Matrix Games Forums

Hi, everytime Matrix release a new game my first question is: "Does the game support widescreen resolutions"?

Wouldn't it be great if Matrix added the info to the "Overview" or "More Info" page. I.e. this games runs in 1024x768 or in a window or this game run in any screen resolution your hardware supports?

Cheers
Mark

ORIGINAL: Cougar_DK
Wouldn't it be great if Matrix added the info to the "Overview" or "More Info" page. I.e. this games runs in 1024x768 or in a window or this game run in any screen resolution your hardware supports?

I'll second this.

It's not that you can't find this out by digging in the game's forum (as indeed, it's often one of the first questions asked) but this info should really be in the general info page of a game.

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx

Erik is actually planing this since weeks.

However we need to be very careful with the wording and specs there. Since when we state "widescreen not supported" it does not mean that the game won't run on a widescreen monitor. Wrong wording can make people believe they game will not run etc.

All of our games run on widescreen monitors of course.

Hi Marc, and thanx for your answer. And I know what you mean, the word has to be like native widescreen etc. My screen a NEC Multisync 20WGX2 can show ok 1024x768 but looks the best in its native 1680x1050 and therefore is a parameter for me when buying new games.

Maybe a list of supported resolutions (I know this list can be a little stange since some cards can make some really weird resolutions).

This is something that has caught games a little offgaurd, the proliferation of native modes on LCD's
 
I myself always try to run in native mode, but newer monitors are getting better at non-native modes. But still 1024x768 is outdated even for CRT standards.

Incase you have new nvidia cards there was a register-patch recently published by nvidia which fixes the widescreen settings in the nvidia panel (unable to change scaling due to HDCP). It makes a big difference in image-quality when playing games that have no real widescreen support (i.e Decisive Battles series).

http://nvidia.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/nvid ... 1177972007

Funnily it seems to be HDCP that causes the widescreen settings to fail. Just another example how customers are screwed over by nazi-type content protections. My widescreen has a very clear 1024x768 hardware scaling but i was unable to use it until now. Before this the drivers enforced nvidia scaling on 1024x768 which is just horrid looking.

You can usually also set the aspect ratio handling in your monitors preferences. It is amazing how often people forget about that [;)]

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

You can usually also set the aspect ratio handling in your monitors preferences. It is amazing how often people forget about that [;)]

I must confess this could be me. I havn't found this in the preferences. Running Nvidia 8800 GTS 640 OC2 with 158.22 in XP Pro SP2 (Danish).

ORIGINAL: Cougar_DK

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

You can usually also set the aspect ratio handling in your monitors preferences. It is amazing how often people forget about that [;)]

I must confess this could be me. I havn't found this in the preferences. Running Nvidia 8800 GTS 640 OC2 with 158.22 in XP Pro SP2 (Danish).

Check you monitors manual. I was talking about the monitor prefs, not the graphic card driver, although that is possible too.

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck
You can usually also set the aspect ratio handling in your monitors preferences. It is amazing how often people forget about that [;)]

Not in my 1 year old LG 32" LCD. That was actually one of the first things i checked.

ORIGINAL: Zakhal

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck
You can usually also set the aspect ratio handling in your monitors preferences. It is amazing how often people forget about that [;)]

Not in my 1 year old LG 32" LCD. That was actually one of the first things i checked.

Since, based their online catalog, LG does not have 32" monitors (the biggest one is a 30") you are probably talking about a TV LCD panel here, right?

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck
Since, based their online catalog, LG does not have 32" monitors (the biggest one is a 30") you are probably talking about a TV LCD panel here, right?

Its a TV LCD panel (LG RZ-32LZ55) made for PC basicly (connections & scaling etc). Just big enough to read PDF manuals from sofa with wireless mouse .

Dictionary "monitor":
8. Computers.
a. a component, as a CRT, with a screen for viewing data at a computer terminal.

Well its a screen for viewing data so i dont see your point if theres one. It views big wargame maps perfectly.

ORIGINAL: Zakhal

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

Dictionary "monitor":
8. Computers.
a. a component, as a CRT, with a screen for viewing data at a computer terminal.

Well its a screen for viewing data so i dont see your point if theres one. It views big wargame maps perfectly.

Yes exactly, a monitor is for a PC a TV LCD panel (note it is not called monitor in consumer speech) is not [;)]. Usually computer monitors are a little bit richer when it comes to features. Don't ask me why. But I do not want to sound like a bean counter. You can of course connect it to a PC, I was just asking to check the features of the model.

Anyway, on my LCD TV panel I can set the aspect ratios handling via the TV remote with a single button. Are you sure you can't set aspect ratios at all? If you can't do that at all with the LG TV then I'm afraid to say it is money out of the window. How is it going to display and interpolate regular 4:3 TV programs, those are still broadcasted by various TV stations?

All the bigscreen TVs I have ever dealt with has format settings you can rotate through. Some stretch the whole image to fill the screen. Some stretch the outside 2 inches to fill the screen. Some show the 'Pan and scan' ratio and display the black bars on the side. And yet another to zoom the screen (why you would want to do this is beyond me). All of these settings can be scrolled through by one button on the remote or on the TV itself.

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

You can usually also set the aspect ratio handling in your monitors preferences. It is amazing how often people forget about that [;)]

Unfortunately, many widescreen LCDs do not support this feature. Relying on software drivers doesn't help either, as the ATI's tool for this, referred to as "centered timings," hasn't worked since ATI introduced it. I'm not absolutely certain, though I believe NVIDIA may still be in the same boat. At the end of the day, the best option still remains native 16:10 aspect ratio support designed within the software application.

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck
Anyway, on my LCD TV panel I can set the aspect ratios handling via the TV remote with a single button. Are you sure you can't set aspect ratios at all? If you can't do that at all with the LG TV then I'm afraid to say it is money out of the window. How is it going to display and interpolate regular 4:3 TV programs, those are still broadcasted by various TV stations?

No aspect ratio settings. It just stretches the picture i guess. I havent watched much TV to take notice of it.

ORIGINAL: Zakhal

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck
Anyway, on my LCD TV panel I can set the aspect ratios handling via the TV remote with a single button. Are you sure you can't set aspect ratios at all? If you can't do that at all with the LG TV then I'm afraid to say it is money out of the window. How is it going to display and interpolate regular 4:3 TV programs, those are still broadcasted by various TV stations?

No aspect ratio settings. It just stretches the picture i guess. I havent watched much TV to take notice of it.

What's the model called? I can not believe a 1 year old TV panel does not support aspect ratios. How much did it costs?

ORIGINAL: flintlock

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

You can usually also set the aspect ratio handling in your monitors preferences. It is amazing how often people forget about that [;)]

Unfortunately, many widescreen LCDs do not support this feature. Relying on software drivers doesn't help either, as the ATI's tool for this, referred to as "centered timings," hasn't worked since ATI introduced it. I'm not absolutely certain, though I believe NVIDIA may still be in the same boat. At the end of the day, the best option still remains native 16:10 aspect ratio support designed within the software application.

I agree that support widescreen remains the best solution. However that is not the point of discussion here [;)]. It's about workarounds when such a support is not there.

"Many" as in "many old" LCDs, I agree on that. If you buy a new one or one that is like 2 or 3 years old you should actually have a hard time finding one that is not supporting various aspect ratios. If it does not support aspect ratios then, in all honesty, it is a complete misinvestment.

I have not used it in quite some time since my LCDs support aspect ratio settings. But from I remember the NVIDIA driver settings work pretty well for this kind of stuff.

ORIGINAL: rogueusmc

All the bigscreen TVs I have ever dealt with has format settings you can rotate through. Some stretch the whole image to fill the screen. Some stretch the outside 2 inches to fill the screen. Some show the 'Pan and scan' ratio and display the black bars on the side. And yet another to zoom the screen (why you would want to do this is beyond me). All of these settings can be scrolled through by one button on the remote or on the TV itself.

Yep, that's how it should be. Actually mine, which is really not a top of the line model or anything fancy at all, has a smart aspect ratio feature and picks the best one based on the signal. You can override this of course.

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck
What's the model called? I can not believe a 1 year old TV panel does not support aspect ratios. How much did it costs?

Ok you were right. There is one hidden under the remote arc-button. 5 aspect settings (2 on the PC). I faintly remember trying it out year ago but after that I guess I totally forgot it even exists.