Flat Panel Scaling

[Wizrdwarts]

I have a 1280x1024 monitor, but I play at 1024x768 because my computer can't handle anything higher. Now 1280x1024 is 5:4 and 1024x768 is 4:3.

Here's my question
On the Nvidia control panel, there's 4 options:
Nvidia scaling
Nvidia scaling w/fixed aspect ratio
Own display's scaling
Don't scale

Now the last 2 I don't want to use, but I don't know what to choose. Do most video games already adjust the screen for a fitting aspect ratio? (like will stuff look like it should or will it be stretched and stuff?)

[venny]

bf2142 will looked stretched. but nt much since 5:4 is not really a big diff frm 4:3. widescreen will be the most stretched. games that fully support other modes like widescreen will reveal more of the game on the screen, however, revealing more in bf2142 is considered unfair, so the game is simply stretched to fit. most games that dont fully support other res also use the stretch to fit method.
the control panel lets u force a certain size on ur screen, however it might create empty black spaces at the side.

[Wizrdwarts]

LCDs don't burn right?
Just making sure.

[MikeyC]

LCDs don't burn right?
Just making sure.

Well yes they CAN suffer from burn in, but only if you leave the same image up for months, 24/7. They're not nearly as bad as CRTs though.

As far as the scaling goes, I've actually got a 19" 3:4 sitting next to my 22" 16:10, and since I have two copies of 1242 I can play them side-by-side (with the rez fix in the shortcut). Useful for testing hit boxes and ranges and practicing stuff... Anyhow, I guess I've been playing on the widescreen for so long (since December) that the normal aspect ratio looks "pinched" to me.

I'll see if I can take a picture of it...

[Wizrdwarts]

I thought forcing rez only streched the HUD and 2D overlays, etc, not the "world".

[MikeyC]

Ok here ya go. Check out how far the feet are from the bottom of the screen. Since they are the exact same distance from eachother you can see how widescreen resolution works in 2142:

19" 4:3


22" 16:10


The world doesn't seem stretched but the hud and overlays definitely are:

[Wizrdwarts]

So if the world isn't stretched and you don't get black bars, wouldn't that mean you're losing some field of view up and down wise?

[peeth]

^ yes

[MikeyC]

So if the world isn't stretched and you don't get black bars, wouldn't that mean you're losing some field of view up and down wise?

Yes but you learn to compensate for it pretty easily. Since you're mainly looking at the center of the screen 90% of the time anyhow, you don't mis the bits that get lopped off, and since I'm constantly looking around, up and down, I don't even miss it.

Once you've tried it it's hard to go back even. Just feels more natural to me now I guess. :)

[Wizrdwarts]

Is there anyway I can crop of some of my screen without using the force rez trick? 5:4 is really not much different from 4:3 so I don't think I'll be losing much.

At 1280x1024 the black bars are about a quarter inch tall on the top and bottom.