Confusion about display modes.

[freewheeling]

Some time ago I bought a Samsung T240HD 24-inch monitor/hdtv and have been assuming that it displays in full 1080p mode. I have my Bluray player set for 1080p @24fps and it seems to work fine, although there are black bars at the top and the bottom because the optimum resolution is 1920x1200 . However, looking at the user manual to see how I could optimize the display for SageTV I noticed that there isn't a single word about 1080p resolution, either at 24 or 60 htz. I don't understand why that wouldn't be listed in the specs when nearly all of the reviews of this device say it displays at full 1080p resolution at 24fps. Is the user manual just deficient, or is there something I don't understand about display resolution?

Also, since the optimum resolution is 1920x1200 wouldn't it be best to set the output to 16x10 insteand of 16/9?

What am I missing here? I need some kind of tutorial apparently.

[stanger89]

I don't know about the lack of 1080p listed in the manual, but as you say it works. Only niggle would be if it doesn't and your BD player is automatically changing to something else.

Originally Posted by freewheeling

Also, since the optimum resolution is 1920x1200 wouldn't it be best to set the output to 16x10 insteand of 16/9?

It sort of depends "on what your goal are" (and I'm not really sure what I mean by goals). The reason I say that is while the display is 16:10, most all your content is probably 16:9, which means there will be bars top/bottom regardless, it's really just a question of if Sage puts them there or if the "TV" does.

As far as setting Sage to 16:10, you'd only want to do that if you configure Sage for 1920x1200 output, or if you configure the TV to stretch Sage's 16:9, 1080p output to 16:10.

[freewheeling]

It's odd that they don't even mention this in the user manual, though they do mention 1080i. I've noticed that since changing the output to 24fps for the Blu-ray device the movies are sharper and the action crisper. The HD200 also has a 24fps output, but the SageTV server only seems to have 1080p @60. I'm not sure which takes precedence but I assume that it's the server when I'm using it instead of standalone mode?

There are sure a lot of simultaneous variables to set.

[gplasky]

SO the native screen resolution of your TV is 1900 x 1200. If you want your output at the native resolution for 1080p you'll need to choose 16:10. If you choose 16:9 your TV will scale the picture to the screen. Many users had said the picture is atrocious set like that. You be the judge.

Gerry

[freewheeling]

Originally Posted by gplasky

SO the native screen resolution of your TV is 1900 x 1200. If you want your output at the native resolution for 1080p you'll need to choose 16:10. If you choose 16:9 your TV will scale the picture to the screen. Many users had said the picture is atrocious set like that. You be the judge.

Now I'm lost again. According to the "primer"

For now, Sage uses the desktop resolution to determine the aspect ratio of your display, and bases all it's aspect ratio adjustments off that. Eg if you're running 1024x768, it will detect that as 4:3 and letterbox 16:9 content. If your resolution is 1280x720, it will detect that as 16:9 and pillarbox 4:3 content.

My desktop resolution comes from a smaller Samsung computer monitor with native 1920x1080 display. So that's 16x9. However, I actually watch recorded content via the HD200 connected to my 1920x1200 Samsung HDTV. It would be a lot more straightforward if they were both the same, but they're not.

Also, I'm not sure what the "source" means. Is this the signal from the HD200, or the HD-PVR recording? There aren't any settings for the PVR that I can see, other than the quality setting for the "source" which is set to "great." The term "great" is a little vague. You can see why I'm a little lost?

You can see why I'm a bit lost.

If I'm understanding this correctly then I should "correct" for the fact that SageTV sees a 16x9 desktop when the display is actually 16x10 by setting the aspect ratio vertical "zoom" to 111% (10/9) and then set the aspect ratio of the display to 16x10? That would allow the native display to be 1920x1200.

Is this right?

[freewheeling]

Well, I don't see that altering the AR setup on the server changes anything. I have to set the AR on the client to 16x9 or the picture is stretched and distorted horizontally.

[gplasky]

Your HD200 settings are what you would change, not the server. You can also choose 16:10 at the extender, can't you? Then maybe try to enable Native Output Resolution Switching. All settings for how the HD200 displays is done on the extender, not on the server.

Gerry

[freewheeling]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Your HD200 settings are what you would change, not the server. You can also choose 16:10 at the extender, can't you? Then maybe try to enable Native Output Resolution Switching. All settings for how the HD200 displays is done on the extender, not on the server.

Isn't the HD200 the "extender"? I've enabled native output resolution switching from what I call the "client." (This is what I see if I start the HD200 and then connect to the server.) The options aren't the same as when I change the settings on my desktop.

Output resolution on the HD200 is set to 1920x1080p@24 . Output resolution on the "client" (what I see when I connect to the server) is 1920x1080p@60 (because there isn't a 24fps setting there). [Update: Now it's made a liar out of me. There's now a 1920x1080p@24 setting available on the "client."]

I have native output switching enabled in all three places (desktop, hd200, and the "client"). [Update: I'm a liar there too. There isn't a "native output resolution" option on the "desktop" (main SageTV program on my server PC).]

BTW, I don't see a 1920x1200 option anywhere.

Someday I'll have to get this nomenclature straightened out.

[freewheeling]

there aren't any 1080p video sources other than Blu-ray, so there's not much point in setting the output to 1920x1080p@24. The actual recording is at 1080i@29.2fps and the output is at 60fps because that's as close is it can get.

I could disable source output switching in order to use the 1080p@24 but would that create a better picture quality? Is there any advantage to that?

[freewheeling]

I tried setting to 24fps while disabling source switching and it didn't work. Very jerky. I gather that the only advantage of 24fps comes from the fact that movies are shot at that frame rate so they sync better. Doesn't seem to work the same way with recorded video.

[Fuzzy]

Best option is to tell the HD200 (in standalone mode) everything your display is capable of, and enable Native Switching. This will output 1080i60 or 720p for most recordings, and 1080p24 for bluray.