Enabling "1080p"

[AWS]

Ok, so how do I make sure my hardware is sending a 1080p signal to my monitor (be it LCD, plasma, etc)? Are all computer DVD drives sending a "p" image/signal then the video card just carries it through to the monitor or what? If below is true then how do I tell my hardware to do "i" or "p".

1920x1080p @30fps
1920x1080i @ 30fps

Sorry, I just don't see where the conversion takes place. Does the monitor handle it? So in other words, if I buy some 1080p capable monitor and I play a DVD on a five <cough, cough, just as an example> year old DVD player in my computer, I am still going to get the 1080p res because the monitor can handle the resolution. Yes?

Thanks.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by AWS

Ok, so how do I make sure my hardware is sending a 1080p signal to my monitor (be it LCD, plasma, etc)? Are all computer DVD drives sending a "p" image/signal then the video card just carries it through to the monitor or what?

Computer drives (eg DVD drives) just send data, they don't care or know if it's video, audio, pictures or word documents.

If below is true then how do I tell my hardware to do "i" or "p".

1920x1080p @30fps
1920x1080i @ 30fps

'P' generally denotes 60 whole frames per second
'I' generally denotes 60 fields (half frames alternating lines) per second.

Of course there are exceptions (ie 1080p24 which is what most HD-DVD/Blu-ray movies are/will be).

Sorry, I just don't see where the conversion takes place. Does the monitor handle it?

I guess the answer to your question is that "1080p" requires 3 things:

• A monitor capable of displaying and accepting 1920x1080p
• A video card capable of running 1920x1080 @ 60Hz
• Your Windows desktop set to 1920x1080 @ 60Hz

So in other words, if I buy some 1080p capable monitor and I play a DVD on a five <cough, cough, just as an example> year old DVD player in my computer, I am still going to get the 1080p res because the monitor can handle the resolution. Yes?

Thanks.

Assuming you have your desktop resolution set to 1920x1080 @ 60Hz yes.

[AWS]

Thank you Stanger89!

[Mark SS]

Originally Posted by AWS

So in other words, if I buy some 1080p capable monitor and I play a DVD on a five <cough, cough, just as an example> year old DVD player in my computer, I am still going to get the 1080p res because the monitor can handle the resolution. Yes?

Its all rather more complicated than that unfortunately, I'd suggest some reading of the FAQs on www.avforums.com or www.avsforums.com.

Perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle was missing from Strangers list of requirements, namely a 1080p source. A DVD is 480/576 lines of resolution which will then be scaled up by your PC to display on your monitor, whatever resolution you set it to.

[Humanzee]

Originally Posted by Mark SS

Perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle was missing from Strangers list of requirements, namely a 1080p source. A DVD is 480/576 lines of resolution which will then be scaled up by your PC to display on your monitor, whatever resolution you set it to.

This is true.

AWS, I note from your signature that you are running a 6600 video card. I have a 6600GT that is overclocked (search for coolbits). You should note that though you can run your system at 1920x1080 you might decide that you don't wan't to with your existing set up. For example, I havn't been able to successfully run vmr9 with 3D accelleration and FSE enabled on my system at 1920 x 1080. If VMR9 is enabled I peg the cpu at 100%. SD video will be ok but I will get little skips and jumps in HD material. Then if commercial processing or a virus scan or anything else starts in the background while watching HD content things deteriorate and tend to freeze up. Thus, I am forced to use overlay. Maybe a better video card or a faster CPU would overcome these problems but I am stuck for the moment.

Also the size of your display may make you want to run a lower resolution. My set does 1080p natively, but at 37" the desktop fonts are really tiny and pretty much un-readable from the couch. I have set the fonts to large and added a page zoom plugin to firefox so that I can at least surf the net from the couch. I tried a custom resolution for 720p but being an LCD it wanted to display it only in the middle of the screen. I could then scale it inside the tv to fill the screen but I thought it looked a little too soft so I set it back to 1080.

All that being said compaired to my old SD 31" things still look awesome. Everytime I start a DVD I am just tickled. I recommend getting the purevideo decoder if you don't already have it for your 6600. It makes the scaleing and deinterlacing look really nice.

[Deadbolt]

Originally Posted by Mark SS

Its all rather more complicated than that unfortunately, I'd suggest some reading of the FAQs on www.avforums.com or www.avsforums.com.

Perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle was missing from Strangers list of requirements, namely a 1080p source. A DVD is 480/576 lines of resolution which will then be scaled up by your PC to display on your monitor, whatever resolution you set it to.

Not if your DVD is a data disk with a Window Media or Quicktime Movie file at 1080p. It won't be movie length due to the data size, but like Stranger said..the disc just delivers data. The only reason people equate DVD with 480/576 is because of the DVD movie standard compressed as mpeg2.

[AWS]

Thanks all for the info. This is more of a research question since I'm still running a 32" STD TV... When the time comes to upgrade to the 1080p monitor I want to know that all I'll have to do is plug the HTPC into it and I'm up and running. So therefore I just wanted to make sure my HTPC was up to spec. It's quite possible I will need to upgrade the video card prior but I'll wait till after the monitor upgrade if I notice the micro skips and what not.

Yes, I am running the 6600; passively cooled. I have the TheaterTek with Advanced Audio pack as well.

And then when the next gen of DVDs (HD or Blu) come out they will be native 1080?

Thanks, again.

AWS

[stanger89]

HD DVD and Blu-ray are both encoded at full 1920x1080/24p.

For the record, HD DVD is already here (though not on the PC yet).

[Mark SS]

Originally Posted by Deadbolt

Not if your DVD is a data disk with a Window Media or Quicktime Movie file at 1080p.

And when someone refers to a "DVD", which are they more likely to be referring to?