Widescreen gaming - can you see more (better view)?

ski · 12-05-2003, 08:00 AM

Hey hey,

on a widescreen (LCD or laptop), if your resolution is set to widescreen aspect ratio, will you get vertical black boxes on the sides (kinda like the ones you get on regular TV's with widescreen DVD's)...

or do you get a better view (seeing more periphoral vision in a first person game)?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

gear02 · 12-05-2003, 08:32 AM

you mean horizontal black bars on the top and bottom right?

ski · 12-05-2003, 08:59 AM

well, it's the reverse of DVD's, since games were meant for "square" screens, while DVD's were meant for widescreens

gear02 · 12-05-2003, 09:07 AM

oh right...

I think it does. Take Madden. If you set it to widescreen, you'll see more of the field.

Think about it, when you set it to widescreen the resolution increases so you'll have more pixels. So I bet you you'll see more of the view.

DaFunkyUnit · 12-05-2003, 09:09 AM

some games explicitly support it. I know for a fact that Metroid and F-Zero for the Gamecube both have options that set the display to widescreen aspect ratio.

ski · 12-05-2003, 02:35 PM

See, that's what I was thinkin CF... "ewwww, everyone's FAT!"

LegendKiller · 12-05-2003, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chosenfool
dont it just STRETCH the images?

You have to remember that rendering engines are dynamic in the aspect of resolution. It is not like TV where the resolution is fixed by the film size. Stretching film results in distortion because there is no more picture to be found.

However, rendering engines can make more field. Thus, displaying a wider image will just show more of the field, as previously mentioned, not stretch them out. If the engine were not dynamic, it would fill that extra side stuff with graphics by stretching. However, since it is dynamic it does render more to each side.

LK

Startide · 12-06-2003, 05:44 PM

There are widescreens and then there are the ultra-wide screens.

For example, the Dell Inspiron 8600 comes with various Plus type screen sizes such as WUGXA+ at 1680x1050 in size. A lot of games will have a black border around the edge if you do nothing.

Some games will adapt themselves if you provide a command line option for the screen resolution. Homeworld 2 is like this. The normal resolutions from inside the game's preference pages don't cover the odd size of the Inspiron 8600 1680x1050 screen, so the Homeworld 2 makers also let you set the resolution as a command line option.

Games that don't have resolution modification features inside can still be made to fit the screen by stretching using the options of your WinXp (or Win9x) screen preferences. What you would do in this case is find the largest resolution supported by the game's preferences and select that. Then go to the operating system and set the preferences to match that resolution. Stretching may occur though which means a slight blurry effect.

In a lot of ways, that is why buying screens with a "standard" resolution supported by both games and cards is a good thing. Most LCD monitors, games, and drivers support 1280x1024 resolution, so that is generally a safe type to buy.

12-05-2003, 08:00 AM	#1
ski Admiral Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Utah Posts: 5,420	Widescreen gaming - can you see more (better view)? Hey hey, on a widescreen (LCD or laptop), if your resolution is set to widescreen aspect ratio, will you get vertical black boxes on the sides (kinda like the ones you get on regular TV's with widescreen DVD's)... or do you get a better view (seeing more periphoral vision in a first person game)? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? __________________ And closer...

12-05-2003, 09:09 AM	#5
DaFunkyUnit Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: the peanut gallery Posts: 3,909	some games explicitly support it. I know for a fact that Metroid and F-Zero for the Gamecube both have options that set the display to widescreen aspect ratio. __________________

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12-05-2003, 08:32 AM	#2
gear02 Admiral Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 7,223	you mean horizontal black bars on the top and bottom right?

12-05-2003, 08:59 AM	#3
ski Admiral Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Utah Posts: 5,420	well, it's the reverse of DVD's, since games were meant for "square" screens, while DVD's were meant for widescreens

12-05-2003, 09:07 AM	#4
gear02 Admiral Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 7,223	oh right... I think it does. Take Madden. If you set it to widescreen, you'll see more of the field. Think about it, when you set it to widescreen the resolution increases so you'll have more pixels. So I bet you you'll see more of the view.

12-05-2003, 02:35 PM	#6
ski Admiral Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Utah Posts: 5,420	See, that's what I was thinkin CF... "ewwww, everyone's FAT!"

12-06-2003, 05:44 PM	#8
Startide USB Guy Join Date: Jul 2000 Posts: 253	There are widescreens and then there are the ultra-wide screens. For example, the Dell Inspiron 8600 comes with various Plus type screen sizes such as WUGXA+ at 1680x1050 in size. A lot of games will have a black border around the edge if you do nothing. Some games will adapt themselves if you provide a command line option for the screen resolution. Homeworld 2 is like this. The normal resolutions from inside the game's preference pages don't cover the odd size of the Inspiron 8600 1680x1050 screen, so the Homeworld 2 makers also let you set the resolution as a command line option. Games that don't have resolution modification features inside can still be made to fit the screen by stretching using the options of your WinXp (or Win9x) screen preferences. What you would do in this case is find the largest resolution supported by the game's preferences and select that. Then go to the operating system and set the preferences to match that resolution. Stretching may occur though which means a slight blurry effect. In a lot of ways, that is why buying screens with a "standard" resolution supported by both games and cards is a good thing. Most LCD monitors, games, and drivers support 1280x1024 resolution, so that is generally a safe type to buy.

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