Playing On A Widescreen TV

[Fish40]

I was wondering how many out there are playing on a big screen TV? I have a 47" LG LED TV, and I'm itching to try my sims on it. My GC has an HDMI output on it, so I figure I could hook up an HDMI cable from the PC to the TV. If anyone could give me any tips on how to do this, I'd be most appreciative:yep: Thanks.

[WernherVonTrapp]

If you have an HDMI Input on the TV, it should be a snap. Just plug it in. If your TV isn't HDMI friendly, it may be just a matter of using an adapter of some sort, which all depends on what type of input jacks your TV supports.

[Stargazer]

Green with envy at the 47inches.

I'm playing on a 32" telly and it looks sublime. I'm currently connected via DVI on the graphics card to the 15pin VGA in on the telly. It looks awesome and displays full 1920x1080 with no hiccups.

I've had someone tell me that I should switch to use the HDMI out on my card and run that into one of the HDMI ports on the TV, but I havn't done simply because there's nothing wrong with how things are now.

I'm not sure if the higher resolutions require using HDMI for quality purposes or if it's the larger viewing area at any resolution that makes the image break up.

Just stick an HDMI cable in and give it a whirl. Chances are, you're not going to be disappointed with what you see. HDMI being a clever interface, I think the graphics card shopuld pump frames through it as soon as you plug it in... And even if it doesn't, it should be little more than a tickbox in the graphics properties...

Regards,

Rob.

[Fish40]

Thanks for the info guys. Sounds pretty easy! One thing though, do I need to change the resolution to match that of the TV? I currently use 1600x900.

[Sailor Steve]

I'm playing on a 32" telly and it looks sublime. I'm currently connected via DVI on the graphics card to the 15pin VGA in on the telly. It looks awesome and displays full 1920x1080 with no hiccups.
Aww, man.... :damn:

I let folks talk me out of going that route because it wouldn't look as good as a "real" monitor. Still, with my 28" Hanns-G exactly 3 feet (91.5cm) from my eyebones I'm not complaining too much.

And yes, I just measured it to be sure.

[Fish40]

Don't feel too bad Steve. I still have to get the wife's OK for this one. Does the saying "It's like pulling teeth" ring a bell?:o

[stoppro]

Steve, you have 1900x1200 res. that as good or better or sharper than a big screen tv. and the mouse reacts better.I tried tv. went back to hannsG.

[Stargazer]

@Sailor Steve:

Everyone tried to talk me out of getting a 32" telly as well when I was speccing up my new rig. Everyone said that at the range I'd be from it that it would be horrible, but I did it anyway and I've never been happier.

I'm a very multi-genre gamer, and every thing I've tried, from Call of Duty 4 to Crysis, from IL2 1946 to DCS A10-C, all of it has been an absolute treat.

Next time you think you may want to try it, just do it. Or even if if you see a good 32" unit on sale somewhere, definately not a bad investment. Though, given that you're already 'almost' there, I'm guessing 37" or greater would be the next best (and most logical) step up.

@Fish40

You don't 'need' to match the TV resolution but if you can, it's best. When you connect a modern telly to a PC, it will function much like a monitor does. So if the resolution is lower than the panels capabilities, it will stretch it to fill the screen. This results in a blurring and pixelating.

The most important thing is to ensure you use the correct display ratio (16x9=TV Widescreen Vs 16x10=PC Widescreen). I can't remember off the top of my head what the resolution lists are for each type, but I know there are lists on various websites that are a lot of help. I even think Wikipedia has an accurate list of them (I know, what are the chances of wiki having something that's correct, eh?).

Rob.

[Gangrene]

If and when I get a new computer I'll be hooking it up to my 52" plasma.

[Father Goose]

I play both SH3-GWX and SH4 on a 46" tv and it looks awesome. I had trouble ("cannot initialize 3D engine") loading SH3 on my 24" Dell monitor (Windows 7 32-bit) which made me start using the big screen monitor. Wow!

I will still go back and use the Dell from time to time. Just something about the smaller screen that I like. Interesting, SH3 will work fine on the Dell as long as I load it first on the 46".

[Fish40]

Father Goose, did you have to change the resolution to match the TV's, or were you useing the same as for your Dell monitor. Just curious:hmmm:

[denny927]

im try to persuade my gf to buy a new tv after read this, but I think to know the answer...:O:

[Father Goose]

Fish40, (windows 7 1920X1200) I went to control panel/display/change display settings and just switched the "multiple displays" from "show desktop only on 1" to "show desktop only on 2". 2 of course is my 46" tv. No need to change any resolution.

SH3 loads with no issues. After it loads, I just switch back to "show desktop only on 1" which is the Dell monitor. Then SH3 runs with no issues on Dell. Just a work around I guess without having to change resolutions.