Thinkpads Forum

Hi,

I do need a bit of help. I tried to use my TV LCD as a second monitor. The native resolution of the TV is 1920x1080 (full HD). When i set the resolution at 1920x1080, the image is smaller (20% of the surface of the screen has remained black).

Any ideea what is the problem and what can i do so i can use all the screen of the TV LCD

The TV model is: LG 32LF2500
I used my X60s laptop.

Thank you!

Silly question, I know, but are you sure that whatever you are trying to output to that screen is indeed 1920x1080? If it is a video, then there are lots of variations of widescreen video sizes that will leave bars across the top and bottom. Are the bars across the top and bottom or around the entire display?

Phil.

cuart, welcome to the forum!

Most HDTVs can properly run their native resolutions only when you use their digital inputs, e.g. HDMI. For example, I have two HDTVs, one 1920x1080 and the other 1366x768. When I drive them via VGA, the former goes up to only 1680x1050 and the latter only 1280x720.

Do you have a desktop computer with DVI output? I bet if you use a DVI-to-HDMI cable (or a DVI cable plus an HDMI adapter) to drive your monitor, you would get a perfect 1920x1080 image. But unfortunately, the X60s can only send out VGA, even with a dock.

@phil: i tried to extend the desktop on the external monitor (TV LCD). I used the settings from "display properties" to set 1920x1080. So the image should have been at fullhd resolution.
That black bar was only on the left side of the screen (covering about 20% of the screen surface)

@pianowizard: True, i used the regular VGA output from x60s. Unfortuntately i don't have home a desktop to try the HDMI as output.
Still i saw on this forum some posts where people are saying that they could set on external monitor at fullhd resolution. How did they do it?

Thank you for your replays!

cuart wrote:Still i saw on this forum some posts where people are saying that they could set on external monitor at fullhd resolution. How did they do it?

VGA is not a problem for conventional monitors. It's a problem only for HDTVs. Have you tried using lower resolutions than 1920x1080, e.g. 1280x720? Also, have you tried the HDTV's "Auto adjust" feature, which may center the image on the screen.

You are going to have to trick the TV into thinking it is receiving a HDTV signal and not a computer signal. The problem is overscan. I don't know the particulars of your TV, but if your graphics driver offers HDTV resolutions, I suggest trying one or two of them. If TV resolutions are not available you can use software like PowerStrip to set custom resolutions. You want something a little larger than 1920x1080 (probably), and the same timing as HDTV. You will also be able to adjust the "porches" to adjust the positioning of the image on the screen.

Just undertand that it has been years since I've done any of this. Back before HDTV had HDMI inputs and such. We were working strictly with analog signals back then. So, ymmv.

It says that "an image is doing more then a thousand words", so let me post few images so u can see what am i talking about.

1360 x 768 resolution:


1600 x 1050 resolution:


1920 x 1080 resolution:


1920 x 1080 resolution (larger view):


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

@pianowizard:
As you can see, i already tried to use few resolution.

@Neil: What do i have to do so i can trick the TV into thinking it is receiving a HDTV signal? I tried 2 resolution that are above HDTV (1360x768). The best cover of the screen surface i get using the 1600x1050 and for a crisp image a have to set 1920x1080 (unfortunately as u can see from the images i get lot's of unused space + the image looks a bit squezze on horizontal.)

regards,

I would suggest searching HTPC forums for custom resolutions that work with your particular make and model TV.

EDIT: After re-reading you post above, it looks like what you have tried are PC resolutions. Just for giggles why not try some HDTV resolutions like 1280x720 @ 50Hz or 1920x1080 @ 50Hz, etc. If none of those work just right, try tweaking the timing and/or porches until you get something that works right. It's been a few years since I've done any of this, but I think PowerStrip allows real time adjustments so you can see what difference changes are making. The idea is to make the PC output look just like the signal from a BR disk player. It's not just resolution. There are several other factors involved.