ARRRGH!!! Widescreen monitor and stretched out games.

[aimeeandbeatles]

Okay, so I have a few games without widescreen support, and I've already tried running them in windowed mode but it didn't work. And the aspect ratio is wrong, and most of them look extremely bad. So I did some googling and it told me to check the aspect ratio scaling.

I tried looking at the NVIDIA Control Panel, and the help file told me to go to the "Change display (flat panel) scaling" to change this. But look....

What do I do now? Should I try updating the drivers? 'Cos I think they're up to date....

EDIT: Oh, I forgot to mention, my video card's a NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS.

 

[Zelig]

Latest drivers are 182.50. (click on "System Information" in the lower left to check)

Spoiler :

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

My driver's a bit outdated. Off to get the update. (And might as well do the Windows Updates at the same time, since I'll have to reboot.) Will edit this when I'm done.

EDIT: I updated the drivers successfully (unlike those old ATI drivers), however nothing changed. I looked to see if the OS knew what type of monitor I had -- and it did. It thinks its a CRT. Googling brought up this but there seems to be no solution. Any idea now?

ANOTHER EDIT: Just noticed the help file says you need a special cable for the card to know its an LCD. Is there a way to tell the card that its an LCD without the cable?

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Ah, you dont have flat panel scaling. mine does and I can make the flat panel obey the aspect ratio, basically keeping everything in its required resolution by putting black bars around it. Guess you're gonna have to deal with it.Alternatively, for older games you can run a virtual machine which has the desired resolution.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Well, I figured if I could get it into windowed mode, it'd do something -- but it refuses to switch over, with everything I tried.

See if I can find an app that'll force it into windowed.

EDIT: Found this for DirectX games.
http://appaholic.co.uk/2007/10/16/dxwnd-force-almost-anything-into-a-windowed-mode/

ANOTHER EDIT: Guess what? Game crashed.

YET ANOTHER EDIT: I'm gonna try the Omega drivers to see if they have scaling.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page -- could be of some help.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

 

[Maniacal]

Exactly why I see no reason to get a widescreen... also I don't think I have room for a 21 inch.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Exactly why I see no reason to get a widescreen... also I don't think I have room for a 21 inch.

Unless you're playing old old games like aimee is that have the resolution hardcoded, you should get a widescreen. Either that, or two 4:3 monitors side by side. Most games can do widescreen, especially if released in the last half-decade. For many others there are hacks out there to get them working on a widescreen res.
Go to the widescreengaming.com link I posted earlier and see which of the games you play a lot do not have widescreen support.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I know a few of my newer games (last 2 years or so) I had to change resolution if it didnt autodetect. On the ones that don't, the people look.... I'll say solidly built.

 

[Maniacal]

Unless you're playing old old games like aimee is that have the resolution hardcoded, you should get a widescreen. Either that, or two 4:3 monitors side by side. Most games can do widescreen, especially if released in the last half-decade. For many others there are hacks out there to get them working on a widescreen res.
Go to the widescreengaming.com link I posted earlier and see which of the games you play a lot do not have widescreen support.

Quite a few games don't seem to have true widescreen support and I don't see the point in having to hack something. The noyl games I'd play on a widescreen would be first person games, other than that I prefer having a square and equal visibiltiy on all sides.

Using that site some games I play a lot or know I will play don't look that great in widescreen.

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots/rome-tw.php

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots/soldiers-howw2.php

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots/swat4.php

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots/mafia.php

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots/clearsky.php (Yes it is a nice main menu,but how about in game?)

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I think I know what I have to do to get NVIDIA to detect the LCD.... I have to plug in a special (and probably expensive) cable.

 

[Zelig]

Quite a few games don't seem to have true widescreen support and I don't see the point in having to hack something. The noyl games I'd play on a widescreen would be first person games, other than that I prefer having a square and equal visibiltiy on all sides.

Using that site some games I play a lot or know I will play don't look that great in widescreen.

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots/rome-tw.php

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots/soldiers-howw2.php

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots/swat4.php

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots/mafia.php

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/screenshots/clearsky.php (Yes it is a nice main menu,but how about in game?)

And other games don't have 4:3 support:

Alone in the Dark (2008)
Another World: High-Res CE
Assassin's Creed
Bionic Commando Rearmed
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
Condemned: Criminal Origins
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
The Last Remnant
Mirror's Edge
Penny Arcade Adventures
Resident Evil 4
RoboBlitz
Shaun White Snowboarding

 

[Genocidicbunny]

I think I know what I have to do to get NVIDIA to detect the LCD.... I have to plug in a special (and probably expensive) cable.

You mean DVI? Because if it doesnt detect it then, then it never will. Your display may not be compatible with Vista. ( or something like that, look for drivers)

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Vista detects my display as a NOC, but NVIDIA doesn't.

 

[Maniacal]

And other games don't have 4:3 support:

Alone in the Dark (2008)
Another World: High-Res CE
Assassin's Creed
Bionic Commando Rearmed
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
Condemned: Criminal Origins
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
The Last Remnant
Mirror's Edge
Penny Arcade Adventures
Resident Evil 4
RoboBlitz
Shaun White Snowboarding

None of those interest me, and most of them are crap.

 

[GravityWave]

Vista detects my display as a NOC, but NVIDIA doesn't.

DVI cables are not that expensive. You might find this helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface#Connector

You need a DVI out on the GFX card to be directly connected to a DVI in on the monitor - no voodoo involving converters.