Screen size, Ratios etc.....

[lightsource]

Just had a bit of physics hit me in the face, so wondered......

 

I use computer monitors at 1024x768, which is a video resolution of 4:3 (ie 1024/4*3=768)

 

Yet I have recently seen a Computer LCD monitor at 16:9 which appeared to display Windows as it would be viewed on a 4:3 screen, although it appeared wider, there was no apparent screen distortion

 

How are the pixels represented....

[mac.calder]

Probably by using a wide screen resolution. 1024x768 is no longer the standard native resolution for displays.... Ultimately, the goal with any projector/monitor/output device, you want a 1:1 mapping of output pixels to display pixels (ie run at the pannels native resolution). Otherwise, you will get a distorted image. Or you will need to pillar/letter box.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e5/Vector_Video_Standards2.svg/749px-Vector_Video_Standards2.svg.png

[Pete McCrea]

As mac.calder say's the PC is likely to have automatically adjusted is output resolution to meet the screens Native resolution, which means that the pixels are mapped 1 to 1 and thus giving a clean image. If you output 1024x768 to a screen of 1920x1200 (WUXGA) and asked the screen to spread the image across all the pixels it would look smeared and out of focus.

[lightsource]

Thanks Mac and Pete, that PNG file is VERY handy :P

 

My next issue, is this.. which I can't quite get my head around, looking at various screen (actual pixel) sizes, I'll just give this as an example, but I have seen many others.....

 

http://www.lg.com/uk/tv-audio-video/televi...tv-19LU7000.jsp

 

A tv which has a resolution of 1366 X 768 pixels.

 

Yet it states that the video (Just Scan tab) component is "HDMI/Component: 1080i / 1080p / 720p"

 

Now the question is, shouldn't a screen capable of 1080i, have a minimum pixel resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, or are they scaling it down somehow to fit the actual pixel ratio of the screen.

 

If so, is this degrading the video quality.....

 

I'm only asking, because I'm rendering content in 3ds Max, and finding this aspect a bit of a nightmare as video quality is vital.

[mac.calder]

Yes, it is scaling it down, so yes, it does affect image quality.

[lightsource]

Cheers Mac.Calder, Could you point me in a direction as to how video quality is affected.

[mac.calder]

Cheers Mac.Calder, Could you point me in a direction as to how video quality is affected.

 

It is a reduction in resolution. You need to drop 312 pixels in vertically and 600 odd downwards, so basically every 3rd pixel vertically is dropped. The surrounding pixels are often shaded slightly to compensate. The same happens horizontally. Manufacturers spend thousands of dollars on developing algorithms to scale images down nicely.