I've connected my SD643HD5 to a Windows XP MCE 2005 PC I just built. The video card I'm using is an Nvidia 6600GT. I'm using a component connection because I assume the TV's VGA input isn't any better.

Nvidia's latest MCE driver came up with a pretty decent resolution setting for the TV but there's still a little black strip at the top and bottom of the screen. I was really flying in the dark configuring MCE for this TV because I have no idea what its capabilities are AND know nothing about making advanced timing settings.

Oh, TD, can you tell me what your powerstrip settings are for this TV (I read that you have or had this exact model)?

Thx,
Tim

Tim,

You can find my PowerStrip settings here.

-- Dave

Thanks for the quick response!

I saw the page to which you refer when I first visited your site but didn't realize they are specifically for our Pioneer RPTV At the moment it all looks little over my head. Why so many different resolutions for 1080i? Which do you use or, if that's a stupid question, what factors determines the resolution and timing you use for a specific application?

Lastly, (and I realize you use ATI cards) but do you think that my Nvidia drivers' "advanced settings" (where they warn you that going into that may damage your TV) is similar to what can be done in Powerstrip?

Again, I greatly appreciate your response and help.

Allow me to explain. My Pioneer RPTV only supports 480p and 1080i. It does not support 720p -- whcih I learned way after I bought it. So whatever resolution I want will have to fall into those two options.

If I want 640x480, no problem. My TV will do it, but there will be black bars on the left and right sides of the TV because 640x480 has an aspect ratio of 4:3 and my TV is 16:9.

If I want a resolution with more than 480 lines (say, 800x600), then I will have to force the TV to go into 1080i mode, because again, it either does 480 lines or 1080 lines ONLY.

I never use 800x600 by choice because it has black borders all the way around, or more specifically, imagine an 800x600 pixel image in the center of a 1920x1080 image. Some EA games require 800x600, which is why I have it, but other than that, it's useless. The text is so tiny, and the image flickers because it's in Interlaced modem (the "i" in "1080i").

I run Windows XP in 856x480 and most of my widescreen-capable games too. I play UT2004 and Need for Speed: Most Wanted at 856x480, for example.

I play some games at 1776x1000 (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City), if my ATI X800XL card can handle it, otherwise, I drop it down to 856x480.

I play some other games in at 1024x768 or 1280x1024. Some games will not run in widescreen mode no matter what I try, so I play them at the highest 4:3 resolution I can. These two resolutions also have black bars on the left and right sides.

I watch DVDs in 1920x1080. Even though DVDs are 720x480 in nature, viewing them scaled up to 1920x1080 does result in a noticeably sharper picture.

I haven't worked with nVidia cards, so I can't tell you what the Advanced Settings do.

Do take time to check out the PowerStrip forum, as you might find a lot of help and answers there.

Ah ha! I think I'm groking this. You use the system to play games, which I based on my sparse experience with them, work in various resolutions, frame rates, etc. etc. Many more variables than simply watching a DVD or MCE HDTV tuner like I'm shooting for. I really appreciate your taking the time to explain the background on the various settings on your page. I feel like now I have a baseline to work from. BTW, I spoke with Pioneer support today about the basic question "what resolution should I set my MCE PC for?" and the guy said our TV supports 720p (as well as 1080i and others). Odd that you've found it does not support 720. Ah well, 1080i is fine.

In all your experience with this TV have you ever found a resolution that completely fills the screen with no black borders?

Regards,

Tim

OK, I see where you are coming from now.

856x480, 1776x1000, and 1920x1080 all have no borders. In fact, they all have a little bit overscan -- which is the opposite of borders, in other words, the pricture goes a little off the edge of the screen. No biggie for most games, and certainly no biggie for watching DVDs since the program I use, TheaterTek gives me the freedom to resize my picture to anything I want.

I have a webpage that contains overscan patterns I've created for testing the amount of overscan:

http://www.tigerdave.com/test_patterns.htm

For example, I use this one all the time when tweaking my 856x480 resolution in PowerStrip:



I only have 2-3% overscan on all sides. You want a little bit overscan.

As for the Pioneer rep, well, the user manual itself says that the TV does NOT display 720p. So what's the work around? When you buy an HD receiver, there's usually a selector swtich where you select what res to output at. So if you set it to 1080i, all 720p HDTV programs will be upscaled and output to 1080i via the HD Receiver.

Hi Dave:

Are you using a the ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter for your custom resolutions or are you using the VGA input on your 643? Currently I am using the VGA input and it works ok but it seems like it may be easier to use the adapter? I use the VGA input because I am using the 2 component inputs with my dvd player and hi-def cable.

When I have the Radeon 9700 Pro, I bought an ATI DVI-to-Component adapter.

Now that I have a Radeon X800XL, I am using the component output cable that came with it.

Subject: Powerstrip settings for Pioneer SD-643HD5??



@Dave:
I have been searching and searching the Internet for settings for the Pioneer SD-643HD5 TV on and off for a couple of weeks now, when I get the spare time to tinker with getting my PC working on this TV.

I ran across the post above, however the link just goes to the main forum index. Doing a forum search, all that turns up is the mentioned post below.

I am a newbee here, but am a Super Mod on 2 VERY large forums, and know my way around a computer and the Internet well

Would you happen to have the settings archived that you used for your set for the 1080 resolution on the set. From everything I have found it supports only 480 and 1080, and nothing in between. I have tried tons of generic settings for Powerstrip in the 1080 mode, and can get nothing to work.

Anyone's help would be greatly appreciated big time!

BTW, I have tried both direct VGA, as well as a DVI to RGB adapter, as the puter I am using has VGA, DVI and HDMI on it. I have tried a multitude of settings and just can not get the PC in sync with the TV.

Thanks in advance!