MEDIA CENTRE. LCD or PLASMA TV

[BigEndBob]

Jimmy-I was more interested in the fact the WD media centre plays .mkv files without having to boot up the computer. But i would then lose the ability to resize through my favourite player (KMplayer).

[Jimmy Macintosh]

I've not used .mkv files, just VOB.

But there is an option in the settings where you can force output, or let it do it automatically.


Recently noticed though that an anamorphic movie will get windowed rather than viewed as "widescreen" so I get black bars all around rather than just top and bottom. Zooming the TV, got around this but that has to be only a temporary fix.

[TURIN]

It's the blasted zoom function!!!!!!



After all the buggering about that's all it was.

Thanks anyway.

[Parapunter]

I take it you've fannied around with the graphics card settings? and run through the media centre set up and played with the zoom thing?

Ha ha, 2nd of February!!

[TURIN]

Back in Feb I was messing with the TV zoom.

Only just found the zoom on the Media Centre as my remote doesn't have a zoom button I can only access it with a right click of the mouse. Doh!

Thanks again.

[Parapunter]

On MCE remotes, it's the "i" button.

[TURIN]

Ah yeees. Mine's a cheepskate Media Lab jobbee that came with the case. Keep saying I'll invest in a puckah MCE remote but..........!

[ampclamp]

go lcd

If its less than 40" go lcd especially if its going to be used for other media.
Make you get the fastest response time (refresh) ie 3-5 milliseconds for example if you going to be watching sport.

New gen plasma {later this year?} will be much less power hungry but the above still applies in general from all I've read.
Big lcd's are expensive [>42" ] but less than 40 they are the rule and should be a better deal around

[Parapunter]

One of these fellers...

Or if you're capexed up, this'll feel good under the hand


Actually, the ms remote is very well thought out & works brilliantly with media centre, for which, funnily enough, it was designed. 20 wingwangs most places. Money well spent.

[Loose rivets]

Well, I've just posted my tale of woe on JB

http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/3669...es-lemons.html


So far it's cost me nowt but a load of arguing. But DLP gave me the best picture on Earth, now it seems that it's unsupportable, and Sony are really squirming. Some reward for 25 years of promoting their kit.

[TURIN]

Picture size again.

Well here I go again.

Just updated my ATI Radeon HD 2600Pro graphics card with the latest driver.

Now my media centre picture will not size to the screen.

Fiddled with the resolution ad nauseum, set the TV to "Just Scan". Zoom functions make no difference.

The media centre screen sits in the middle of the TV with a 1.5 inch black edge round all sides.

Any ideas?

Ta.

[Sprogget]

Does the ATI have it's own software to play with?

In my experience, changing the resolution in media centre will not help, but you could try it in any event - configure the tv or monitor option in tv setup.

The other option of course is to roll back the driver. Seems to me that most GPU driver updates are aimed at fixing problems for gamers, so it's debatable how much of a step forward you take dropping in a new driver for a box being used for media centre.

[TURIN]

Does the ATI have it's own software to play with?

In my experience, changing the resolution in media centre will not help, but you could try it in any event - configure the tv or monitor option in tv setup.

Yes I have fiddled with the resolution through the ATI software, lots to fiddle with but I managed in the end to get a good picture by setting both the Media Centre and the graphics card to 1152x864.

This isn't perfect because the TV will now not allow me to set the 'Just Scan' picture size setting. Result is I have to adjust the zoom for each channel depending on how it's broadcast.

Thanks for the help anyway.