Non-native resolutions?

Westyfield2 · 29 Jul 2009 at 15:14

Got a feeling this is a n00b question; but here goes anyways!

I'm being a bit dim and need help in knowing how True-HD 1080p screens (both Plasma and LCD) deal with inputs that are not their native resolution.

It’s XGA that’s important, 1024x768 so that’s a 4:3 aspect ratio instead of the screens 16:9.

As I understand it there’s one of three things that could happen:

It displays the 1024x768 image in the centre - 1:1 Pixel Mapping I think it’s called?
It stretches the 1024x768 image to be 1440x1080 keeping the 4:3 aspect ratio.
It stretches the 1024x768 image to be 1920x1080 changing it’s aspect ratio to be 16:9.

So... is it fact that on all models in Series Y by TV Manufacturer X one of these happens? Or does it change depending on whether your using D-Sub or DVI (HDMI) inputs? Or are all three available as options in the settings somewhere?

I’m looking at the Panasonic G10 series, possibly getting the 46” TX-P46G10(B) aswell as the 42” TX-P42G10(B) or the 37” TX-L37G10(B) (no pros and cons on them please, it’s not for my home and the Freesat is important).

Relevant info I’ve found on the internet is:

Various Sources said:
1366x768 is the highest input it will take on the D-Sub port... so it can’t be fed it’s native 1920x1080 on it?

The TV also supports 1:1 pixel mapping. In order to achieve 1:1 pixel mapping you need to deactivate Overscan in the OSD.

And the pixel interpolation effect on the Plasma is more like a CRT and less like an LCD. So the set is reasonably good at displaying contents with resolution lower than its native res.

The G10 accepts the following resolutions over VGA : VGA (640 × 480 pixels), WVGA (852 × 480 pixels),XGA (1,024 × 768 pixels), WXGA (1,280 × 768 pixels, 1,366 × 768 pixels)

It will accept 1080p over component

And from the Panasonic Website:
Applicable PC signals: VGA, WVGA, SVGA, XGA, WXGA, SXGA 60Hz, 1920 x 1080
Applicable Scanning Format: 525 (480)/60i, 525 (480)/60p, 625 (576)/50i, 625 (576)/50p, 750 (720)/50p, 750 (720)/60p, / 1125 (1080)/50i, 1125 (1080)/60i, 1125 (1080)/24p (HDMI only), 1125 (1080)/50p (HDMI only), 1125 (1080)/60p (HDMI only)
Aspect Controls: Auto/16:9/14:9/Just/4:3/Zoom1/Zoom2/Zoom3

And from the manual:

The ideal answer I’m looking for is something like “All three possibilities are available in the options settings, and all three are available on both the HDMI and D-sub inputs”

Thanks
Ed.

Jez · 29 Jul 2009 at 15:17

Every TV i have had, of which have been bloody millions, the second two options have been available along with other zoom and crop settings in the menu, never seen 1:1 pixel mapping as an option on anything ive had

AbsenceJam · 29 Jul 2009 at 15:19

It depends on the display. Commonly all three are possible but 1:1 mapping doesn't always work perfectly on all inputs.
Have a read about the displays you're looking at on at avsforum or avforums. They'll no doubt have lengthly topics on them with this sort of information covered.

Westyfield2 · 29 Jul 2009 at 20:40

Thanks.

Option 3 is what I'd want set it to.

So I can take it as given that 2 & 3 are available as settings on all modern decent TV's (I'd call the G10 decent enough!) and 1 is model specific...... any chance if anyone knows about the Panasonic TX-P46G10(B), TX-P42G10(B) or the TX-L37G10(B)?

Jez · 29 Jul 2009 at 20:42

Not sure about the specific ones, but yeah every tv i have ever seen can do 2 & 3 and more zoom/stretch levels too.

1kiwi · 30 Jul 2009 at 09:42

Isn't it always better to buy a 42" than a 37" because the 42 better matched or something to 1080p?

wolvers · 30 Jul 2009 at 10:24

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but why do you want to feed a 1080p display with a 1024x768 signal? :confused:

Westyfield2 · 30 Jul 2009 at 11:55

wolvers69 said:
I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but why do you want to feed a 1080p display with a 1024x768 signal?

Part of it's use will be as a foldback monitor showing the feed from XGA projectors in another room.

But another part of it's use will be as a TV... and as Bath city-centre has no Freeview :rolleyes:

it'll be Freesat HD'ing.

and then ofcourse proper 1080p DVD's/Blu-Rays/Computers/Whatever's.

EDIT: Also when it's being used as a relay monitor the audience will be a fair distance away, but when being used for films they'll be far less and be at more a normal home-cinema distance.

asim18 · 31 Jul 2009 at 05:19

On my Samsung tv, you can select what kind of scaling you want. 1:1 pixel mapping, 4:3 or 16:9.

You can also change the scaling in your graphics driver if you don't want to use your display's built in scaling.

Westyfield2 · 31 Jul 2009 at 13:45

asim18 said:
On my Samsung tv, you can select what kind of scaling you want. 1:1 pixel mapping, 4:3 or 16:9.

I'd guess that's what Panasonic mean by Aspect Controls: Auto/16:9/14:9/Just/4:3/Zoom1/Zoom2/Zoom3?

asim18 said:
You can also change the scaling in your graphics driver if you don't want to use your display's built in scaling.

Yea when it's being used by a real pc next to it I'll have the resolution set to be 1920x1080, but when it's being given a 1024x768 signal I won't be able to do any driver settings (it's mirroring the output on some projectors).

probedb · 31 Jul 2009 at 14:07

beh* said:
Isn't it always better to buy a 42" than a 37" because the 42 better matched or something to 1080p?

The size of the screen has nothing to do with the resolution.