Thinkpads Forum

I have a 16:9 plasma television I'm using as an external display, it's native resolution is WXGA.

Using the "clone" feature on my thinkpad (2623DDU T60p), there are only standard aspect ratios available for output to the TV (since clone has to match the standard aspect res of the thinkpad screen.)

But using an "extended desktop" (instead of a clone) you can indipendantly set the resolutions of the thinkpad and the tv. For instance, you can run UXGA on the thinkpad and XGA on the tv at the same time.

Anyone know if there's a way (different ATi driver or something stupid I'm missing) to display UXGA on the thinkpad but WXGA on the TV? It seems like the problem is that the ATi driver, or maybe just Windows itself, is assuming my external device is standard aspect. If I extend my desktop to the plasma, it's not giving me any wide aspects to choose from.

When I play a DVD on the thinkpad, I want the output sent to the TV in widscreen, not standard w/ bars.

Windows cannot do it. If you clone, it has to be the same resolution.

if you extend, it should be able to do whatever reso you want. Try forcing custom resolutions for the TV through the ATI drivers if its not giving you the WXGA reso, as S-Vid doesnt trasmit what resolutions it supports like VGA does.

lithium726 wrote:if you extend, it should be able to do whatever reso you want. Try forcing custom resolutions for the TV through the ATI drivers if its not giving you the WXGA reso, as S-Vid doesnt trasmit what resolutions it supports like VGA does.

I don't have S-vid. My "TV" is a 50" WXGA monitor, I just go VGA out from the laptop right into it.

I guess it's the driver, I can't find a wide aspect anywhere on any of the desktop / screen config screens that I can force it to use, they just don't show up as a choice. I'll try the x1k drivers I guess.

Have you tried changing the monitor type that the TV detects as? Does the monitor manufacturer release a monitor driver?