The ATI catalyst control centre has software rotation functions for any lcd monitor plugged in.

The really great thing about the widescreen in lfs is that for the first time i can race in '1st person' mode giving a far more realistic view with mirrors and wheel. With normal monitor i just hated the reduced FOV it gave and you ended up having to distort the view zoom.

This is an in-car 1680 x 1050 view

I also have widescreen, 24"CRT, and used to play with that sort of FOV.

Now however I've switched to 50-55 degrees FOV. Only downside is now I have to use virtual dials and I can't see the side mirrors. But, it's so much more realistic, and easier to drive optimal lines for me!



Ps. My monitor has just started giving some problems since last week, flashes and thin diagonal line, so I'll be looking for a replacement.

I can see how using virtual dials and not seeing your mirrors is realistic lol

I'm planning to hang the monitor off my forehead so I can crank the FoV up a bit. Having trouble finding anybody who's got stock of this 22" Samsung though - looks like it's a popular screen.

Quote from Davo :

I can see how using virtual dials and not seeing your mirrors is realistic lol

Hmm you're sort of looking out of the windscreen as usual in a car

22" = pure driving goodness. I've got a Viewsonic one. It really is a pleasing size in LFS and general computing. The increase in immersion I experienced was really surprising (jumping from 17" widescreen).

More importantly than size, the increase in resolution is awesome IMO. Being able to see higher detail, down-track, and up close, combined with the size is just crazy.

As for the gpu, as long as he only plays LFS, he should be okay for a while, but he leaves himself with a system that has plenty of cpu power whenever he needs to get a newer gpu.

Well since everyone is sharing their computer specs might as well post mine.
Compaq 7500 18 In' screen.
AMD Athlon XP 3200+, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.2GHz
512MB RAM
NVIDIA Geforce FX 5200 128.0 MB

Total cost:$000.00 (AKA F R E E) lol.

Got this as a "Hand-me-down" from father...Once i get more cash im upgrading though, LFS runs horribly on it (averages 30 FPS)

Just a quick FYI: Received a Samsung 226BW from Pixmania (the only people who had them in stock - it's like trying to buy a Wii!) yesterday, just got a chance to give it a go today and it's really lush. Very bright, vivid colours, dark blacks, super-sharp text, only complaint so far is some banding on my (Don & Kid's) sky textures in LFS but I haven't even tried adjusting it yet - this is just how it looks out of the box.

100% impressed, would highly recommend. Haven't tried it with an FPS game yet but what the hell, I never play FPS games these days anyway.

Edit: Oh, and ignore my previous post, it does have DVI and DSUB inputs. And it looks insane in portrait mode. :eek:

Quote from thisnameistaken :

Just a quick FYI: Received a Samsung 226BW from Pixmania (the only people who had them in stock - it's like trying to buy a Wii!) yesterday, just got a chance to give it a go today and it's really lush. Very bright, vivid colours, dark blacks, super-sharp text, only complaint so far is some banding on my (Don & Kid's) sky textures in LFS but I haven't even tried adjusting it yet - this is just how it looks out of the box.

i thought that was in the texture (or the way LFS renders it), at least at Fern Bay?

Quote from Jakg :

i thought that was in the texture (or the way LFS renders it), at least at Fern Bay?

Not sure. It certainly didn't look like that on my old Iiyama CRT, but then nothing looked very clear on that screen by comparison.

I just need a better computer now so I can actually use all this resolution in games other than LFS...

Quote from Jakg :

my Dad has a 37 inch HD TV hooked up to his PC, cant wait to try LFS on it

I was thinking of a similar HDTV setup instead of a 22in LCD Monitor.

Could you post a pic when you try it?
Sounds like a great (yet pricey) combo.

Quote from anttt69 :

I was thinking of a similar HDTV setup instead of a 22in LCD Monitor.

Could you post a pic when you try it?
Sounds like a great (yet pricey) combo.

The only thing I would be worried about is that a lot of the HD LCD TVs out at the moment will only do up to 1366x768, this is fine for 720P movies etc, but isn't really that high a resolution for gaming.

There are of course the 1080 TVs which would do 1920x1080, but as I understand it these sets are considerably more expensive at the moment.

Quote from Bean0 :

The only thing I would be worried about is that a lot of the HD LCD TVs out at the moment will only do up to 1366x768, this is fine for 720P movies etc, but isn't really that high a resolution for gaming.

heres something i dont get
why in the name of all that is holy are 720 tvs sold with that odd resolution ? all youll get is a washed out interpolated picture

Quote from Shotglass :

heres something i dont get
why in the name of all that is holy are 720 tvs sold with that odd resolution ? all youll get is a washed out interpolated picture

Not sure what you mean?

HDTV is broadcast in either 720p or 1080i.

720p is now 1366x768, which is the native resolution of lcds 720p.
1080i is 1920x1080, but the picture Is infact interlaced. This only matches the outdated CRT HDTVs in true format.

1080p is only available via hi-def discs right now, and nothing is being planned to be broadcast in this format, for now.

Having played LFS for years on a 17" 720p LCD (1280x768) I can say that I would not like going back down to that resolution from my new 1680x1050. You get a lot less information via 720p, but it is a great resolution for tv's under 50". This is because you are not sitting close and focusing on one part of the screen, rather you are taking in the whole scene.

1080p would be good for a monitor/tv combo, because it would give you the better pc resolution (more information/detail).

R600 from AMD (Ati) will have native HDMI support, so that will definately make it easier for you using your HDTV's in double duty.

Quote from srdsprinter :

Not sure what you mean?

most of all hdtvs sold are neither 1080 nor 720 so in fact 720 has to be blown up to that odd 1300res which will look washed out

Quote :

R600 from AMD (Ati) will have native HDMI support, so that will definately make it easier for you using your HDTV's in double duty.

dvi _is_ hdmi ... all cards have had native hdmi support since quite a few years

Quote from Shotglass :

most of all hdtvs sold are neither 1080 nor 720 so in fact 720 has to be blown up to that odd 1300res which will look washed out



dvi _is_ hdmi ... all cards have had native hdmi support since quite a few years

1) I have no idea what you mean, and I don't believe you do either.

2) 1366X768 is "720p". It is completely native, 1 pixel sent, 1 pixel shown.

3) Both are digital yes, but the conversion of the mediums is not 'native'.

Quote from srdsprinter :

1366X768 is "720p". It is completely native, 1 pixel sent, 1 pixel shown.

720p is 1280*720 ... is it really that hard to understand that the resolutions are different ?

Indeed, surely 720p means 720 horizontal lines, therefore lines have to be made up somewhere.

Anyway, referring to the PC gaming snobs thread lol, all OMGWTFHAXHDTV is amazing talk, brought about with the new generation of consoles able to output HD resolutions, is really nothing to shout about.

We've got a 32" HD LCD tv at home, and tbh yes its nice, but you cant sit closer than a few meters away from it, not that you;d want to I suppose. However my 20" LCD monitor has a resolution of 1680x1050, and its crystal clear at 20cm away.

Anyway its late and I've basically forgotten the point I was trying to make, apart from dont use a TV for PC use.

Quote from Shotglass :

720p is 1280*720 ... is it really that hard to understand that the resolutions are different ?

720p WAS 1280x720. Most everything 720p is now shot in 1366x768. Which is why my lcd was outdated with its 16:10 pc format of 1280x768 could do the original 720p, but now would have to scale some.

People just call it 720p because it was easier than having this discussion we're having and calling it 768p.

Either way, the amount of scaling is really quite small.

Quote from srdsprinter :

720p WAS 1280x720. Most everything 720p is now shot in 1366x768. Which is why my lcd was outdated with its 16:10 pc format of 1280x768 could do the original 720p, but now would have to scale some.

People just call it 720p because it was easier than having this discussion we're having and calling it 768p.

Either way, the amount of scaling is really quite small.

rubbish

Quote from srdsprinter :

720p WAS 1280x720. Most everything 720p is now shot in 1366x768. Which is why my lcd was outdated with its 16:10 pc format of 1280x768 could do the original 720p, but now would have to scale some.

People just call it 720p because it was easier than having this discussion we're having and calling it 768p.

Either way, the amount of scaling is really quite small.

No, 720p and 768p are different things. Some devices can output both, a PC for example. However with devices that only output 720p, the lines are scaled up to 768p.

Quote from Shotglass :

rubbish

I actually asked a guy at Media Markt once why all the so called HDTV's have the wrong resolution and he told me it was because 720p was outdated. LOL.

also 768p isnt even a video standard by any means if anything its 1024*768

im guess it was simpler to adjust the panel production lines to simply make wider displays and scale up from 1024*768 rather than building proper 720p displays

http://www.reuters.com/article ... ews/idUSL0959077120070209

"The report said some 58 percent of HD homes were currently found in the United States and 20 percent in Japan, with Britain, Canada, China and Germany also high on the list."

Face it. If there is one things Americans do, it is watch TV.
Enjoy your unfounded bickering as to how "terrible the 720p scaling is" as I've nothing more to add here.

I'll be the first to admit that european HDTV is in an abysmal state. But how does this help your claim that there is such a thing as 768p HDTV?