What's the TV resolution when plugging a PC to the VGA port of an LCD TV?

[the_importer]

When plugging a PC to the VGA port of an LCD TV, is the display progressive? I mean how does it work in terms of the TV resolution? Is it 720P, 1080i or something else?

My TV is a Samsung 32" LCD and I set my video card display at 1024 X 768.


Thank you

[jagabo]

VGA ports on LCD monitors usually support "normal" PC resolutions like 1024x768, 1280x1024, etc. Your manual might say exactly what resolutions and refresh rates are supported. Otherwise just try different resolutions to see what looks best. Use some small text and check readability. You would get the best picture running the computer at the exact native resolution of the HDTV if it supports pixel-per-pixel display of the VGA port. So if your TV's native resolution is 1366x768 and your graphics cards will output 1366x768, that may give the best image quality.

[edDV]

Your LCD-TV will have a "native resolution" often 1366x768. The VGA port uses square pixel computer monitor progressive resolutions (aka VESA). VGA is an analog RGB standard long supported by display cards from the RAMDAC (frame buffer + D/A converter).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VGA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAMDAC

The LCD-TV emulates a computer monitor over the VGA port. Best to feed a resolution at or near the monitors native resolution at 60Hz for the clearest display. If you feed lower or higher resolutions, a scaler will convert (interpolative scaling) your input to the native resolution. The scaler usually blurs the image slightly.

The VGA port is intended to support computer or game console inputs. Unlike the component analog and HDMI ports, the VGA port usually does not overscan. Overscan requires rescaling in the display card to see the full desktop and that usually lowers quality. Some newer LCD-TV sets support zero overscan over HDMI but not many.

The LCD-TV manual usually lists the resolutions it will support over VGA.

[the_importer]

So what you guys are basically saying is that the resolution I set in Window is what I'll get on my TV, meaning that I'm not limited to 480, 720 and 1080 like with a DVD player for example. Also, because a computer screen is always progressive, my TV is always displaying my PC in progressive as well?

[jagabo]

So what you guys are basically saying is that the resolution I set in Window is what I'll get on my TV, meaning that I'm not limited to 480, 720 and 1080 like with a DVD player for example.

Yes except your TV will still have some limits on what VGA resolutions it will accept.

Also, because a computer screen is always progressive, my TV is always displaying my PC in progressive as well?

The VGA signal will be progressive. Normally, if you feed the LCD monitor an interlaced signal (via s-video or composite for example) the TV would deinterlace to produce progressive frames for display. The quality of the deinterlacing varies from model to model. Since you computer will be feeding it a progressive signal, the computer becomes responsible for deinterlacing any interlaced sources (an interlaced DVD or a TV tuner card for example). Graphics cards vary in their quality of deinterlacing.

[edDV]

So what you guys are basically saying is that the resolution I set in Window is what I'll get on my TV, meaning that I'm not limited to 480, 720 and 1080 like with a DVD player for example. Also, because a computer screen is always progressive, my TV is always displaying my PC in progressive as well?

Not exactly. Your resolution you set in Windows determines the "size" of the windows desktop. If you set that to a resolution different than your native LCD resolution, then the TV will resize it to that resolution, e.g. 1024x768 to 1366x768 thus stretching the image horizontally.

If you play a video on your computer, the player will display the video at the resolution you set in preferences. For example a wide DVD will probably play first as 854x480 unless you zoom it to "full screen". At full screen for a 4:3 1024x768 Windows setting, this will produce a letterbox 1024x576 playback. If you play that on your 1366x768 LCD-TV, you will get either black on four sides or a horizontally stretched 1366x576 version depending on the aspect ratio setting at the TV. If instead you set Windows display properties to 1366x768, "full screen" will do just that on your LCD TV. You will have a 16:9 1366x768 playback.

Your display card converts all video to progressive. It may do this well or poorly. The VGA output will be progressive in all cases. Only the most advanced display cards pass unconverted interlace video over analog component or HDMI. Most cards convert everything to progressive.

PS: In both cases above, Jagabo posted while I was writing. Sorry for the duplication.

If your TV is like this one, it has a 1366x768 panel and that resolution should be used for your Windows display size setting.
http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/spec.do?group=televisions&type=televisions&s...XAA&fullspec=F

[the_importer]

Thanks for the info guys. I changed the resolution of the ATI Catalyst Driver to 1368 X 768 (I don't have 1366 X 768) and now my movie in Media Player Classic no longer have black boarders but are in true WideScreen.

I'm so happy to have purchased this TV, using a PC instead of a DVD Player kicks ass because you can do so much more. All I need now is that Logitech wireless Trackball because using a standard wireless mouse on a couch sucks.

[Mac803]

Unless you have a video card that will let you set a custom resolution try doing the following:, first un-hide non-supported modes in advanced display preferences for your video card, you can then download a program called Powerstrip where you can then play with different resolutions and then play with the advanced timing settings to modify the aspect ratio. You will notice that the resolution shown in Windows may be different than the one you set in Powestrip, but this hasn't seemed to matter for me. I am using an older video card so this is the route I have to go. A new video card will allow you to set whatever resolution you want, completely customized, Powestrip lets you get it close, but it will still not be perfectly crisp, but I got mine looking pretty good on my 1080i LCD TV connected via VGA.

[DarrellS]

My brother has a 32" Samsung 1080p LCD that he uses for both his monitor and TV in his bedroom and he has the resolution for his Nvidia graphics card set to 1920x1080 since that is the native resolution of the TV.

Without knowing the model number of your TV then we cannot recommend the correct resolution.

Never mind. I didn't realize that this was a four year old thread.