Vista Desktop Too Big for LCD TV

Petergut · External Since: Aug 01, 2006 Posts: 5

The Vista desktop is just too large for my LCD TV, I can only just see the
top corner of the Start button and its the same all round the four sides of
the screen. I am running the latest Vista build with patches up to 1 Aug 06.
My graphics card is a Radeon x300/x550 with the latest Nvidia driver for
Vista (7.7.9.0) and is connected via HDMI to my Panasonic 32" LCD TV. Any
suggestions please, do I need a different card or is there something else
wrong in my set-up? I have a JPEG image of the problem I can email if
required.

Richard Urban · External Since: Mar 03, 2006 Posts: 3023

"Petergut" <Petergut.TakeThisOut@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2E84C245-ED65-49D4-98F7-D3D197DE411D@microsoft.com...
> The Vista desktop is just too large for my LCD TV, I can only just see the
> top corner of the Start button and its the same all round the four sides
> of
> the screen. I am running the latest Vista build with patches up to 1 Aug
> 06.
> My graphics card is a Radeon x300/x550 with the latest Nvidia driver for
> Vista (7.7.9.0) and is connected via HDMI to my Panasonic 32" LCD TV.

Why are you using an Nvidia driver for an ATI Radon video card?

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

Eivind · External Since: Oct 15, 2006 Posts: 2

After several weeks searching for a new driver and any other solution to this
problem, I finally found that the solution is quite easy. Smile

Just go to the Display Settings, and click the Advanced Settings... button,
which should display a dialog with a List All Modes... button. The resolution
that fits for my Samsung LCD-TV (720p) is actually 1176 x 664.

It's so nice to see the task bar, system tray and title bar of maximized
windows again! Smile

)

"Petergut" wrote:

> The Vista desktop is just too large for my LCD TV, I can only just see the
> top corner of the Start button and its the same all round the four sides of
> the screen. I am running the latest Vista build with patches up to 1 Aug 06.
> My graphics card is a Radeon x300/x550 with the latest Nvidia driver for
> Vista (7.7.9.0) and is connected via HDMI to my Panasonic 32" LCD TV. Any
> suggestions please, do I need a different card or is there something else
> wrong in my set-up? I have a JPEG image of the problem I can email if
> required.

Tom Scales · External Since: Jun 26, 2006 Posts: 292

Unfortunately, what you did is a work around. Your LCD is definately NOT
1176x664. It is most likely 1366x768.

When connected with a DVI->HDMI cable, the graphics card tries to emulate
being connected to a CRT. Since some of the CRT is 'hidden' behind the
bezel, it overscans and pushes some of the content off the screen.

You're wasting your LCD and resulting in a resolution that is fuzzy compared
to native.

Since you say you have the X300/X550, I assume you mean the ATI drivers, not
the nVidia drivers? Regardless, you need to go into the advanced settings
and correct the overscan to get to your native resolution.

Tom

"Eivind" <Eivind RemoveThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CE67AC57-56F2-4648-AED7-B72396C242B7@microsoft.com...
> After several weeks searching for a new driver and any other solution to
> this
> problem, I finally found that the solution is quite easy. Smile

>
> Just go to the Display Settings, and click the Advanced Settings...
> button,
> which should display a dialog with a List All Modes... button. The
> resolution
> that fits for my Samsung LCD-TV (720p) is actually 1176 x 664.
>
> It's so nice to see the task bar, system tray and title bar of maximized
> windows again! Smile

)
>
> "Petergut" wrote:
>
>> The Vista desktop is just too large for my LCD TV, I can only just see
>> the
>> top corner of the Start button and its the same all round the four sides
>> of
>> the screen. I am running the latest Vista build with patches up to 1 Aug
>> 06.
>> My graphics card is a Radeon x300/x550 with the latest Nvidia driver for
>> Vista (7.7.9.0) and is connected via HDMI to my Panasonic 32" LCD TV.
>> Any
>> suggestions please, do I need a different card or is there something else
>> wrong in my set-up? I have a JPEG image of the problem I can email if
>> required.

JW · External Since: Jun 17, 2006 Posts: 1042

I think he has done exactly the right thing and it is good that his TV will
accept the overscan compensated resolution directly instead of haveing to
empbed a 1176x664 image within normal 720p output using overscan
compensation. The end result of either method is exactly the same since the
TV upscales the 1176x664 image to 1366x768 so there is no difference in
"bluriness" between them.

"Tom Scales" <tjscales.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23XddBzG8GHA.2288@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Unfortunately, what you did is a work around. Your LCD is definately NOT
> 1176x664. It is most likely 1366x768.
>
> When connected with a DVI->HDMI cable, the graphics card tries to emulate
> being connected to a CRT. Since some of the CRT is 'hidden' behind the
> bezel, it overscans and pushes some of the content off the screen.
>
> You're wasting your LCD and resulting in a resolution that is fuzzy
> compared to native.
>
> Since you say you have the X300/X550, I assume you mean the ATI drivers,
> not the nVidia drivers? Regardless, you need to go into the advanced
> settings and correct the overscan to get to your native resolution.
>
> Tom
>
>
> "Eivind" <Eivind.TakeThisOut@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:CE67AC57-56F2-4648-AED7-B72396C242B7@microsoft.com...
>> After several weeks searching for a new driver and any other solution to
>> this
>> problem, I finally found that the solution is quite easy. Smile

>>
>> Just go to the Display Settings, and click the Advanced Settings...
>> button,
>> which should display a dialog with a List All Modes... button. The
>> resolution
>> that fits for my Samsung LCD-TV (720p) is actually 1176 x 664.
>>
>> It's so nice to see the task bar, system tray and title bar of maximized
>> windows again! Smile

)
>>
>> "Petergut" wrote:
>>
>>> The Vista desktop is just too large for my LCD TV, I can only just see
>>> the
>>> top corner of the Start button and its the same all round the four sides
>>> of
>>> the screen. I am running the latest Vista build with patches up to 1
>>> Aug 06.
>>> My graphics card is a Radeon x300/x550 with the latest Nvidia driver
>>> for
>>> Vista (7.7.9.0) and is connected via HDMI to my Panasonic 32" LCD TV.
>>> Any
>>> suggestions please, do I need a different card or is there something
>>> else
>>> wrong in my set-up? I have a JPEG image of the problem I can email if
>>> required.
>
>

Eivind · External Since: Oct 15, 2006 Posts: 2

Tom Scales is right about the native resolution of my TV. It is 1366 x 768,
but I have never been able to use that resolution. In Windows XP Media
Center, the Nvidia driver let me enter a custom resolution, so I have tried
using the native resolution, but the picture gets so fuzzy that I can't see a
thing.

I remembered using a resolution less than native, and was disappointed to
have less space on the desktop than I was hoping for. I think it was 1176 x
664 that worked in Windows XP Media Center too.

The graphics driver in Vista don't let me enter custom resolutions, and 1366
x 768 isn't in the list of predefined resolutions, so I can't test that until
I get a better driver from Nvidia.

I'm looking forward to 1800p TVs are cheap enough to buy. I guess 1920 x
1080 is an easier resolution to use with Media Center PCs.

"JW" wrote:

> I think he has done exactly the right thing and it is good that his TV will
> accept the overscan compensated resolution directly instead of haveing to
> empbed a 1176x664 image within normal 720p output using overscan
> compensation. The end result of either method is exactly the same since the
> TV upscales the 1176x664 image to 1366x768 so there is no difference in
> "bluriness" between them.
>
> "Tom Scales" <tjscales.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:%23XddBzG8GHA.2288@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> > Unfortunately, what you did is a work around. Your LCD is definately NOT
> > 1176x664. It is most likely 1366x768.
> >
> > When connected with a DVI->HDMI cable, the graphics card tries to emulate
> > being connected to a CRT. Since some of the CRT is 'hidden' behind the
> > bezel, it overscans and pushes some of the content off the screen.
> >
> > You're wasting your LCD and resulting in a resolution that is fuzzy
> > compared to native.
> >
> > Since you say you have the X300/X550, I assume you mean the ATI drivers,
> > not the nVidia drivers? Regardless, you need to go into the advanced
> > settings and correct the overscan to get to your native resolution.
> >
> > Tom
> >
> >
> > "Eivind" <Eivind.TakeThisOut@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:CE67AC57-56F2-4648-AED7-B72396C242B7@microsoft.com...
> >> After several weeks searching for a new driver and any other solution to
> >> this
> >> problem, I finally found that the solution is quite easy. Smile

> >>
> >> Just go to the Display Settings, and click the Advanced Settings...
> >> button,
> >> which should display a dialog with a List All Modes... button. The
> >> resolution
> >> that fits for my Samsung LCD-TV (720p) is actually 1176 x 664.
> >>
> >> It's so nice to see the task bar, system tray and title bar of maximized
> >> windows again! Smile

)
> >>
> >> "Petergut" wrote:
> >>
> >>> The Vista desktop is just too large for my LCD TV, I can only just see
> >>> the
> >>> top corner of the Start button and its the same all round the four sides
> >>> of
> >>> the screen. I am running the latest Vista build with patches up to 1
> >>> Aug 06.
> >>> My graphics card is a Radeon x300/x550 with the latest Nvidia driver
> >>> for
> >>> Vista (7.7.9.0) and is connected via HDMI to my Panasonic 32" LCD TV.
> >>> Any
> >>> suggestions please, do I need a different card or is there something
> >>> else
> >>> wrong in my set-up? I have a JPEG image of the problem I can email if
> >>> required.
> >
> >
>
>
>

JW · External Since: Jun 17, 2006 Posts: 1042

I would think your best bet then would be to use 1360x768 over VGA if that
is available. Since to use an interface that overscans the input would
cause poo results since apparently you would have to use 720p output and
overscanning support in the driver or a 3rd party application like
PowerStrip to underscan the output.

"Eivind" <Eivind.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:250F2E10-4640-4D53-A371-EF88E91928CF@microsoft.com...
> Tom Scales is right about the native resolution of my TV. It is 1366 x
> 768,
> but I have never been able to use that resolution. In Windows XP Media
> Center, the Nvidia driver let me enter a custom resolution, so I have
> tried
> using the native resolution, but the picture gets so fuzzy that I can't
> see a
> thing.
>
> I remembered using a resolution less than native, and was disappointed to
> have less space on the desktop than I was hoping for. I think it was 1176
> x
> 664 that worked in Windows XP Media Center too.
>
> The graphics driver in Vista don't let me enter custom resolutions, and
> 1366
> x 768 isn't in the list of predefined resolutions, so I can't test that
> until
> I get a better driver from Nvidia.
>
> I'm looking forward to 1800p TVs are cheap enough to buy. I guess 1920 x
> 1080 is an easier resolution to use with Media Center PCs.
>
> "JW" wrote:
>
>> I think he has done exactly the right thing and it is good that his TV
>> will
>> accept the overscan compensated resolution directly instead of haveing to
>> empbed a 1176x664 image within normal 720p output using overscan
>> compensation. The end result of either method is exactly the same since
>> the
>> TV upscales the 1176x664 image to 1366x768 so there is no difference in
>> "bluriness" between them.
>>
>> "Tom Scales" <tjscales.RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:%23XddBzG8GHA.2288@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> > Unfortunately, what you did is a work around. Your LCD is definately
>> > NOT
>> > 1176x664. It is most likely 1366x768.
>> >
>> > When connected with a DVI->HDMI cable, the graphics card tries to
>> > emulate
>> > being connected to a CRT. Since some of the CRT is 'hidden' behind the
>> > bezel, it overscans and pushes some of the content off the screen.
>> >
>> > You're wasting your LCD and resulting in a resolution that is fuzzy
>> > compared to native.
>> >
>> > Since you say you have the X300/X550, I assume you mean the ATI
>> > drivers,
>> > not the nVidia drivers? Regardless, you need to go into the advanced
>> > settings and correct the overscan to get to your native resolution.
>> >
>> > Tom
>> >
>> >
>> > "Eivind" <Eivind.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> > news:CE67AC57-56F2-4648-AED7-B72396C242B7@microsoft.com...
>> >> After several weeks searching for a new driver and any other solution
>> >> to
>> >> this
>> >> problem, I finally found that the solution is quite easy. Smile

>> >>
>> >> Just go to the Display Settings, and click the Advanced Settings...
>> >> button,
>> >> which should display a dialog with a List All Modes... button. The
>> >> resolution
>> >> that fits for my Samsung LCD-TV (720p) is actually 1176 x 664.
>> >>
>> >> It's so nice to see the task bar, system tray and title bar of
>> >> maximized
>> >> windows again! Smile

)
>> >>
>> >> "Petergut" wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> The Vista desktop is just too large for my LCD TV, I can only just
>> >>> see
>> >>> the
>> >>> top corner of the Start button and its the same all round the four
>> >>> sides
>> >>> of
>> >>> the screen. I am running the latest Vista build with patches up to 1
>> >>> Aug 06.
>> >>> My graphics card is a Radeon x300/x550 with the latest Nvidia driver
>> >>> for
>> >>> Vista (7.7.9.0) and is connected via HDMI to my Panasonic 32" LCD TV.
>> >>> Any
>> >>> suggestions please, do I need a different card or is there something
>> >>> else
>> >>> wrong in my set-up? I have a JPEG image of the problem I can email
>> >>> if
>> >>> required.
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>

green1706 · External Since: Jul 24, 2009 Posts: 1

Eivind;2256516 Wrote:
> After several weeks searching for a new driver and any other solution to
> this
> problem, I finally found that the solution is quite easy. Smile

>
> Just go to the Display Settings, and click the Advanced Settings...
> button,
> which should display a dialog with a List All Modes... button. The
> resolution
> that fits for my Samsung LCD-TV (720p) is actually 1176 x 664.
>
> It's so nice to see the task bar, system tray and title bar of
> maximized
> windows again! Smile

)
>
> "Petergut" wrote:
>
> > The Vista desktop is just too large for my 'LED TV'
> (http://www.led-tvs.info/), I can only just see the
> > top corner of the Start button and its the same all round the four
> sides of
> > the screen. I am running the latest Vista build with patches up to 1
> Aug 06.
> > My graphics card is a Radeon x300/x550 with the latest Nvidia driver
> for
> > Vista (7.7.9.0) and is connected via HDMI to my Panasonic 32" LCD TV.
> Any
> > suggestions please, do I need a different card or is there something
> else
> > wrong in my set-up? I have a JPEG image of the problem I can email
> if
> > required.

that does not happen with LED TV. LED TV is a term used by Samsung to
describe its line of LCD (liquid crystal display) TVsthat use LED
backlighting.
LED-backlit LCD TVs do differ from conventional LCD TVs in some
important areas:
1- They can produce a very bright image and deep blacks (doesn't work
for Edge-LED
2- With Edge-LED lighting they can be extremely slim.
3- They can offer lower power consumption.
4- They can offer a wider colour gamut, especially when RGB-LED
backlighting is used.

--
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