dfreloaded

I mentioned a while back that I built a new PC to use as a media machine to hook up to the TV. I was not intending it to do much other than this so I decided just to use Ubuntu as an operating system. Well good though it was Ubuntu had one annoying feature re "Overscan" when you switch the TV to HD resolutions. The overscan was bad enough at 1280x720 but at 1920x1080 it rendered Ubuntu almost unuseable. Overscan is not the fault of Ubuntu though. Its a very common problem with TV's when using the HDMi port for HD resolutions when hooked up to a PC. For some odd reason many TV's will not ( including mine ) let you adjust vertical and horizontal via HDMi although mine and presumably many others can do using the DSub. However many TV's lock down the maximum res using the DSub so for true HDMi resolutions ( especially 1080i etc ) you have no choice but to use the HDMi port.

Now the big problem with Ubuntu is not the OS itself. It is the driver support ( or lack off ) that is the problem. NVidia and ATi drivers for windows allows you solve the overscan issue via software but there is nothing I could find at this stage to solve it in Ubuntu. As the whole point of this computer was to run HD resolutions Ubuntu unfortunately had to go.

So there was a quandry. I hate Vista but like XP. However XP is getting old especially for multimedia and Windows 7 is not out yet. I would have bought Vista if they offered a free upgrade later on to W7 but that is not yet available and there was no way I was committing this PC to that shite they call Vista. All the bad things you read about Vista are true. Those bandits at Redmond should offer a refund for that crap. So what was I to do. I wanted HD on this rig now and Ubuntu could not deliver. So I had an idea. Windows 7 beta !!!! This would give me breathing space until the retail package is released but lets me get Windows on this computer now. Better still I have 9 months free before I have to buy it.

I will say one thing. The Windows 7 beta is quite buggy still especially regarding compatibility with older software. Even Flight Sim 2004 does not like it and adding additional scenery is a pain. You can force it to work if it installs to its own directory but many programs add scenery in an unuual way and it either installs badly or does not install at all. Best of all although FS2004 comes from Redmond Windows 7 reports it as coming from an unknown publisher lol. Okay though it is still at the beta stage so there are sure to be still bugs with it. It does seem better than Vista though and the boot times are impressive by comparison. Of course that could be down to the speed of the new computer and the fact it is still not bloated with software. Time will tell I guess.

However back to the TV. Although its been a good one it is heading to a bedroom soon. You see its not big enough lol. Running FS2004 on the big screen is fantastic especially at HD resolutions especially when the sound is hooked up to your Hi-Fi. Get yourself real time online weather with live ATC transmissions and your all set lol. So if this mere 32 incher is good then it must be awesome on a bigger screen so I feel an upgrade coming on.

The following pictures turned out crap but you still get the idea.

Cheers

A Sunny day in Edinburgh








Lined up perfectly for a Landing at Newcastle. Im not sure if 747's actually go there but this one did.

lol, your just not right in the head m8.

Get the windows 7 RC (release candidate) It's much more stable than the beta.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/window ... nload.aspx

-DM

I sometimes wonder about that myself.



Thats the version Im running DM. Its still got bugs though and like Vista it still doesnt like earlier software. Whats annoying though is like Vista when I say earlier software I dont mean ancient either. Thats why so many stuck with XP and they need to get backward compatability right with 7 or it will bomb too. Just because something is older does not mean it is not useable or still enjoyable and compatibility mode does not always work.

As to the photos its strange how the camera picked up those swirly lines. In reality the picture is crystal clear.

lol XP is shite. There is nothing you can run on XP that doesen't run better on Vista these days. Maybe some printer from 1995 for something. Any software/hardware in the last 10 years pretty much runs perfect on Vista in compatability mode if nothing else. Those fanboys of XP are just deluding themselves, it's been quite awhile since XP even could run XP only apps faster than Vista can run them, not to mention the ram limitations the bad virtual paging and all the rest of the crap.

Those lines are just caught by your camera since the lcd's are turning on/off too fast for you to see them.

Aint technology grand!

-Dom

I haven't upgraded my PC to vista because quite frankly I can't be bothered with spending the money. Besides it runs LF4D fine and I hardly play it anyway.

well a new TV would be great. After much consideration on getting a HDLCD/TV I settled very happerly with an
ACER H243H bmid 24" Widescreen LCD Computer Display
VGA + DVI + HDMI
1920 x 1080
40,000:1 Dynamic Contrast
300cd/m2 Brightness
160°/160° Viewing Angle
2ms Response Time
16.7 Million Colors
Integrated Stereo Speakers 72%
NTSC Color Gamut

paid $243.00 couple weeks ago, see it has dropped another $20.00

and I love it.

Yea, those acer's are really nice. I bought the 22 w/o the speakers last year. it's such a good monitor, I bought 3 more for others.

-DM

I'm using Vista 64 and have no real complaints anymore. Not quite the case for the first year of so! Oddly enough I just started outputting my notebook video to my 37" LCD TV via the VGA ports (only one HDMI input on the TV and the DVD player is hooked up to that, and I don't have an HDMI output on the comp. I've also got a DVI output on the comp, but no corresponding input on the TV! Anyway.............no complaints about the VGA signal.............1920 x 1080 is the default res of the TV. The games I've tried on it (STALKER, ArmA II, & COD 4 look killer on it. For some reason I can't get vanilla BF 2 or BF 2 with either of the mods I use (POE 2.5 and NAW 5.2) to run though, they start to load then CTD on my comp as long as the cable is connecting the comp and the TV. BTW: I'm also outputting my Creative HD 5.1 game audio into my 800 watt (RMS) Onkyo surround sound system. Does it rock? Oh yea!

Buy a new TV, and buy me one while you're at it! 42" 1200p would be great!