INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: nickharambee on May 29, 2004, 12:27:18 pm

Title: display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: nickharambee on May 29, 2004, 12:27:18 pm
my laptop has a native resolution of 1400x1050, but this messes up the look of most of my programs.  i have played around with some of the settings in xp, but still can't get MC (and other programs) looking right.

i have been using 1024x768 up til now, as most programs seem to be set up for this resolution.  but the screen, and in particular text, is decidededly fuzzy.

with MC the main issues are tiny toolbars, and the need for tiny text in the window at the top that shows what track is playing (a decent sized text gets chopped in half)

does anyone know if these issues can be addressed within MC or whether there is some other program/driver that will make software behave as though i am using a 1024x768 resolution, when in fact i am using a 1400x1050 (whilst preserving the greater clarity of course)

if not it's back to fuzzy screens for me....

why would anyone design a machine with a native resolution that doesn't work well with most software!!! ? ::) :P

nick
Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: 221bBS on May 29, 2004, 12:50:03 pm
Try using the Opus MC (Large) skin...here's a link

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=18628
Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: nickharambee on May 29, 2004, 06:08:43 pm
this link brought up a page showing links to the various opus skins, but these links didn't work.  any idea where i can get these skins?

nick
Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: LonWar on May 29, 2004, 07:12:12 pm
Here you go,

http://65.248.225.124/

Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: nickharambee on May 30, 2004, 03:06:16 am
Quote
http://65.248.225.124/

this page is coming up as unavailable.

nick
Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: Dragyn on May 30, 2004, 07:57:06 am
click here (http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=21778&start=0) to go to the new thread on opus. You would want 14pt.

sorry for the troubles.
Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: nickharambee on May 30, 2004, 08:14:46 am
thanks for the link

the difference between 8/10pt and 14pt is minimal though, and changing to 14 pt doesn't actually change the size of the icons in the customizable toolbar.  nor does it resolve the problem with text getting cut in half in the window at the top of the screen that displays the track that is playing.

should there be such a minimal difference, or could some other setting be effecting this?

nick.
Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: Dragyn on May 30, 2004, 08:56:27 am
What's your DPI set at? I think the default is 96. Could it be set higher?

14pt has bigger scrollbars, borders, splitters, and a higher display area for larger fonts. As for the text being cut off, that's a MC problem.
Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: nickharambee on May 30, 2004, 09:01:23 am
dpi is set to normal (96) because i find quite a lot of programs don't look right if i set it higher (and one won't even run)

i have been doing a little research from which i would conclude that a resolution of 1400x1050 is too high a native resolution for a 15" laptop, so it is either fuzziness or having some programs not look right........

one expects more for one's money :'( :'(

nick
Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: 221bBS on May 30, 2004, 10:09:24 am
Might wanna stick with a resolution of 1280X1024 or lower for a 15 inch screen
Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: nickharambee on May 30, 2004, 10:13:38 am
fuzzy screen for a fuzzy head :o 8)
Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: Chris Shaw on May 30, 2004, 01:31:37 pm
You could try an exact divisor of 1400x1050, like 700x525. You may find this unacceptably low res, but it should reduce the fuzziness. You may also need to use something like Powerstrip to add this resolution if it's not supported by default.

Incidentally, I use a 15" screen at 1600x1200 with no problems. I guess it's just a question of taste.
Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: nickharambee on May 31, 2004, 04:59:39 am
Quote
What's your DPI set at? I think the default is 96. Could it be set higher?

i have been experimenting with changing the DPI setting, but however much i increase it, it doesn't change the size of anything in MC (i.e display areas, scrollbars..).  the only thing that i seem to be able to change is the font size, and if i set it at 8 or higher (tahoma) the bottom of the text gets cut off in the display window at the top which says which track is playing.

Quote
Incidentally, I use a 15" screen at 1600x1200 with no problems. I guess it's just a question of taste.


how do you get MC to work with this resolution?  in particular, how can you see the icons in the taskbar!!  :-\

and anyone got any ideas why i am getting very little difference between the MC opus skins (8pt -14pt)?

thanks

nick


Title: Re:display resolution and getting MC looking right
Post by: webtree on May 31, 2004, 07:03:39 am
I'm just curious what sort of size native is 1400 by 1050 ??  Its not a standard that I'm aware of!