LCD Flat Screen Monitors
Settings ( Having a problem )
Friday, May 12, 2006 by Fairyy~ | Discussion: PC Hardware
My old monitor ( was only 3 years old ) died last week. I went out on Monday and bought a new 17 inch LCD Flat Screen.
I never had one before and I figured it was time to get with the rest of the world. Now the problem is - while everything looks 10 times better...and I'm able to see just fine on 1024 reso rather than the archaic 800x600 I was use to......no matter what I do or how many times I twiggle and jiggle the settings ...Objects that were once perfectly round are slightly not round. Although I can live with this..why should I ? Seems it should not be this way. Im wondering if I should return it to the store. My Icons that are round and Widgets ( Clocks ) have a very slight elongated look vertically. Just ever so slightly..but enough that I notice it. Is it me ? I know this isn't something anyone can really help me fix but im frustrated trying to fix it and just need advice in case this is not uncommon.
I never had one before and I figured it was time to get with the rest of the world. Now the problem is - while everything looks 10 times better...and I'm able to see just fine on 1024 reso rather than the archaic 800x600 I was use to......no matter what I do or how many times I twiggle and jiggle the settings ...Objects that were once perfectly round are slightly not round. Although I can live with this..why should I ? Seems it should not be this way. Im wondering if I should return it to the store. My Icons that are round and Widgets ( Clocks ) have a very slight elongated look vertically. Just ever so slightly..but enough that I notice it. Is it me ? I know this isn't something anyone can really help me fix but im frustrated trying to fix it and just need advice in case this is not uncommon.
DanaGoyette
Reply #3 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:27 AM
Reply #3 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:27 AM
It sounds like you aren't running at the monitor's native resolution (1280x1024). 1280x1024 is a different aspect ratio than most monitors (an odd 5:4 rather than 4:3), so stretching the image will make things not square. The best way to fix this is to set your desktop to the native resolution.
Fairyy~
Reply #4 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:29 AM
And im dyslexic on top of it all. yes...I have no idea why I wrote it that way...
Reply #4 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:29 AM
| [Island Dog] Do you mean LCD? |
And im dyslexic on top of it all. yes...I have no idea why I wrote it that way...
Fairyy~
Reply #5 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:33 AM
When I bought the monitor..I asked that question. The description in advert said 1280 reso. I asked the salesman " Does that mean upto 1280 " He said yes....and that they were all preset on 1024 . Now I need to figure out if he didn't know what he was talking about or im still doing something wrong.
Reply #5 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:33 AM
| It sounds like you aren't running at the monitor's native resolution (1280x1024). 1280x1024 is a different aspect ratio than most monitors (an odd 5:4 rather than 4:3), so stretching the image will make things not square. The best way to fix this is to set your desktop to the native resolution. |
When I bought the monitor..I asked that question. The description in advert said 1280 reso. I asked the salesman " Does that mean upto 1280 " He said yes....and that they were all preset on 1024 . Now I need to figure out if he didn't know what he was talking about or im still doing something wrong.
Lantec
Reply #6 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:40 AM
Reply #6 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:40 AM
Under "Display Properties - Settings - Advanced - Monitor" be sure that the refresh rate is set to 60 Hertz also check the "Hide Modes......" box hit apply. Go back to the settings page and use the slider to choose your resolution. because of the way LCD are manufactured you'll want to use the "native" resolution which for a 17" is probably 1280x1024 If you WANTor NEED to go with 1024x768 you might want to trade in for a Coventional Flat Screen 
PoSmedley
Reply #7 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:41 AM
Reply #7 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:41 AM
I do a lot of reading on stuff. Someday, I may actually my back might get beter and I will be able to work again and buy me some toys. lol.
Anyway...I think they are only just refining LCD's to be as good as CRT's when it comes to graphics and such. Crt's are more suitable for exacting graphics and unlike an LCD which has a fixed number of pixels defining it's resolution, CRT's are not so constrained. In order for an LCD to display at a lower resolution, it must interpolate, and this can look horrible.
I don't understand the finer details, someone else does I'm sure, but you want to check the pixel pitch. Two of the more recomended LCD monitors have a pitch of .26mm and .258mm (The first goes for about $750 and is good, the second for $1600) One of the reasons they are so good with graphics also, is that their native resolution is 1600x1200.
I would checkwith the vendors for any updates or patches that would apply to your vid card and monitor and their compatability.
I went through this a few years ago with my first lcd (A Gateway) and didn't know it was out of the norm til I saw my graphics on a CRT. I was able to make some adjustments through the Nvidia card that came with the PC, but I never quite got the 'rounded' look I should have had on some things. I think it was partly due to the fact that it wasn't an 'exceptionally' good LCD monitor. Since then, I've pretty much stuck with CRT's. My wife's new laptop, which is a far cry beter than our desktop isn't as good with graphics as the desktops CRT monitor.
Can you adjust the screen settings with your vid card?
You could also try running an Active X diagnostic scan and maybe adjusting some of the resolution settings there as well.
Or wait til someone who can explain it all beter comes along.
Good luck!
Anyway...I think they are only just refining LCD's to be as good as CRT's when it comes to graphics and such. Crt's are more suitable for exacting graphics and unlike an LCD which has a fixed number of pixels defining it's resolution, CRT's are not so constrained. In order for an LCD to display at a lower resolution, it must interpolate, and this can look horrible.
I don't understand the finer details, someone else does I'm sure, but you want to check the pixel pitch. Two of the more recomended LCD monitors have a pitch of .26mm and .258mm (The first goes for about $750 and is good, the second for $1600) One of the reasons they are so good with graphics also, is that their native resolution is 1600x1200.
I would checkwith the vendors for any updates or patches that would apply to your vid card and monitor and their compatability.
I went through this a few years ago with my first lcd (A Gateway) and didn't know it was out of the norm til I saw my graphics on a CRT. I was able to make some adjustments through the Nvidia card that came with the PC, but I never quite got the 'rounded' look I should have had on some things. I think it was partly due to the fact that it wasn't an 'exceptionally' good LCD monitor. Since then, I've pretty much stuck with CRT's. My wife's new laptop, which is a far cry beter than our desktop isn't as good with graphics as the desktops CRT monitor.
Can you adjust the screen settings with your vid card?
You could also try running an Active X diagnostic scan and maybe adjusting some of the resolution settings there as well.
Or wait til someone who can explain it all beter comes along.
Good luck!
Fairyy~
Reply #8 Friday, May 12, 2006 12:11 PM
I had tried changing from 60 Hertz to 75 before..I put it back to 60 now. This monitor has and auto config when you change resolutions. I tried going with 1280 x 1024 and it prompted me to reboot. While it helped a bit on round objects vertically...they were off a bit horizontally ........
Thanks Po for your imput too.. I guess I may have to return this for a regular flat screen. I know I need a new computer but I was holding off..the graphics driver is really old but there doesnt seem to be an updated one for this computer. Others have tried looking for me and found nothing newer .
Again..thanks for the advice ( all ) .. I knew this is not something you can fix for me. But at least I have a better understanding of the problem.
Reply #8 Friday, May 12, 2006 12:11 PM
| [Lantec] Under "Display Properties - Settings - Advanced - Monitor" be sure that the refresh rate is set to 60 Hertz also check the "Hide Modes......" box hit apply. Go back to the settings page and use the slider to choose your resolution. because of the way LCD are manufactured you'll want to use the "native" resolution which for a 17" is probably 1280x1024 If you WANTor NEED to go with 1024x768 you might want to trade in for a Coventional Flat Screen |
I had tried changing from 60 Hertz to 75 before..I put it back to 60 now. This monitor has and auto config when you change resolutions. I tried going with 1280 x 1024 and it prompted me to reboot. While it helped a bit on round objects vertically...they were off a bit horizontally ........
Thanks Po for your imput too.. I guess I may have to return this for a regular flat screen. I know I need a new computer but I was holding off..the graphics driver is really old but there doesnt seem to be an updated one for this computer. Others have tried looking for me and found nothing newer .
Again..thanks for the advice ( all ) .. I knew this is not something you can fix for me. But at least I have a better understanding of the problem.
Corky_O
Reply #9 Friday, May 12, 2006 2:10 PM
Reply #9 Friday, May 12, 2006 2:10 PM
Fairry,
Return the monitor for a new one, or another of your choosing - especially if this is at the lower price range.
Some manufacturers use inferior electronic components in their products to offer them at lower cost. It is not uncommon to find a monitor that has just passed the quality control inspection process, and is really not meeting the 'nominal' standard.
I would also suggest uninstalling the current display (and video adapter) via Device Manager and turn off the computer > replace the monitor with one of your choice > start computer and allow Windows to load the drivers (for both the display and video adapter) > use Device Manager (or the Add Hardware Wizard if it is invoked), to update the driver(s).
Any circle should be mapped to, and displayed correctly by, the pixels - and therefore displayed as a circle (assuming you are using a supported mode).
Inge18
Reply #10 Friday, May 12, 2006 2:47 PM
Reply #10 Friday, May 12, 2006 2:47 PM
If you want to have all the advantages a LCD display has, you have to connect the panel with a DVI cable (your graphics card must have a DVI output). When you connect it with a normal VGA cable, then the digital data the graphics card produces has to be converted to an analogue signal, and the monitor again converts the analogue signal into digital data. The result is a loss in transmission. Cheaper LCD models produce a shadow around the pixel, so the LCD looks as unsharp as a CRT. Connecting via DVI transfers the digital data from the graphics card right to the monitor without losses. (ooh, my English)
And yes, I can only second that: Run the LCD only in the native resolution.
And yes, I can only second that: Run the LCD only in the native resolution.
Phoon
Reply #11 Friday, May 12, 2006 5:12 PM
Reply #11 Friday, May 12, 2006 5:12 PM
Let's not forget to enable clear type on that DVI connection. Go to your display properties, Appearance. Hit the Effects button and change the method of smoothing screen fonts to Clear Type.
This will make a nice change to text displayed on DVI LCD's.
This will make a nice change to text displayed on DVI LCD's.
PoSmedley
Reply #12 Friday, May 12, 2006 5:21 PM
YES!
When I did my full restore a few weeks ago, I was going nuts cause all the text and graphics were off. I forgot about the clear type setting.
Reply #12 Friday, May 12, 2006 5:21 PM
| Let's not forget to enable clear type on that DVI connection. |
YES!
When I did my full restore a few weeks ago, I was going nuts cause all the text and graphics were off. I forgot about the clear type setting.
Fairyy~
Reply #13 Friday, May 12, 2006 6:06 PM
Glad you mentioned that...I had it set for Clear Type...yet when I just checked it had been changed somehow.
Thats what Im doing at the moment..but I dont like it at 1280.
Thanks Corky..i wasnt really trying to " cheap " out here ..I let the salesman kinda talk me into this one. I know I asked the correct questions...im not sure he answered them honestly though.
My old monitor ..I could adjust any resolution so objects were round..this one I can't..plain and simple. Unless it remains on 1280.
Thankyou all for your time.
Reply #13 Friday, May 12, 2006 6:06 PM
| [Phoon] Let's not forget to enable clear type on that DVI connection. Go to your display properties, Appearance. Hit the Effects button and change the method of smoothing screen fonts to Clear Type. |
Glad you mentioned that...I had it set for Clear Type...yet when I just checked it had been changed somehow.
And yes, I can only second that: Run the LCD only in the native resolution. |
Thats what Im doing at the moment..but I dont like it at 1280.
| Return the monitor for a new one, or another of your choosing - especially if this is at the lower price range. Some manufacturers use inferior electronic components in their products to offer them at lower cost. It is not uncommon to find a monitor that has just passed the quality control inspection process, and is really not meeting the 'nominal' standard. I would als |
Thanks Corky..i wasnt really trying to " cheap " out here ..I let the salesman kinda talk me into this one. I know I asked the correct questions...im not sure he answered them honestly though.
My old monitor ..I could adjust any resolution so objects were round..this one I can't..plain and simple. Unless it remains on 1280.
Thankyou all for your time.
Phoon
Reply #14 Friday, May 12, 2006 7:50 PM
Reply #14 Friday, May 12, 2006 7:50 PM
Fairyy,
Would a screenshot be too much to ask? I'm curious about this.
Would a screenshot be too much to ask? I'm curious about this.
Jafo
Reply #15 Friday, May 12, 2006 8:17 PM
Reply #15 Friday, May 12, 2006 8:17 PM
Main difference between a CRT and LCD is the latter has static pixels. They won't 'move' no matter what you do to the screen res...[short of hitting it stupid with a hammer and rearranging its shape].
A CRT scans/sprays the 'pixels' across the screen...and generally will support a quite extensive resolution variation, though ultimately there are limits.
The LCD has a finite number which corresponds to one specific resolution. Any deviation from that resolution will guarantee an inferior image.
Same goes for refresh-rate.
If your native res is 1280x1024 then that is THE size you will be using. The only time you 'should' see a different res is while booting....then it'll be VGA's default....640x480.
If you want to be playing with multiple-choice resolutions....and adjusting your own refresh-rates...and still maintain a quality/clarity of graphic image...then you are [still] stuck with CRT. Simply buy a truly flat one and the only disadvantage you will have is the size of the 'box'.
A good quality 'flat' CRT will and does still out-perform a LCD....and for less dollars...
Zoomba
Reply #16 Friday, May 12, 2006 9:04 PM
Reply #16 Friday, May 12, 2006 9:04 PM
With a LCD, there is the "recommended" resolution... in your case of 1280x1024 it looks like, and what that means is that's the static resolution the monitor is painting the image at. There are always 1280x1024 pixels in your image. What this means is you can not go higher than that resolution, but you can go lower. Going lower means you'll double or tripple paint pixels on the screen to fake out the lower resolution. So with setting your monitor for 1024x768, for every 4 pixels across, an extra one is drawn, and for every 3 pixels down, another extra one is drawn. This is usually where people see ghosting. Also you're switching aspect ratios if you're trying 1024x768 (4:3 ratio) when your monitor is meant to do 1280x1024 (5:4 ratio), this results in a distorted picture like you're seeing.
If you get an LCD, basically you only ever want to run it at the recommended resolution. If you're coming from a CRT where you enjoyed 1600x1200, your only choice is to fork over about $400 for a 20" LCD, but those don't tend to have the best response times.
If you get an LCD, basically you only ever want to run it at the recommended resolution. If you're coming from a CRT where you enjoyed 1600x1200, your only choice is to fork over about $400 for a 20" LCD, but those don't tend to have the best response times.
starkers
Reply #17 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:08 PM
Reply #17 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:08 PM
Fairyy....I have a Samsung SyncMaster 913v 19" LCD monitor (also comes in 17"), and though the native resolution is 1280 x 1024, I run it at 1024 x768 and have no issues with objects distorting. It has an Auto Adjust button that configures the screen to the resolution you set. When I first set mine up, the display was slightly distorted, but after using the auto configure it became crisp, clear and in proportion, etc.
I don't know if this helps you or not, or the comparison in price between what you have and a Samsung, but I'm extremely happy with mine set at 1024 x 768. Also, the Samsung comes with 'Natural Color' and 'Magitune' software to enable user preferences/adjustments. If you are able to exchange the monitor for another, it would be helpful to see one running at the preferred resolution to see if it performs as required....that's what I did before handing over my cash.
Hope this helps and you can resolve your issue.
Of course a fairly recent graphics card with updated drivers, enabling 'clear type' is also benificial. It may help to do as Corky suggested, to uninstall your graphics card/monitor in device manager and let Windows find the best drivers for them.
I don't know if this helps you or not, or the comparison in price between what you have and a Samsung, but I'm extremely happy with mine set at 1024 x 768. Also, the Samsung comes with 'Natural Color' and 'Magitune' software to enable user preferences/adjustments. If you are able to exchange the monitor for another, it would be helpful to see one running at the preferred resolution to see if it performs as required....that's what I did before handing over my cash.
Hope this helps and you can resolve your issue.
Of course a fairly recent graphics card with updated drivers, enabling 'clear type' is also benificial. It may help to do as Corky suggested, to uninstall your graphics card/monitor in device manager and let Windows find the best drivers for them.
Fairyy~
Reply #18 Saturday, May 13, 2006 6:08 PM
I'll upload a shot at 1024 with some round widgets..im not sure you will see the same thing that I do. Its not that pronounced but they are elongated on my end just enough to be noticable.
Reply #18 Saturday, May 13, 2006 6:08 PM
| Phoon : Would a screenshot be too much to ask? I'm curious about this. |
I'll upload a shot at 1024 with some round widgets..im not sure you will see the same thing that I do. Its not that pronounced but they are elongated on my end just enough to be noticable.
Fairyy~
Reply #19 Saturday, May 13, 2006 6:21 PM
I guess I should have asked here first before I bought it ( seems I would have been better prepared ) ..I thought I asked the proper questions..unless the Salesman wasn't really informed enough to be answering or just wanted the sale so he just answered what he thought i wanted to hear - saying they were all pre-set to 1024 seems a bit rediculous if the native resolution is 1280 .
It wasnt a money issue..i just thought i'd try to get with the rest of the world - but thank you for explaining more indepth.
I did this already ..uninstalled from device manager and rebooted and let windows reinstall...it seems a bit better now but still requires 1280 for " round " objects to be perfect.
~~~The bottom line is the store ( I called them ) has no problem with me returning the LCD model and fully understood the problem. I'm thinking i might just buy a second monitor ( conventional flat screen ) and keep this one too. I'll decide tomorrow.
Thankyou all once again for your time.
Reply #19 Saturday, May 13, 2006 6:21 PM
| [Jafo] Main difference between a CRT and LCD is the latter has static pixels. They won't 'move' no matter what you do to the screen res...[short of hitting it stupid with a hammer and rearranging its shape]. A CRT scans/sprays the 'pixels' across the screen...and generally will support a quite extensive resolution variation, though ultimately there are limits. The LCD has a finite number which corresponds to one specific resolution. Any deviation from that resolution will guarantee an inferior image. Same goes for refresh-rate. If your native res is 1280x1024 then that is THE size you will be using. The only time you 'should' see a different res is while booting....then it'll be VGA's default....640x480. If you want to be playing with multiple-choice resolutions....and adjusting your own refresh-rates...and still maintain a quality/clarity of graphic image...then you are [still] stuck with CRT. Simply buy a truly flat one and the only disadvantage you will have is the size of the 'box'. A good quality 'flat' CRT will and does still out-perform a LCD....and for less dollars |
I guess I should have asked here first before I bought it ( seems I would have been better prepared ) ..I thought I asked the proper questions..unless the Salesman wasn't really informed enough to be answering or just wanted the sale so he just answered what he thought i wanted to hear - saying they were all pre-set to 1024 seems a bit rediculous if the native resolution is 1280 .
| f you get an LCD, basically you only ever want to run it at the recommended resolution. If you're coming from a CRT where you enjoyed 1600x1200, your only choice is to fork over about $400 for a 20" LCD, but those don't tend to have the best response times. |
It wasnt a money issue..i just thought i'd try to get with the rest of the world - but thank you for explaining more indepth.
| It may help to do as Corky suggested, to uninstall your graphics card/monitor in device manager and let Windows find the best drivers for them. |
I did this already ..uninstalled from device manager and rebooted and let windows reinstall...it seems a bit better now but still requires 1280 for " round " objects to be perfect.
~~~The bottom line is the store ( I called them ) has no problem with me returning the LCD model and fully understood the problem. I'm thinking i might just buy a second monitor ( conventional flat screen ) and keep this one too. I'll decide tomorrow.
Thankyou all once again for your time.
Fourth Letter
Reply #20 Monday, August 28, 2006 9:12 PM
Reply #20 Monday, August 28, 2006 9:12 PM
The simple answer is that cheaper LCD TFTs dont have the ability to show any other res than the native one in your case 1280x1024 (5:4) when you run it at 1024x768(4:3) it stretches the 4:3 picture into a 5:4 causing distorsion. I run at 1280x1024 happily and its much finer detailed and sharper than 1024x768 if you dislike the smaller icons then just enable "Use large icons" (just under the clear type setting in display properties)and pick a larger font size for windows to use (in display properties/appearance)
If you look at digital photos or images in general 1024x768 is to low to see much detail 1280x1024 is better 1600x1200 is best
If you look at digital photos or images in general 1024x768 is to low to see much detail 1280x1024 is better 1600x1200 is best
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Reply #1 Friday, May 12, 2006 11:15 AM