Graphics cards > HD LCD/Plasma TVs

glenimp617 · 4 Oct 2006 at 11:44

Right, it seems a few of you are confused with how to connect your computer to a HD flat screen tele. I'm going to quickly write down some notes and will be updating this post when I get time in the hope it becomes a sticky to help a lot of you out. I'm not expert so if you find anything wrong, rather than flame please help me out

so here goes.....

LCD and Plasma screens have a whole host of inputs on the back ranging from

VGA, DVI, HDMI, Component, SCART, S-Video, Composite

Depending on what graphics card you have you will have these options in order to connect your PC to your HD set

Graphics Card > TV

VGA > VGA (PC Resolutions only) Analogue
DVI > DVI (PC Resolutions only) Digital
DVI > HDMI (Special cable required) (HD Resolutions only) Digital
Component* > Component (Special cable required) (HD Resolutions only) Analogue

Resolutions your TV supports

You will need to research your paticular model in order to find out what resolutions it supports. These are split into two categories (PC and HD)

PC
The PC resolutions will be available on the VGA and DVI ports and will most probably allow 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1028. Please note that these are not HD resolutions but only as a means of connecting your computer to the TV

HD
HD resolutions are available over the component and HDMI ports and are either 1280x720 or 1920x1080

Windows Desktop

1:1 Pixel Mapping

Games

Playing PC games on your HD TV can be quite tricky if you want to run them in an HD resolution on one of the HD input ports. Most people stick to PC resolutions as it's easier but you're not getting the extra quality which HD brings. To play games at HD resolutions you need to tell the game to display in either 1280x720 or 1920x1080 or your TV will go blank if using HD input ports.

Many games have a little VB application you can run in order to tell the game to display in your chosen resolution.

A good example is Need for Speed Most Wanted. This normally doesn't support HD resolutions and will make your TVs screen go blank when you run it. To get around this problem you need to download a small application called "NFSMW Resolution Changer"

Certain games may not have an application which changes the resolution. In these cases you are stuck using the PC input ports and a PC resolution. Unfortunately this won't be a reoslution native to your set so you will see instances of pixel scaling which can make the picture look a little fuzzy. The only way around this is to create a custom resolution using something like powerstrip to match the native resolution of your TV

Blueray&HD-DVD Movies

It's not entirely known if future HD movies will feature encryption but if they do you will require HD Optical Drive, Windows Vista, a HDCP compatible Graphics Card and a HDCP compatible TV. If your TV has a HDMI port you are ok. If you are using a PC TFT you need to make sure it has a HDCP compatible DVI port like the Dell 2407 or an HDMI port like the new 24" BenQ model.

* = Certain ATI Models

Danzla · 4 Oct 2006 at 12:00

Thanks very helpful.

however you mentioned that i will need to use HDMI port to get hd resolutions. but most modern lcdtv, now use HDMI/dvi combined ports and so will not be compatable with pc (e.g Samsung 2005 + models)

will i still be able to get a output res of 1366 x 768 using a VGA male to Dvi male cable?

im using a Samsung 19" LE19R71WX/XEU LCD TV (White) with a Geforce 7900 51mb g/c

glenimp617 · 4 Oct 2006 at 12:04

Danzla said:
Thanks very helpful.

however you mentioned that i will need to use HDMI port to get hd resolutions. but most modern lcdtv, now use HDMI/dvi combined ports and so will not be compatable with pc (e.g Samsung 2005 + models)

will i still be able to get a output res of 1366 x 768 using a VGA male to Dvi male cable?

im using a Samsung 19" LE19R71WX/XEU LCD TV (White) with a Geforce 7900 51mb g/c

Does your set only have a DVI port without HDMI?

If so...you need to try and create a custom resolution of 1366x768 or as close to it as you can get. You may find you are a few pixels short but depending on the model it may scale or lose the pixels from the edges and scale at 1:1 which I think would be best

Danzla · 4 Oct 2006 at 12:10

glen8 said:
Does your set only have a DVI port without HDMI?

If so...you need to try and create a custom resolution of 1366x768 or as close to it as you can get. You may find you are a few pixels short but depending on the model it may scale or lose the pixels from the edges and scale at 1:1 which I think would be best

my samsung has a HDMI (+ DVI Audio L/R) slot. no seperate dvi. It says on the user manual that the slot does not support pc playback.so i shall use the VGA port. But if i use the VGA will i still be able to reach a custom res of 1366x768.

glenimp617 · 4 Oct 2006 at 12:14

Danzla said:
my samsung has a HDMI (+ DVI Audio L/R) slot. no seperate dvi. It says on the user manual that the slot does not support pc playback.so i shall use the VGA port. But if i use the VGA will i still be able to reach a custom res of 1366x768.

Right, I'm glad you asked that question. The manuals are confusing.....

Where is states the port doesn't support PC playback it means PC resolutions. You may well find it will accept your PC if set to a HD resolution such as 1280x720.

Danzla · 4 Oct 2006 at 12:15

glen8 said:
Right, I'm glad you asked that question. The manuals are confusing.....

Where is states the port doesn't support PC playback it means PC resolutions. You may well find it will accept your PC if set to a HD resolution such as 1280x720.

ok cool so what cable would i use, a HDMI (coming from back of tv)-----> Dvi male (g/c)

the manual states....

" Do not attempt to connect the HDMI/DVI connector to a PC or Laptop Graphics Card.
(This will result in a blank screen being displayed)"

glenimp617 · 4 Oct 2006 at 12:35

Danzla said:
ok cool so what cable would i use, a HDMI (coming from back of tv)-----> Dvi male (g/c)

the manual states....

" Do not attempt to connect the HDMI/DVI connector to a PC or Laptop Graphics Card.
(This will result in a blank screen being displayed)"

Yes it's right and wrong

PC resolutions will make the TV go blank. If however you go into your graphics card settings and enable HD support you get the two extra resolutions added to your slider bar. Change it to 1280x720 which should get the TV displaying again

You need a DVI > HDMI cable. I bought a high quality gold plated one for about £20

Nogimmix · 4 Oct 2006 at 12:56

I've got my PC connected to my JVC 32" HD LCD TV via Component and HD films/trailers and games look amazing at 1280x720.

Danzla · 5 Oct 2006 at 10:34

glen8 said:
Yes it's right and wrong

PC resolutions will make the TV go blank. If however you go into your graphics card settings and enable HD support you get the two extra resolutions added to your slider bar. Change it to 1280x720 which should get the TV displaying again

You need a DVI > HDMI cable. I bought a high quality gold plated one for about £20

so even though my tv cable support 1366x768, i can only make it 1280x720???

do i use a custom res? how do i do that?

is it a normal dvi-hdmi male to male???

glenimp617 · 5 Oct 2006 at 11:22

Danzla said:
so even though my tv cable support 1366x768, i can only make it 1280x720???

do i use a custom res? how do i do that?

is it a normal dvi-hdmi male to male???

Your screens native res is 1366x768. You can achieve that res if you use the TVs VGA or DVI connections and create a custom res.

If you want to use your TVs HDMI or component ports you are limited to 1280x720

If you want to go from graphics cards DVI > TVs HDMI than yes you will require a male>male.

Danzla · 5 Oct 2006 at 13:05

glen8 said:
Your screens native res is 1366x768. You can achieve that res if you use the TVs VGA or DVI connections and create a custom res.

If you want to use your TVs HDMI or component ports you are limited to 1280x720

If you want to go from graphics cards DVI > TVs HDMI than yes you will require a male>male.

what would be the better display im guessing the vga - dvi at 1366x768?

z0mbi3 · 5 Oct 2006 at 13:10

misleading thread title.

Reads as "Graphics Cards greater than HD LCD/Plasma TVs"

Danzla · 5 Oct 2006 at 13:29

glen8 said:
PC
The PC resolutions will be available on the VGA and DVI ports and will most probably allow 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1028. Please note that these are not HD resolutions but only as a means of connecting your computer to the TV[/I]

will it allow my tv native res of 1366x768?

what would be the better display im guessing the vga - dvi at 1366x768?

or will it be the digital HD display ?at the lower res.

glenimp617 · 5 Oct 2006 at 15:42

Danzla said:
will it allow my tv native res of 1366x768?

what would be the better display im guessing the vga - dvi at 1366x768?

or will it be the digital HD display ?at the lower res.

It's one of those suck it and see moments on that one

glenimp617 · 5 Oct 2006 at 15:43

z0mbi3 said:
misleading thread title.

Reads as "Graphics Cards greater than HD LCD/Plasma TVs"

If people are confused with the thread title I'll happily change it. I think most of the forum users will know what it means tho

fornowagain · 5 Oct 2006 at 15:56

Danzla said:
will it allow my tv native res of 1366x768?

what would be the better display im guessing the vga - dvi at 1366x768?

or will it be the digital HD display ?at the lower res.

With the DVI 720p your at the mercy of the the TV's internal scaler. This may or may not produce a better image than the VGA analogue converter. Only one way to find out.

When you get the TV (or monitor etc) connected use this app to to what resolutions it supports.

http://www.entechtaiwan.net/util/moninfo.shtm

z0mbi3 · 5 Oct 2006 at 17:34

glen8 said:
If people are confused with the thread title I'll happily change it. I think most of the forum users will know what it means tho

By the time you read the original post you're no longer "confused". Doesn't change the fact it's a misleading thread title.

Danzla · 5 Oct 2006 at 17:46

glen8 said:
It's one of those suck it and see moments on that one

all i need to know is will it be better with a hdmi>dvi lead or with the vga?

FrankJH · 5 Oct 2006 at 18:29

I wish peope would stop waffling on about "creating custom resolution" of 1366*768 - on different computer builds on different HD tv (one Samsung and one LG) sets I have found it set easily by the normal method and no customising has been necessary. worst case scenario I have seen is having 1360*768 because panel hasnt got 1:1 matching but thats it

Maybe this is because I have used these tv's to set up windows initially - but that shouldnt make a difference, after all if the driver can sort it automatically it doenst make a difference whehter its the original "monitor" or not

Just my personal experience

(if I was a newbie wanting this info I might be put off by thinking I need to fiddle around customising something rather than it just "working")

Danzla · 5 Oct 2006 at 18:39

FrankJH said:
I wish peope would stop waffling on about "creating custom resolution" of 1366*768 - on different computer builds on different HD tv (one Samsung and one LG) sets I have found it set easily by the normal method and no customising has been necessary. worst case scenario I have seen is having 1360*768 because panel hasnt got 1:1 matching but thats it

Maybe this is because I have used these tv's to set up windows initially - but that shouldnt make a difference, after all if the driver can sort it automatically it doenst make a difference whehter its the original "monitor" or not

Just my personal experience

(if I was a newbie wanting this info I might be put off by thinking I need to fiddle around customising something rather than it just "working")

whats this normal method you talking bout and where are the drivers. i think i shall just get it and play around with it.