Changing resolutions for optimum feedback?

[gar7]

I just purchased a new tv and wanted to let it do all the scaling instead of the graphics card in my pc. I know that some tv stations broadcast in 480, 720 and 1080 so i want the pc to output the native resolution to the display and let it do the scaling. Can this be done in media center. Seems like you have to lock the video card to output only one resolution and since my tv has a much better scaler i would like to use that instead.
thanks for your help.
Gar7

[SilverRubicon]

I think you're underestimating the ability of the pc to scale the content. I'd say the PC will be a match to any TV... now an external scaler? Probably not but a TV is easy to match and exceed. PC's and their video systems are up to the task.

There is no way for WMC to change resolution per channel.

[Sharks]

I think you're underestimating the ability of the PC to scale the content. I'd say the PC will be a match to any TV... now an external scaler? Probably not but a TV is easy to match and exceed. PC's and their video systems are up to the task.

There is no way for WMC to change resolution per channel.

Could you suggest some options to improve scaling content?

[garyr]

My question is that when a recording is made of a broadcast at 480 or 720 I want to play back that recording at the original resolution and let the tv display it at the original resolution. I don't think letting my graphics card upscale a 480 or 720 recording to 1080p would be as good as having it play back the show at the original resolution and having the tv display it at that resolution. Don't you think a new high-end tv would do the job better than an old integrated graphics chip?

My old cable card recorder box would output the resolution according to the resolution that the show was broadcast in without doing an internal conversion.

[mdavej]

Understood. My DirecTV DVR used to do that. But WMC won't. You get a fixed resolution for all content. You could manually change resolution and see if you can detect any difference. FWIW, my $3000 TV did a terrible job at scaling. Well, I guess it did what was designed to do, which is essentially make the pixels bigger, with no interpolation or added detail. It looks horrible compared to feeding it a source that was already upconverted. I think you'll be disappointed in the results too.

[Crash2009]

I just purchased a new tv and wanted to let it do all the scaling instead of the graphics card in my PC. I know that some tv stations broadcast in 480, 720 and 1080 so i want the PC to output the native resolution to the display and let it do the scaling. Can this be done in media center. Seems like you have to lock the video card to output only one resolution and since my tv has a much better scaler i would like to use that instead.
thanks for your help.
Gar7

Over here in this part of the country, they broadcast the same channel on all 3 resolutions. (480, 720, 1080) Seven for example is 7, 107, 1007. What I did with mine, is I delete 7 and 107, and keep 1007. (use GuideTool) When WMC is set to record, it has no choice but to record 1080. The channel list is more manageable now (trimmed from 600 to 140). The only exception that I made was to the Weather Channel.....The SD version gives me the local on the 8's. The HD version is national only, no local.

Is there some other reason why you have to record in 480?

[SilverRubicon]

Over here in this part of the country, they broadcast the same channel on all 3 resolutions.

That sounds like a horrible use of bandwidth. I get the SD version (480) and an HD version. Which is whatever Comcast chooses to repackage. To have both 720 and 1080 available... ugh, I'd rather have that bandwidth devoted to a higher quality HD version. Having cable companies re-compressing content is bad enough as it is, but to squeeze in an additional HD channel of the same broadcast? Maybe your cable box is doing the down/up scaling on it's own? As you're using a Ceton tuner, that would be unlikely.

[Crash2009]

I agree.

The point was, OP should be recording in 1080 and playing that 1080 all the way through the chain. There is no fixing a poor quality recording. If it's lousy to begin with, $10,000 worth of equipment isn't going to make it look any better. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

1- Set the tuner to record only 1080 channels
2- Set the Display Properties of the HTPC to 1080
3- Set the TV to 1080

and be done with it.

If you want to watch 480 recordings, go find a 480 TV.

[garyr]

OK so I just bought a new 4k display.... and a new ATI video card that can output 2160. The new 4k TV set says that it does superior conversion.
SO now do I set my video card to output 2160? and forgo the "superior conversion that the TV will do"? or do I just set it at 1080 and be done with it?
However, if I set the video card at 1080 then I could never watch any 4k content that may come my way (i.e., 4k video files) on the computer.

[mdavej]

Bottom line is WMC will not switch resolutions on the fly. So you have to set it and forget it. Whether that's 4k or not is up to you. Many video drivers let you set up hotkeys for various things or have multiple monitors. You could possibly switch resolutions with a hotkey or just play 4k on your secondary monitor output, and handle the switching in your AVR or matrix switch. Alternately, you may want to consider having one box for WMC and other boxes for everything else if you don't want to have to switch resolutions or inputs when you watch 4k content.

Here's one person's attempt to get WMC working at 4k:
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/26-home-t ... ng-4k.html

[Crash2009]

If you have your mind "set" to make 3840x2160 (UHD) work properly, you are going to have to upgrade/build a system to pump whatever UHD signals you can get. You likely will have to upgrade your Display System. The display adapter should be able to do 3840X2160 for starters, and the CPU will have to be able to pump all that to your TV. A clear picture of what you get in WMC will only fill 1/4 of the screen, if you blow it up to full screen-it will look like a checkerboard.

Here are a couple pages that outline a few of the challenges.....

https://pcmonitors.info/articles/the-4k ... xperience/

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-C ... esolutions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4K_resolution#4K_Ultra_HD

1- What model of 4K TV did you get?
2- what are the specifications of your computer?

[Crash2009]

I found a post here at TGB where a few guys have been experimenting with WMC and Windows adjustments that might help you.

http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... F4k#p84677

[DavidinCT]

OK so I just bought a new 4k display.... and a new ATI video card that can output 2160. The new 4k TV set says that it does superior conversion.
SO now do I set my video card to output 2160? and forgo the "superior conversion that the TV will do"? or do I just set it at 1080 and be done with it?
However, if I set the video card at 1080 then I could never watch any 4k content that may come my way (i.e., 4k video files) on the computer.

Ok, I run WMC on Windows 7 at 2160p (4K). If your video card CAN support it (I use Nvivida 750ti). Go into your Display settings (right click on desktop), when you get there, click Advanced, Select "all Modes" (to see all supported modes), select 2160p @ 60hz. Do not run WMC at 30hz, it is very choppy and sluggish.
Then go into TV setup in WMC and make sure it's set as 2160p @60hz.

This allows my LG 65" 4K tv to just show it's native display res and I get really good performance off it. Only bug is WMC will kick up an error on startup "You res is too high", this can be adjusted off some batch files but, if you change a registry setting for it, it will change back next time WMC runs. So when I start up WMC, I use a batch file that fixes the registry and then runs WMC in Media Mode.

It does work and works pretty good. And I find the picture quality very nice, a step above running at 1080p..