Laptop to TV
 

tim.... wrote:
"The dog from that film you saw"
wrote in message ...


"Norman Wells" wrote in
message ...
Yesterday, I finally found a good reason to connect my laptop to
the TV, namely watching something on BBC iPlayer with someone else
in the comfort of my living room. That worked OK-ish, but I found
I couldn't get the picture to display full screen on the TV. Although I
set the player to full screen mode, the TV display still
had about a 2 inch black border all the way round. Is that normal,
or should I be able to view a bigger picture? If so, how please?

In case it helps, I have a current model Panasonic 26" LCD TV, and
the laptop is a Compaq Presario 700 running Windows Vista Home
Premium.. Thanks for any advice or information.




have you set the laptop resolution to that of the tv ?

On new kit, this usually happens automatically.

The fact that it has got close to the right size suggest that it has
happend automatically, but got it wrong, rather then it not happing
automatically at all.

I'm coming to the conclusion that this must be the problem. I'm just not
offered the option of setting the TV as monitor resolution to 1366 x 768,
which is its native resolution. Maybe the chipset can't support it? Or
could it be a problem with VGA itself?

Laptop to TV
 

Norman Wells said...

Done, but no possibility to set to 1366 x 768 unfortunately. Could that be
a problem associated with the connection being VGA?

Possibly, the display capabilities of devices connected are usually
communicated to Windows so that Windows does not attempt to set the
display to a mode that it cannot cope with. Could be as simple as a bad
cable or a poor connection at either plug or socket, I've seen
bent/broken/missing pins on many VGA plugs. If you could state the
precise model of laptop/tv it would help, as the the generic manual for
"Compaq Presario 700" mentions an S-Video connection under a flap at
the rear, I assume yours does not have this. And the manuals I
downloaded from Panasonic UK available for current 26" LCD (TC26LX
1D/H/20) make no mention of VGA input capabilities that I can see.

--
Ken O'Meara
http://www.btinternet.com/~unsteadyken/

Laptop to TV
 

Norman Wells wrote:
Kellerman" wrote:
On 18/03/2010 18:12, Norman Wells wrote:
Yesterday, I finally found a good reason to connect my laptop to the
TV, namely watching something on BBC iPlayer with someone else in the
comfort of my living room. That worked OK-ish, but I found I couldn't
get the picture to display full screen on the TV. Although I set the
player to full screen mode, the TV display still had about a 2 inch
black border all the way round. Is that normal, or should I be able
to view a bigger picture? If so, how please?

In case it helps, I have a current model Panasonic 26" LCD TV, and
the laptop is a Compaq Presario 700 running Windows Vista Home
Premium.. Thanks for any advice or information.

Update to the latest driver for your graphics chipset.

OK.

I updated the driver for the chipset through Windows update that told me
a better one was available. I then went to the Intel site and found
there was an even later update, so I then downloaded and installed that
as well.

Set the laptop screen resolution to the same as the resolution of the
TV screen.

No can do, sadly. The option for the TV as a monitor, set through the
computer, defaults to 1024 x 768 (the native resolution of the laptop
screen), and does not even offer 1366 x 768 (ie the native resolution of
the TV) as an option.

Some graphics chipset drivers handle this better than others.
The ATI chipset on my Acer laptop works very well.

My chipset is 'Mobile Intel 965 Express', and the laptop is no less than
2 years old. So, it should surely recognise and be able to handle 1366
x 768, shouldn't it?


Try downloading Powerstrip http://entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm
If that doesn't help, nothing will.

--
Adrian

Laptop to TV
 

Norman Wells wrote:

I'm coming to the conclusion that this must be the problem. I'm just
not offered the option of setting the TV as monitor resolution to 1366 x
768, which is its native resolution. Maybe the chipset can't support
it? Or could it be a problem with VGA itself?

It may be the _TV_ won't allow it, in which case you're stuffed. Some
don't.

My laptop will drive my #1 best monitor happily at 1920x1200, so VGA per
se is not the problem.

Andy

Laptop to TV
 

On 19/03/2010 19:39, Norman Wells wrote:
Kellerman" wrote:
On 18/03/2010 18:12, Norman Wells wrote:
Yesterday, I finally found a good reason to connect my laptop to the
TV, namely watching something on BBC iPlayer with someone else in the
comfort of my living room. That worked OK-ish, but I found I couldn't
get the picture to display full screen on the TV. Although I set the
player to full screen mode, the TV display still had about a 2 inch
black border all the way round. Is that normal, or should I be able
to view a bigger picture? If so, how please?

In case it helps, I have a current model Panasonic 26" LCD TV, and
the laptop is a Compaq Presario 700 running Windows Vista Home
Premium.. Thanks for any advice or information.

Update to the latest driver for your graphics chipset.

OK.

I updated the driver for the chipset through Windows update that told me
a better one was available. I then went to the Intel site and found
there was an even later update, so I then downloaded and installed that
as well.

Set the laptop screen resolution to the same as the resolution of the
TV screen.

No can do, sadly. The option for the TV as a monitor, set through the
computer, defaults to 1024 x 768 (the native resolution of the laptop
screen), and does not even offer 1366 x 768 (ie the native resolution of
the TV) as an option.

Some graphics chipset drivers handle this better than others.
The ATI chipset on my Acer laptop works very well.

My chipset is 'Mobile Intel 965 Express', and the laptop is no less than
2 years old. So, it should surely recognise and be able to handle 1366 x
768, shouldn't it?

1366 x 768? Not necessarily.
The TV or monitor has a data link (via the VGA cable) through which it
tells the PC what screen resolutions it will support.
If it doesn't support 1366 x 768 via the PC VGA input then it wont be
available.
You need to find out whether your TV supports 1366 x 768 via the VGA
connector as some do not and also whether your laptop graphics driver
will output that resolution.
A good look around the manufactures website/manuals will usually locate
the relevant info.
--
Blow my nose to email me

Laptop to TV
 

UnsteadyKen wrote:
Norman Wells said...

Done, but no possibility to set to 1366 x 768 unfortunately. Could
that be a problem associated with the connection being VGA?

Possibly, the display capabilities of devices connected are usually
communicated to Windows so that Windows does not attempt to set the
display to a mode that it cannot cope with. Could be as simple as a
bad cable or a poor connection at either plug or socket, I've seen
bent/broken/missing pins on many VGA plugs. If you could state the
precise model of laptop/tv it would help, as the the generic manual
for "Compaq Presario 700" mentions an S-Video connection under a flap
at the rear, I assume yours does not have this. And the manuals I
downloaded from Panasonic UK available for current 26" LCD (TC26LX
1D/H/20) make no mention of VGA input capabilities that I can see.


The TV is in fact a Panasonic 26" LCD, model TX-L26X10B.

According to the TV manual, under 'Displaying PC screen on TV' it says:

"PC Setup - Input resolution:
Switches to a wide view
* VGA (640 x 480 pixels, WVGA (852 x 480 pixels), XGA (1024 x 768 pixels),
WXGA (1280 x 768 pixels, 1366 x 768 pixels)
* Options change depending on signals"

That doesn't help _me_ much, because, if I'm using a VGA connection, why
does it allow me to connect the PC at a resolution of 1024 x 768, which
seems to be 'XGA', but not at 1366 x 768, which would be WXGA?

The laptop is in fact a Compaq Presario C742EA, or possibly C742EM, the
first being on the bottom of the computer, the second being in Currys sales
literature!

I'm using the VGA connection from the laptop, which is immediately to the
left of the S-Video socket on the left hand side of the computer.

I don't think the cable is faulty, so I'm inclined to think it's just
Windows saying (probably correctly) that I can't do it, so shouldn't be
given the option even to try. As it does.

Thanks for your help so far. Is there anything else you can add based on
the further information above, or should I just call it a day, and accept
that Bill Gates knows best?

Laptop to TV
 

Adrian wrote:
Norman Wells wrote:
Kellerman" wrote:
On 18/03/2010 18:12, Norman Wells wrote:
Yesterday, I finally found a good reason to connect my laptop to
the TV, namely watching something on BBC iPlayer with someone else
in the comfort of my living room. That worked OK-ish, but I found
I couldn't get the picture to display full screen on the TV.
Although I set the player to full screen mode, the TV display
still had about a 2 inch black border all the way round. Is that
normal, or should I be able to view a bigger picture? If so, how
please? In case it helps, I have a current model Panasonic 26" LCD TV,
and
the laptop is a Compaq Presario 700 running Windows Vista Home
Premium.. Thanks for any advice or information.

Update to the latest driver for your graphics chipset.

OK.

I updated the driver for the chipset through Windows update that
told me a better one was available. I then went to the Intel site
and found there was an even later update, so I then downloaded and
installed that as well.

Set the laptop screen resolution to the same as the resolution of
the TV screen.

No can do, sadly. The option for the TV as a monitor, set through
the computer, defaults to 1024 x 768 (the native resolution of the
laptop screen), and does not even offer 1366 x 768 (ie the native
resolution of the TV) as an option.

Some graphics chipset drivers handle this better than others.
The ATI chipset on my Acer laptop works very well.

My chipset is 'Mobile Intel 965 Express', and the laptop is no less
than 2 years old. So, it should surely recognise and be able to
handle 1366 x 768, shouldn't it?


Try downloading Powerstrip http://entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm
If that doesn't help, nothing will.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll bear it in mind if I decide to pursue the
matter further, but at the moment I'm starting to lose the will to live.

Laptop to TV
 

Andy Champ wrote:
Norman Wells wrote:

I'm coming to the conclusion that this must be the problem. I'm just
not offered the option of setting the TV as monitor resolution to
1366 x 768, which is its native resolution. Maybe the chipset can't
support it? Or could it be a problem with VGA itself?

It may be the _TV_ won't allow it, in which case you're stuffed. Some
don't.

Well, it _should_, I think, because the manual says, as I've quoted
elsewhe

"PC Setup - Input resolution:
Switches to a wide view
* VGA (640 x 480 pixels, WVGA (852 x 480 pixels), XGA (1024 x 768 pixels),
WXGA (1280 x 768 pixels, 1366 x 768 pixels)
* Options change depending on signals"

When connected to the TV, the laptop gives me certain higher resolution
options to output to the TV, even higher than 1366 x 768 (but all of those
just give a black screen on the TV), but not exactly 1366 x 768. That's
what I want and can't understand why it isn't there since it's a widely used
resolution, and hardly new-fangled.

What it comes up with as a default resolution is 1024 x 768, which works but
doesn't give a full screen picture, at least from BBC iPlayer. To get the
correct aspect ratio for the picture, I have to use a setting of 4:3 on the
TV. If I alter that to 16:9, the picture stretches to occupy the full width
of the TV screen with black bars top and bottom, but it's merely a
horizontal stretch (no more picture is displayed) which makes everyone look
unpleasantly short and fat.

My laptop will drive my #1 best monitor happily at 1920x1200, so VGA
per se is not the problem.

I think mine would too, but that resolution is higher than the native
resolution of the TV, and just gives a black screen if I try it.

Laptop to TV
 

Kellerman" wrote:
On 19/03/2010 19:39, Norman Wells wrote:

No can do, sadly. The option for the TV as a monitor, set through the
computer, defaults to 1024 x 768 (the native resolution of the laptop
screen), and does not even offer 1366 x 768 (ie the native
resolution of the TV) as an option.

Some graphics chipset drivers handle this better than others.
The ATI chipset on my Acer laptop works very well.

My chipset is 'Mobile Intel 965 Express', and the laptop is no less
than 2 years old. So, it should surely recognise and be able to
handle 1366 x 768, shouldn't it?

1366 x 768? Not necessarily.
The TV or monitor has a data link (via the VGA cable) through which it
tells the PC what screen resolutions it will support.
If it doesn't support 1366 x 768 via the PC VGA input then it wont be
available.
You need to find out whether your TV supports 1366 x 768 via the VGA
connector as some do not and also whether your laptop graphics driver
will output that resolution.
A good look around the manufactures website/manuals will usually
locate the relevant info.

Thanks for that. Does the info I've posted in reply to others here help in
any way?

Laptop to TV
 

"Kellerman" "kellerman snot wrote in message
o.uk...



1366 x 768? Not necessarily.
The TV or monitor has a data link (via the VGA cable) through which it
tells the PC what screen resolutions it will support.
If it doesn't support 1366 x 768 via the PC VGA input then it wont be
available.




and even worse, sometimes your tv lies.
i have an old sharp aquos, has a resolution of 1366x768.
unfortunately when connected via DVI it tells the pc that 1024x768 is the
best it can do so windows refuses to play along.
i had to use powerstrip to insist on 1366x768 - and it worked.



--
Gareth.

that fly...... is your magic wand....
http://dsbdsb.mybrute.com
you fight better when you have a bear!