Laptop to Plasma problem
 

My Dad has recently bought a 1080p plasma screen. He also has a laptop
with a vga out. The plasma has vga in so I figured we can output to
the plasma as an extended monitor.

However this is where the confusion starts. When I check the spec for
the plasma it's resolution is something like 1920 by 1080 which
figures considering it's spec. There is an option for this resolution
to be output from the laptop but when i set it to this for the vga out
the plasma goes blank.

Left to it's own devices this setup defaults the laptop to output a
4:3 ratio resolution something in the region of 1050 to 700 (figures
given as a rough idea) - whilst this gives a picture on the plasma I
am assuming that this isn't ideal and the 16:9 ration of the plasma
isn't being utilised. I am assuming that the vga protocol perhaps
doesn't support resolutions as high as the 1080p resolution?

The second query I have regarding this is if I clone the picture so
the laptop's resolution is also the resoltion output to the plasma the
picture on the plasma is in letterbox format i.e. horizontal bars top
and bottom. However the resolution being output by the laptop is
something in the region of 1280 by 800 (again excuse the possible
slight inaccuracy) which is less that 16:9 not more. To my mind
shouldn't this be resolved by the plasma displaying the desktop with
vertical bars left and right? Strangely enough I have the same issue
myself outputting from my desktop via rca to a 16:9 CRT tv. On the
latter I have a 16:9 zoom function which seems to give me the whole
picture displayed full-screen. Unfortunately my dad only has a choice
of either 16:9 or 4:3 and no 'zooms' or other resolutions.

My Dad's laptop does also have a dvi connection i can output from but
I'm loathed to invest in more cabling until I understand or can
resolve this problem. - i wonder if this is likely to help get the
right resolution out? Is there such a thing as dvi to hdmi?

Sorry about the length post!

Any help or incite into this issue would be very gratefully received.

Many Thanks,

Howard Alexander.

Laptop to Plasma problem
 

With Windows XP, one thing you will have to make sure is done is to
change the monitor options in the laptop's control panel, to accept
external output. I always have to do that when I hook up my laptop to
another monitor.

Yes, there is a DVI-HDMI connector, somewhere.

Laptop to Plasma problem
 

In article
,
hproductions wrote:

However this is where the confusion starts. When I check the spec for
the plasma it's resolution is something like 1920 by 1080 which
figures considering it's spec. There is an option for this resolution
to be output from the laptop but when i set it to this for the vga out
the plasma goes blank.

Did you try changing the refresh rate? Even though it sounds silly for a
non-CRT to have limited refresh rates, a slower refresh rate may be what
you need. In Windows, I think you need to go into the Advanced settings
to change the refresh rate. Try something lower than what it is already
set at, like 60Hz, 56Hz, etc.

Laptop to Plasma problem
 

On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:59:24 -0800, hproductions wrote:

My Dad has recently bought a 1080p plasma screen. He also has a laptop
with a vga out. The plasma has vga in so I figured we can output to the
plasma as an extended monitor.

However this is where the confusion starts. When I check the spec for
the plasma it's resolution is something like 1920 by 1080 which figures
considering it's spec. There is an option for this resolution to be
output from the laptop but when i set it to this for the vga out the
plasma goes blank.

It's highly possible the plasma doesn't support a res that high over vga.

Left to it's own devices this setup defaults the laptop to output a 4:3
ratio resolution something in the region of 1050 to 700 (figures given
as a rough idea) - whilst this gives a picture on the plasma I am
assuming that this isn't ideal and the 16:9 ration of the plasma isn't
being utilised. I am assuming that the vga protocol perhaps doesn't
support resolutions as high as the 1080p resolution?

That would be a wrong assumption. VGA supports res's much higher than
1080p. Either your laptop video chip or the monitor doesn't support the
res. you selected.

The second query I have regarding this is if I clone the picture so the
laptop's resolution is also the resoltion output to the plasma the
picture on the plasma is in letterbox format i.e. horizontal bars top
and bottom. However the resolution being output by the laptop is
something in the region of 1280 by 800 (again excuse the possible slight
inaccuracy) which is less that 16:9 not more. To my mind shouldn't this
be resolved by the plasma displaying the desktop with vertical bars left
and right? Strangely enough I have the same issue myself outputting from
my desktop via rca to a 16:9 CRT tv. On the latter I have a 16:9 zoom
function which seems to give me the whole picture displayed full-screen.
Unfortunately my dad only has a choice of either 16:9 or 4:3 and no
'zooms' or other resolutions.

Most widescreen LCD monitors are 16:10 instead of 16:9 like TV's.

My Dad's laptop does also have a dvi connection i can output from but
I'm loathed to invest in more cabling until I understand or can resolve
this problem. - i wonder if this is likely to help get the right
resolution out? Is there such a thing as dvi to hdmi?

Yes, I use one on one of my TV's. You can find dvi-hdmi cables for under
$10. Just search one of the shopping search sites. I've heard that some
TV's don't support vga at high reses.

--
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Laptop to Plasma problem
 

"Wes Newell" wrote in message
news:l%[email protected]
On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:59:24 -0800, hproductions wrote:

My Dad has recently bought a 1080p plasma screen. He also has a laptop
with a vga out. The plasma has vga in so I figured we can output to the
plasma as an extended monitor.

However this is where the confusion starts. When I check the spec for
the plasma it's resolution is something like 1920 by 1080 which figures
considering it's spec. There is an option for this resolution to be
output from the laptop but when i set it to this for the vga out the
plasma goes blank.

It's highly possible the plasma doesn't support a res that high over vga.

My daughter has a Sony 1080P set, and the highest resolution it supports
from a PC is 1400 x 1024. He needs to read the instruction book. The only
16:9 resolution supported is 1360 x 768.

Tam

.................................................. ...............

Laptop to Plasma problem
 

Wes Newell wrote:
On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:59:24 -0800, hproductions wrote:


My Dad has recently bought a 1080p plasma screen. He also has a laptop
with a vga out. The plasma has vga in so I figured we can output to the
plasma as an extended monitor.

However this is where the confusion starts. When I check the spec for
the plasma it's resolution is something like 1920 by 1080 which figures
considering it's spec. There is an option for this resolution to be
output from the laptop but when i set it to this for the vga out the
plasma goes blank.


It's highly possible the plasma doesn't support a res that high over vga.


Left to it's own devices this setup defaults the laptop to output a 4:3
ratio resolution something in the region of 1050 to 700 (figures given
as a rough idea) - whilst this gives a picture on the plasma I am
assuming that this isn't ideal and the 16:9 ration of the plasma isn't
being utilised. I am assuming that the vga protocol perhaps doesn't
support resolutions as high as the 1080p resolution?


That would be a wrong assumption. VGA supports res's much higher than
1080p. Either your laptop video chip or the monitor doesn't support the
res. you selected.


The second query I have regarding this is if I clone the picture so the
laptop's resolution is also the resoltion output to the plasma the
picture on the plasma is in letterbox format i.e. horizontal bars top
and bottom. However the resolution being output by the laptop is
something in the region of 1280 by 800 (again excuse the possible slight
inaccuracy) which is less that 16:9 not more. To my mind shouldn't this
be resolved by the plasma displaying the desktop with vertical bars left
and right? Strangely enough I have the same issue myself outputting from
my desktop via rca to a 16:9 CRT tv. On the latter I have a 16:9 zoom
function which seems to give me the whole picture displayed full-screen.
Unfortunately my dad only has a choice of either 16:9 or 4:3 and no
'zooms' or other resolutions.


Most widescreen LCD monitors are 16:10 instead of 16:9 like TV's.


My Dad's laptop does also have a dvi connection i can output from but
I'm loathed to invest in more cabling until I understand or can resolve
this problem. - i wonder if this is likely to help get the right
resolution out? Is there such a thing as dvi to hdmi?


Yes, I use one on one of my TV's. You can find dvi-hdmi cables for under
$10. Just search one of the shopping search sites. I've heard that some
TV's don't support vga at high reses.


My 42" Toshiba only supports 1024x768 over VGA. If you're playing a
movie and you zoom the picture it still looks fine.

--
"be more constructive with your feedback, please."

Steve --Inglo--