Eliminating distortion from wide screen

[bcstover]

I have just upgraded to a computer with a great new graphics card, but it also has a "wide" screen.  Now everything is "stretched" side to side, gauges are oblong, etc.  Is there anyway to get things back into proportion?  I assume this may result in black bands on either side of the screen, but that would be better than the distortion.  Can anyone help?

[Calb]

Boy, I'd take that card back in a heartbeat and get one that doesn't have the 16:9 format.

Cal (CYXX)

[bcstover]

Calb,

Thanks for your response.  I'm pretty new at all this graphics stuff, so can you give me more info?  Do graphic cards come in both the "traditional" and "wide" formats?  If I go with the traditional proportion card, I assume I'll wind up with two black bands on the side of the screen.

Thanks,
Brooks

[ashaman]

Just go in the windows display options and select a non 16:9 video format (example 1024x768 ) when you use FS. This choice should let the twin black lateral vertical bands form on your video and let you use the simulator with no distortion.

[wji]

Sounds to me like the widescreen would be for viewing HD DVDs . . . not FS9. But what do I know (ce qui  je)?

[beaky]

Yes... hope you didn't get that widescreen display  thinking you'd be looking at FS9 all reformatted to widescreen w/o distortion. Even with a widescreen display, if the content is not formatted for it, you'll either have the horizontal stretching, black bands on the sides, or the top and bottom chopped off (which might work for FS, but you'd lose a lot of important stuff, even if you dragged your instrument panel up or whatever).
I'm an A/V installs tech, and I've often seen a look of disappointment (or horror!!)  when the client realizes their boardroom PC output signal doesn't magically fill their new 16:9 plasma or projection screen without some distortion or masking on the sides... ("talk to our sales rep; I just install 'em")...Widescreen displays are for HDTV and movies shot in the 1.85:1 (16x9) or 2.35:1 (Cinemascope) formats, but I think there are other games out now that are formatted for widescreen.
 But whatever- if you like to watch movies on your computer, being able to watch wide-format  films without letterboxing, chopping, or compression might be worth the trade-off with FS9.
 Here's a link to a fun, simple thing about aspect ratios, if  you want to learn more:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/ ... orama.html
 

[Katahu314]

I also have the 16:9 video format for FS9. Of course the main panel get stretched out like a rubber band, but I never use the 2D panel anyways. I always fly with the DVC. And there is NO distortion there.

[Tom_M]

Just go in the windows display options and select a non 16:9 video format (example 1024x768 ) when you use FS. This choice should let the twin black lateral vertical bands form on your video and let you use the simulator with no distortion.

Nope. A 4:3 format game will stretch to fit on most modern PCs and cause distortion. Atleast, FS does.

Even with a widescreen display, if the content is not formatted for it, you'll either have the horizontal stretching, black bands on the sides, or the top and bottom chopped off

This is true for other things, but it IS possible to run FS9 without these sacrifices on a wide display with a correct widescreen resolution and zero distortion:
____

As a user with a wide display, I use a widescreen res (usually the same as your desktop's res- for me it's 1280x800) and apart from panel distortion, everything else will be fine. Don't use a square res as it will be streched.

Alternatively, run maximised in windowed mode. This offers no distortion (apart from the panel) and performance is also better. Probably the best choice.