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External monitors - screen size + resolution = ???

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  • Consumerist
    Consumerist Posts: 6,311 Forumite
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    KingL wrote: »
    but I can wind the resolution settings down in windows to the same as on the external monitor (1920x1080), which would solve that, no? I don't mind a little distortion in line with tiny deviations from 16:9.
    1920 x 1080 has an aspect ration of 16:9 so there should be no screen distortion.

    3200 x 1800 seems a very high resolution for a 13" screen - are you sure you've got those numbers right?

    But if you change a native resolution (normally the "recommended" resolution) of 3200 x 1800 screen to 1920 x1080 pixels then only the first 1920 (H) pixels x 1080 (V) pixels of the full screen will be be displayed and transferred to the new screen.
    >:)Warning: In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
  • Johnmcl7
    Johnmcl7 Posts: 2,838 Forumite
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    3200 x 1800 seems a very high resolution for a 13" screen - are you sure you've got those numbers right?

    Yes, it's correct - it's becoming fairly standard for high end 13in Ultrabooks and others. It's exactly double 1600x900 in each dimension so in theory it should be 1600x900 spacing with much more detail (some 15in screens are 3840x2160 which is exactly double 1920x1080) although Windows scaling in the desktop mode doesn't tend to work well.

    John
  • KingL
    KingL Posts: 1,713 Forumite
    3200 x 1800 seems a very high resolution for a 13" screen - are you sure you've got those numbers right?
    Yep.

    But if you change a native resolution (normally the "recommended" resolution) of 3200 x 1800 screen to 1920 x1080 pixels then only the first 1920 (H) pixels x 1080 (V) pixels of the full screen will be be displayed and transferred to the new screen.
    Oh, burgger. Yes, of course it would. Oh well, I've ordered the thing now - will just have to see how it looks at the 3200x1800 native setting on the lower-res monitor.

    Johnmcl7 wrote: »
    I'm confused, are you wanting to run both monitors at once or when connected are you wanting to use the external monitor on its own?John
    Just the external one (but I'm open to otther options if they help...)

    Johnmcl7 wrote: »
    Yalthough Windows scaling in the desktop mode doesn't tend to work well.John
    You're not wrong there - check out these handy easy to read menus in photoshop!


    Actuallly (slight tangent) things would be slightly more useable on the 13" if windows had a resolution setting somewhere between 3200x1800 and 2048x1152. Anyone happen to know if Win10 is going to have 2624x1476. or somesuch ?
  • bod1467
    bod1467 Posts: 15,214 Forumite
    See my post #10 - that gives you the best of both worlds. (I'd be cautious about connecting a 1920 x 1080 monitor whilst leaving the resolution in Windows to 3200 x 1800).

    To your last question ... it may be possible to edit the .INF file for the video driver to insert additional resolution options. I've never tried it myself but have seen guides online on doing this.
  • Consumerist
    Consumerist Posts: 6,311 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 11 June 2015 at 12:41PM
    KingL wrote: »
    Actuallly (slight tangent) things would be slightly more useable on the 13" if windows had a resolution setting somewhere between 3200x1800 and 2048x1152. Anyone happen to know if Win10 is going to have 2624x1476. or somesuch ?
    Resolution settings are a function of the graphics-card driver. Windows only offers you access to some/all of those resolutions which that driver allows. i.e. it's not Windows 10 which will/won't offer the screen resolution options but the graphics card & driver installed on your PC.

    Edit
    It occurs to me that it is probable that an external monitor will receive the full 3200 x 1800-pixel picture irrespective of the display resolution you have selected on your laptop. In that case it will be down to the monitor's driver software to determine how it may be displayed there.
    >:)Warning: In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
  • almillar
    almillar Posts: 8,621 Forumite
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    I think I've got a similar problem to OP, but it's not resolution, it's scaling.
    I've got a Surface Pro 3 with a lovely high res screen. So high res, that there's scaling set in Windows Control Panel (and therefore, universal).
    Then I plug it into a 19" monitor, and only have the display on it - no mirroring or extending. I've got it set to the right resolution (1280x1024 - 4:3 ratio) but it'll be blurry. Restart resets the scaling and it's nice and crisp. Unplug the monitor, display goes back to the Surface's screen, but everyything's tiny. Restart, and it's back to normal.
    Is this a similar problem OP?
    Any shortcuts for changing scaling settings?
    Always displaying at the native resolution for each screen.
  • Consumerist
    Consumerist Posts: 6,311 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    OP, you might find this <article from the Tested website> of some help in getting a more readable display with your 13".
    >:)Warning: In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
  • KingL
    KingL Posts: 1,713 Forumite
    almillar wrote: »
    Is this a similar problem OP?
    I haven't got an external monitor yet - I was trying to understand/predict what the display would look like with my set-up, so I could buy the 'right' one. I have ordered a 23" 1920x1080 now, so I'll let you know if I have your problem when it arrives next week!
  • Johnmcl7
    Johnmcl7 Posts: 2,838 Forumite
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    KingL wrote: »
    Just the external one (but I'm open to otther options if they help...)

    Using the external monitor on its own is the easiest option as basically the internal display resolution of the laptop doesn't matter, you may need to adjust the scaling to suit but it's a minor change. I think a 23in 1080p monitor is a sensible choice, I use a similar one as a work monitor and find it's a decent size and resolution for general use.

    John
  • KingL
    KingL Posts: 1,713 Forumite
    Well, the new 1920x1080 23" monitor arrived yesterday and it is s-s-s-sweet. It's so nice to actually be able to see what's on your computer screen for a change. Even the microdot-sized menus on Photoshop are useable now :)

    Re: resolution: Whenever the external monitor is in use (singally or in combination with the hi-res lappy), Win8.1 selects the default resolution 1920x1080 on both devices. This is also the _highest available_ resolution on both devices. If you flip back to the lappy (only) it goes back to 3200x1800.


    The only downside with the new setup is that I (have always) had to use a (?) scaling factor of 200% to see the microdot OS text on the lappy. (Right click desktop>screen resolution>Make text and other items large or smaller> Change the size of all items> 100%/125%/150%/200%/250%). When I port this 200% setting over to the external monitor, everything is way too big and you only see the top left of what was on the lappy screen. When you change it down to 100%, everything is fine on the external monitor. But you have to log-out to effect this change (killing your internet and all app sessions), so its not that convenient to flip to and fro lappy and external monitors. It also messes up the spacing of the minor menus on the taskbar (quicklaunch icons, onscreen keyboard icon), but that's pretty trivial.
    Resolution settings are a function of the graphics-card driver.
    Yep, it seems that it's the graphics card determines what resolutions you can have. When I plug my old 1024x600 10" netbook into the external monitor, all of a sudden I find that the netbook can drive upto 1920x1080 on the external monitor. I should've got the big screen years ago! It was only £90, too.

    .
    .
    almillar wrote: »
    Is this a similar problem OP?
    almillar wrote: »
    Then I plug it into a 19" monitor, and only have the display on it - no mirroring or extending.
    No - I don't have that problem. I have all four standard options for mirroring and extending.

    almillar wrote: »
    I've got it set to the right resolution (1280x1024 - 4:3 ratio) but it'll be blurry. Restart resets the scaling and it's nice and crisp.
    No, mine's resonably crisp all the time.

    almillar wrote: »
    Unplug the monitor, display goes back to the Surface's screen, but everyything's tiny. Restart, and it's back to normal.
    Yes, I've got that one, but its set manually, as above (Right click desktop>screen resolution>Make text and other items large or smaller> Change the size of all items> 100%/125%/150%/200%/250%) (oh, you have to have the "Let me choose one scaling level for all my displays" box checked . This is in Win 8.1 . You have to log out before the change comes into effect. I'm not sure if that counts as a shortcut.

    HTH
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