750) I paid for mine three years ago. I take it that 1920 x 1080 is the true hi-def then?

The picture is great for Blu-Ray, HD broadcasts, and XBox 360, but I guess I am SOL as far as getting a better picture as a PC monitor.

Thanks guns1inger, I didn't want to spend a hundred bucks on a video card and psu that would not work anyway. It would have only been used for watching movies, not for gaming.

[jagabo]

I take it that 1920 x 1080 is the true hi-def then?

1920x1080 is the highest broadcast resolution (also cable and Blu-ray). Some channels broadcast at 1280x720 too. But be careful -- marketing may say 1920x1080 "compatible" or some such because it accepts a 1920x1080 signal, even though it will be scaled down for display on a lower resolution panel. Be sure the panel has a native resolution of 1920x1080. I'm pretty sure a $750 42" plasma will not have a 1920x1080 native resolution.