The Xbox 360 VGA cable has width issues (Xbox 360 annoyance #016)
by Conrad Quilty-Harper 
{ Mar 10th 2006 at 9:30PM }
Microsoft's decision to provide a VGA cable for the Xbox 360 was a brilliant one - not since the Dreamcast has a
console manufacturer made it so easy for gamers to plug their console into their computer's monitor. However,
Microsoft's VGA cable has a problem which goes beyond video quality - which happens to be astounding (especially when
compared to S-video and other inferior inputs).The problem with the Xbox 360 VGA cable is one of aspect ratios. There's an option in the dashboard to play games in either the default 16:9 (widescreen) or 4:3 (standard) aspect ratios. I happen to own a 4:3 LCD TV. One would expect that the console would be able to play games using the full screen space of either ratio, but unfortunately this isn't the case. There are several possible situations that you'll encounter using this cable on a 4:3 monitor.
- Everything will look just fine. The console will display the game without stretching or using black bars above and below the screen (the only game I've found that plays perfectly is Need for Speed: Most Wanted).
- Stretch City. Similar to the picture on the right, the console will stretch the image vertically in an attempt to fill in the extra vertical space from playing the game on a 4:3 monitor (this is possibly the most annoying part: the tracks in Project Gotham Racing 3 appear to be much thinner, which can be very distracting).
- Black bars. In this situation, the console sticks some chunky black bars on the top and bottom of the screen, taking up approx. 25-33% of the screen area (Perfect Dark: Zero, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, Kameo, King Kong and Full Auto all feature black bars).
Note: there are exceptions to this rule. For example, in a split screen game of Ghost Recon: Advanced
Warfighter, the game will take advantage of the entire screen, whilst in the same mode Perfect Dark: Zero
keeps the black bars. Using the S-video connection, PD:Z takes advantage of the whole screen in every mode.
This is a relatively minor annoyance and mainly a matter of aesthetics, but the inconsistent ways that the different games handle 4:3 high definition televisions is concerning. Why can some games play perfectly both in widescreen and standard aspect ratios, while the majority can't? And why don't users have the choice between stretching the image and having black bars?
Other Xbox 360 annoyances: 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012, 013, 014, 015
This is a relatively minor annoyance and mainly a matter of aesthetics, but the inconsistent ways that the different games handle 4:3 high definition televisions is concerning. Why can some games play perfectly both in widescreen and standard aspect ratios, while the majority can't? And why don't users have the choice between stretching the image and having black bars?
Other Xbox 360 annoyances: 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012, 013, 014, 015
Xbox 360 delights: 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
twisp @ Mar 10th 2006 9:40PM
"This is a relatively minor annoyance and mainly a matter of aesthetics.."
Then why in the hell are you complaining about such a minor annoyance. I bet I can guess, slow news day?
C. Grant @ Mar 10th 2006 9:45PM
Because the name of the post is Xbox 360 annoyances, not Xbox 360 things that make us want to return the console.
Nick @ Mar 10th 2006 9:46PM
Shouldn't be a slow news day, I submitted four separate tips to them last night and none of them have been mentioned. I wonder if they even went through properly, I have no way of knowing since there's no confirmation system.
Nick
Crummy @ Mar 10th 2006 9:51PM
That seems pretty suprising, actually. I wonder if this is the kind of thing that could be patched later on... from the sound of things it's software-related.
Daniel D @ Mar 10th 2006 9:53PM
Okay the same person who buys a VGA cable isnt the same sort of person who will play it on a crappy 4:3 tv. they should just stick to the one that came with it in this case, I have one for my 32" HDTV and it looks amazing, if someone cant afford one than they should use the supplied one
Joe @ Mar 10th 2006 9:54PM
Not sure I'm following here. I have a VGA cable and it works like a charm. Are you sure your panel doesn't need a bit of config? I had to set my monitor and 360 correctly. I set the 360 to 1280x768, and have the monitor set to fill the space ... works like a charm.
Sjohn @ Mar 10th 2006 10:02PM
I'm guessing you have, but just checking, what resolution were you trying? Did you try setting to multiple resolutions instead of just different aspect ratios? I would expect possible problems at "non-standard" resolutions. By standard I'm talking about TV standards, such as 640x480 or 1280x720 or 1920x1080, but in 4x3 I would guess the resolutions would be a bit different, such as 800x600 or 1024x768, maybe that is why you are having the bar problems, they devs only figured that 4:3 would be on normal resolution screens, instead of nice TVs that just so happen have 4:3 instead of 16:9.
Note: I'm not defending the developers, by all means if the 360 supports that resolution, their game should be able to correctly scale the image without the distortion or problems that you mention in this article.
doug @ Mar 10th 2006 10:02PM
Why would anyone own a 4:3 monitor? Did you not see they make them in 16:10 now? For sale, using easy-to-come-by american currency?
However, like Joe says, it should work anyway if you have everything set up correctly, even though your monitor is old and funny-shaped. Correctly is the key word here.
Jason Westhaver @ Mar 10th 2006 10:08PM
See this isn't a problem for me. I just set the output to it's highest 16:9 resolution and then set my 4:3 monitor's vertical strech to 0 (the lowest setting). Voila! prefect 16:9 with no mess. Plus my Monitor remembers the settings seperately for each VGA input and RES so i never have to touch it again.
The only problem is that it always outputs DVD as 16:9 640x480, which doesn't stretch nicely.
But what's important to me, are the games, and they're glorious.
M. Maddux @ Mar 10th 2006 10:12PM
Forgive me "DOUG" for owning a monitor that is more than a single year old. I, apparently unlike you, cannot hop on down to my local electronics store to snatch up a new wonderful widescreen LCD every six months, brushing my oh-so-old 4:3 LCD into the trash. Next month when you go get your new model using your "EASY-TO-COME-BY" cash, give your old piece of crap to me. Or at least the backup for your second monitor out a your house in the Hamptons.
Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Mar 10th 2006 10:16PM
The monitor is set up at 1280x1024. There's nothing wrong with the monitor, it just seems to be that some games won't play at this or other 4:3 resolutions without black bars or stretching the image.
Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Mar 10th 2006 10:19PM
BTW, I've tried at 640x480, 1024x768 and 1280x1024 and they all exhibit the same problem. If I try setting the monitor to a 16:9 resolution (say 1280x768) the image is always stretched, so I guess that could be a temporary (and annoying, since it stretches the menus) solution if you hate black bars.
dork @ Mar 10th 2006 10:36PM
you guys are still doing these annoyances? right after a post about how awesome the games are?
Spartacus @ Mar 10th 2006 10:59PM
I agree with the annoyance and it IS a valid complaint. I use my 21" flat CRT 4:3 PC monitor simply because I already owned it, it has dual VGA inputs and I never watch TV, so an HDTV hasn't justified itself yet (though the 360 makes it tempting now). So I have my 360 in my room with my PC (I'm a college kid, so I don't have the luxury of a dedicated gaming room, heck I don't even have a dedicated LIVING room) and Logitech Z-5500 speakers, which I love. I have experienced this issue as well, however only on a FEW games. Therefore, it seems to not be the cable or the 360's fault, but the developer's.
I have my 360 set on 1024x768 resolution on normal aspect ratio, however PGR3 simply won't play on a normal aspect ratio. It ALWAYS goes into letterbox mode, sometimes even distorting the picture in the letterbox. The distortion is so bad, you can't even make out the backgrounds or the track. Of course the 360 handles the resolution and aspect just fine, the dashboard displays everything correctly, but depending on the game, things can go haywire. Here are my findings:
1. Low-def resolution settings display fine at 4:3 aspect ratios. PGR3 will fill the entire CRT screen at 640x480, however will go letterbox when cranked up to 1024x768, even if the aspect ratio remains at "normal" rather than "widescreen".
2. High-def resolutions display at any aspect ratio in the dashboard. This brings me to the conclusion that the 360 hardware and OS are bug and error free.
3. Some games only display in letterbox even if the normal aspect ratio is selected. Others will vary depending on the mode of play you choose. GRAW for example with letterbox in campaign mode, but fill out the entire screen in split screen. If I remember right, PGR3 does this too (I'm too lazy to boot it up and check). The Outfit demo only displays in letterbox as well. So does Fight Night R3. This again confirms that the problem is game code related, not hardware.
MY CONCLUSIONS:
1. Game devs have made some simple oversights. Just like Ubisoft failed to include multiple thumbstick layouts for GRAW, they, along with many other devs failed to include multiple aspect ratio support at higher resolutions, probably figuring HDTV's would automatically be widescreen.
2. Even more likely, is this issue is present because of artistic taste and presentation along with practicality. Widescreen, though annoying on a 4:3 screen, is the standard for the 360. Therefore, devs design their game around this ratio. GRAW's HUD would be jam packed onto a 4:3 screen. When both PiP screens are up and running, you probably wouldn't be able to see much else in your visor. So Ubisoft probably chose to keep the widescreen standard on the single player and opted for letterbox on normal monitors. Other games with less clutter in the HUD, like PGR3, probably opted to keep widescreen letterbox simply because they felt it was more immersive and kept the presentation quality high. Of course, when you switch to split screen on a 4:3 monitor, each half of the screen is already "widescreen" (split horizontally) so the devs chose to utilize the full screen area and eliminate the letterbox.
Therefore the real problems probably come into play when the 360 hardware is trying to "force" the game into the user selected aspect ratio and the game is trying to display the developer coded ratio. I'm not sure why this would happen with some games and not others unless it is indeed bad coding on the part of the developers. My 360 plays nice with most games (albeit usually letterboxed, which is fine by me) so I can't say that it's the hardware at fault. The only other thing that could present this problem for a few people is user stupidity. Such as setting the resolution at 1024x768 and then choosing widescreen in the aspect ratio menu. Users with the VGA cable have to have a little bit more knowledge than users with component, composite or S-video cables simply because the 360 automatically sets most of the options with those cables. However, you'll find that the 1080i setting for component cables won't display a 4:3 picture, it is 16:9 only.
After thinking about this whole mess, I've thus concluded that it IS an annoyance. However my peeve isn't with the 360, but technology in general. Technology by definition goes hand in hand with complicated. Because the entertainment industry doesn't have set standard resolutions and aspect ratios (nothing annoys me more than watching a DVD on a widescreen HDTV and STILL having black bars on the top and bottom due to their being TWO different aspect ratios that film uses), things can get messy when attempting to view them on ANY screen. Standards however are by default catered to the lowest common denominator and therefore pretty dated. At any rate, I don't think it is either fair or accurate to blame these issues on the 360. So there, I've said it and I am officially stepping down from my soap box...
Spartacus @ Mar 10th 2006 11:15PM
doug:
That reminds me... WHAT THE HELL IS 16:10?! Now we have a total of FOUR aspect ratios in common use. "Standard" 4:3, "standard" widescreen 16:9 and then two bastard children: The OTHER widescreen format (slightly wider than 16:9 used almost as often in film) and the OTHER OTHER widescreen, 16:10. This is madness. Since you apparently buy a new monitor as soon as they roll off the assembly line, let me know when one comes out that morphs to whatever size and shape the input signal is. That way I don't have to stare at black bars on the other 50-some-odd "standard" aspect ratios that my current monitor doesn't support...
Enigma @ Mar 10th 2006 11:31PM
It is far from an issue. I set it to 1280x720 on a 19inch 4:3 CRT anyhow. It just looks better and more sharp. I dont mind the letterbox, since widescreen gaming is what it is made for.
My 24" Dell will be arriving soon.
The ZeroCorpse @ Mar 11th 2006 12:43AM
I have mine on a 4:3 monitor (19" Samsung 930B) and it works like a charm. No problems with stretching except on legacy XBox games when I try to run some of them in higher-than-normal resolution. For example, GTA games don't like being run any higher than 480p. Period. They won't letterbox, they won't expand to other 4:3 resolutions. It's just because they're older technology.
And who the hell complains about black bars? Man, I hate when people gripe about letterbox. I get it all the time at work, and the ones who "hate widescreen" are the idiots who think they're missing something when a movie is in letterbox format. I even have idiot customers who buy FULLSCREEN movies for their 16:9 HDTV because they think the widescreen version is cropped at the top and bottom!
I'll be glad when they finally kill 4:3 aspect ratio once and for all, and people no longer have a choice.
tcc3 @ Mar 11th 2006 12:51AM
You people complaining that the letterboxing is a problem are probably the same types who think you're seeing less in widescreen movies. Its the exact same problem - to change aspect ratios you have to either letterbox or start cutting off the image. I'd rather have the whole image.
Some games can be adjusted by cropping the main view and rearranging the HUD. Kameo seems to work well in this manner. Some games visibility would be affected (like Sparticus' GRAW example) to the point where you're better off letterboxing to keep the widescreen presentation.
Damn you hollywood for muddying this issue lo those many years ago.
SilentMike @ Mar 11th 2006 1:10AM
Just for the record:
1280x960 = 4:3
1280x1024 = 5:4
Maybe that's what's causing the problem?
badbob001 @ Mar 11th 2006 1:47AM
Don't be so quick to blame the 360 for "stretching" the image. I have a fairly recent 19" dell lcd that does native 1280x1024 resolution. Ideally, I want to run 720p games at 1280x720 and have black bars on the top and bottom. But my stupid monitor has no option to preserve the aspect ratio of non-native resolutions and will always stretch to fill to the full 1280x1024. So if I give it a 1280x720 signal, it'll automatically stretch it vertically. Argh!
I was hoping with the 360's option to set the display at 1280x1024, it would be smart enough to take a 1280x720 game, add the black bars, send a 1280x1024 signal to my monitor and thus workaround my monitor's lack of aspect ration controls. But alas, it looks like the 360 doesn't have total control of its output resolutions and each individual game can either respect the settings or totally screw up (ala gotham racing 3).
Andy @ Mar 11th 2006 7:12AM
That is honestly the dumbest thing I've ever heard. When you're playing in widescreen on a 4-by-3 monitor OF COURSE there will be black bars...
IwaoSan @ Mar 11th 2006 7:48AM
Reading this page has just stressed me out...is an xbox 360 worth it at all???
Stewart @ Mar 11th 2006 7:58AM
Ah you yankydoodles.
Come over here to the UK (and Europe) to try and play games using the VGA cable... it doesn't always work.
INstead we get a lovely message saying that we should go and change our display settings.
This is because the VGA cable automagically sets the Xbox to PAL-60 mode, which a rather huge chunk of backwards compaible games don't support. Halo, Halo 2 (the map download screen) any Tom Clancy game... yeah it's great fucking fun.
Ya know that Outfit demo? Nope didn't work either.
And Microsofts lovely solution: "Go and hook it up to your normal TV when you want to play a game which isn't supported"
Grrr!
Jim @ Mar 11th 2006 10:09AM
Who would want to play games in 4:3 (when there is a 16:9 option) anyways?
And why did you buy a 4:3 LCD screen?
WHY?!
Hypocee @ Mar 11th 2006 10:40AM
Maybe because they cost 1/3 as much.
Carl @ Mar 11th 2006 11:14AM
FOR CHRISSAKES PEOPLE! NOT EVERYONE IS RICH ENOUGH TO JUST GO BUY WIDESCREEN HDTVS OR MONITORS ALL THE TIME!
(eww caps..) I have been using mine on a 5 year old sony 21in crt monster, by using a vga transcoder box. It is 4:3, because THEY DIDNT HAVE 16:9 MONITORS WHEN I BOUGHT IT, nor a video card that could supply that resolution, so don't bash people because they dont spend hours watching tv, and thus dont buy an hdtv, (however, I'm getting a new hdtv in a month or so, now that I actually have uses and content for it...)
Anyway; main point and sumamry: 4:3 screens exist and are the only viable option for some of us; lay off.
I was planning on buying a vga cable, even went to the store last saturday but they were sold out, now I'm not so sure...
Stewart @ Mar 11th 2006 11:19AM
Carl: Don't bother, if you are getting a HDTV anyway just use the component lead the premium pack comes with. It's arguably a better picture as well.
plagiarize @ Mar 11th 2006 2:58PM
I had the same problems with a 19" LCD i've had for years (believe it or not, it does 1600 x 1200 so it's a 4:3 panel), and my solution was to pull out an old CRT. a decent CRT, but at least that way you've got more control over it.
since you can stretch and squish CRT images, a simple resolution change lets me play the games that support 4:3 at high def not letter boxed (DOA4 looks espescially nice that way), and lets me play any games that do the funny stretched thing in a widescreen resolution by just changing it in the control panel. since my monitor recognises the two different resolutions and has presets for each, it's the best workaround i've come up with.
the thing that annoys me most is that, if an xbox one game supports widescreen it will always try to display widescreen at high resolutions, regardless of what the dashboard is set to.
all in all, i don't mind the letterboxed gaming on a 19" CRT, looks pretty damn fine most of the time, so it was a good purchase, but yeah, it'd be nice if more people could do smart things like ghost recon does.
doug @ Mar 11th 2006 3:01PM
spartacus:
widescreen PC monitors are in 16:10, whereas widescreen TVs are in 16:9. My 21" widescreen monitor is currently running native at 1680x1050. 16:10.
PC resolutions are slightly different than widescreen TV resolutions, and the Xbox is designed to be used with widescreen televisions, primarily. 16:9 resolution, 1920x1080 or 1280x720. So you're going to get a weird mixture of software rendering conflicting if your monitor is incapable of showing the native resolutions the 360 is sending out, which a 4:3 monitor may well be incapable of doing. If you set the 360 to show 1080 or 720, you're sending a widescreen signal.
MY SUPAR FANCY NEW monitor is about 6 months old, and I paid less for it (~$400) then than I paid for my Xbox 360 at launch (~$500). If you're patient, you can stack Dell coupons and promotions quite nicely.
Either you DO play next-generation titles on the correct hardware, or you DON'T. If you choose to pay top-of-the-line money ($400+) for a gaming console, why wouldn't you choose to pay middle-of-the-line money for the REST of the hardware you need for next-generation gaming?
Jon @ Mar 11th 2006 3:42PM
I have used a 4:3 Viewsonic PC Monitor since day one. It has worked perfectly with Fight Night, GRAW, King Kong, Ridge Racer, PGR3, Call of Duty 2, Halo2, Xbox Live Arcade, Need For Speed and others.
I think you may have a problem with your settings or with your monitor. I don't think it's fair to automatically attribute a gripe towards the Xbox360 or it's cable. Maybe you should contact Tech Support and see if you can find help with your issue...or try a different monitor altogether to see if that has the same problems. TroubleShoot properly then complain.
TiaMaster @ Mar 11th 2006 4:15PM
I just don't understand this. I have 3 monitors and 2 HDTVs. I have tried all these games and not run into any of the problems (wrong aspect ratios) mentioned in this article.
This also doesn't sound like something that should depend on your display hardware - it sounds software related. So: if it works for me, then there should be a way to make it work with everyone else.
Spartacus @ Mar 11th 2006 4:46PM
doug:
I'm quite aware of the difference in resolutions and aspect ratios between PC's and HDTV's... that was the basis of my whole complaint- no standard. PC monitor manufacturers who started cranking out widescreen models should've stuck with the standard 16:9 rather than making a whole new screen size (16:10) as there was really no benefit or purpose for it, just more consumer headache.
Furthermore, my 21" flat CRT is a professional graphic designer's model and is better than most "new" ones on the market. It cost about $1200 when it was new, though I picked it up 2nd hand for far less a few years back. Dual inputs, saved settings for each input and far more options and better picture than any LCD screen on the market, I wouldn't consider it "middle-of-the-line hardware". Nor is my THX certified Logitech Z-5500 5.1 surround system with a 10" 200w ported sub. I'm not sure if you actually read my posts, because you seem to be a bit confused...
jimbo @ Mar 11th 2006 7:02PM
From what i recall all xbox 360 games are optimised for use with a 16:9 aspect ratio widescreen tv prefebly
a hi def lcd so that may be the reason some games are stretched when the devs havent bothered to support old sets in there game.This is something i read a year or so ago.
heres what i found on xbox360.com
Games: Xbox 360 redefines what games look like, sound like, feel like, and play like to engage you like never before. Vibrant characters display depth of emotion to evoke more dramatic responses, immersing you in the experience like never before. You’ll see all Xbox 360 titles at 720p and 1080i resolution in 16:9 widescreen, with anti-aliasing for smooth, movie-like graphics and multi-channel surround sound.
Hope that stops all the fuss, also stop being tight and go and buy an lcd ive got one coming, the samsung le32r41bd got 5/5 on most reviews there only 800 quid
doug @ Mar 11th 2006 8:20PM
1. I didn't change the standards, that would be the LCD panel manufacturers.
2. I have two identical 20" 4:3 professional graphics designer monitors sitting on my desk at work, both of them were purchased first-hand. They're both inferior to my $400 21" widescreen(s), in both picture, amount of inputs (the 21" has 3 sets) and heft/mass. You have an old monitor, so as much as you want to tell yourself it's professional and therefore should be good for another 25-30 years, it's old. $1200 worth of last year's CRT monitor & a buck fitty will buy you a cup of coffee.
3. I have to admit, I don't know what your THX(tm) Logitech(tm) LucasArts(tm) 5.1 11.1051.3 sound system with 300 watt power and 10" ported sub with quadrophonic bassitude has to do with the Xbox's VGA cable. However, I'm not the confused one, my 360 works fine with my (modern) monitor and my (modern) 50" HD TV.
Spartacus @ Mar 12th 2006 1:22AM
Lol doug. Ok, so you like your LCD panel. Congratulations. I happen to hate LCD technology as I find the viewing angles and screen door affect degrade overall picture quality. Dead pixels are also a problem and while I respect your opinion, videophiles would agree that CRT technology renders a better picture than LCD. The contrast ratios are usually higher and there are usually more adjustments available to the picture along with none of the aforementioned LCD shortcomings. YES, there are some LCD's that are better than some CRT's, but in general the only benefit of LCD over CRT is size and weight. I don't care about either; I just want a good picture.
I'm glad you are able to buy "modern" equipment whenever you please, however some of us (read: the vast majority of consumers) are either A. Less fortunate financially, or B. Don't feel the need to buy a new display every year. Therefore, belittling anyone with a *gasp* 1-2 year old display by labeling them as troglodytes is more than a little ridiculous. It is these consumers that this entire article was aimed at (if you own a huge HDTV display, you should be using the component cables), so while we're happy to hear that you've had no problems, please allow us to drown in our self pity while we attempt to get our bearings and collectively consider causes and solutions to the problem at hand.
Savant Black @ Mar 12th 2006 3:39AM
"However, I'm not the confused one, my 360 works fine with my (modern) monitor and my (modern) 50" HD TV.
Posted at 8:20PM on Mar 11th 2006 by doug 0 stars"
Wow,that was so condescending and obnoxious...
I have a 21" 4:3 CRT.What shames me is that there are no viewing angle issues,no grating problems,and the max resolution is ONLY 2084*1536.If I were a weak pansy,I might invest in lightweight,inferior quality LCD like you smart people.You put me to shame...you obnoxious somamab****.
SetupWeasel @ Mar 12th 2006 4:28AM
4:3 CRT 4 LIFE!
I hate 16:9 monitors. Websites and most documents are *taller* than they are wide. Colors are more accurate on a CRT for any type of visual work. On top of that, they are cheaper, and you get higher resolutions.
Curse the fucker who decided we all wanted to watch movies on our computers. I want to get work done, and my work gets done on a 4:3 CRT so much more easily than a 16:9 LCD.
Embassy @ Mar 12th 2006 5:41AM
wow i cant believe some joystiq readers have evolved into high class elitest pigs...do u guys extend your pinky when holding a cup of tea??...get the F*** outta here...most people cant just get up and go drop 400+ on a new fancy 16:9 lcd display for a dam video game system...my 4:3 works perfectly fine for my daily activities and getting a 360 isnt gonna change that..nor should i bee required to purchase a new monitor JUST to enjoy my gaming experience...so u can cut all that BS out right now and stop acting like the rich spoiled kids on the block...4:3 lcd monitors are still VERY prevelant in todays market and the 360( hardware AND software) should be compatible with it...
Maxi @ Mar 12th 2006 6:06AM
@Stewart, cheers for the advice mate, you've just saved me £300 on buying an xbox 360 today lol. Arrg and I just bought that new £180 Asus monitor lol. Ahh well I'll just stick with PC gaming for now. Why can't M$ ever get anything right, I don't own a television so I thought Xbox 360 would be perfect, but now...
Garrett @ Mar 12th 2006 6:39AM
I recently (OK, over a year ago) changed from a 15" CRT to a 15" LCD, and I'm never going back. It's like a smaller, cheaper HD-TV right on my desk. As for picture quality, well, it beats the pants off my old CRT. If there's CRTs out there superior to this LCD I can't afford them anyway.
Who really NEEDS a widescreen monitor, anyway? My mother's 17" LCD is, er, 1280x1024, and even on that you can see how the majority of sites are designed for 1010px width or less.
Taking that into account I'd sooner spend that money getting two inches in each direction rather than four in only one. Unlike the 360, PC games are designed with 4:3 in mind, and their interface would probably look very oddly spread on a widescreen (kinda like when I tried running UT at the highest resolution it supported). It's really only racing games and movies that would benefit from a horizontal-only size increase. I prefer RPGs and use my TV for any movies, so a widescreen monitor is as useful to me right now as a hearing aid. Wait, did you say something?
All joking aside, I was intending to play the 360 on this LCD (my TV is actually smaller when you take the distance between the screen and the recliner into account) so this is a bit of a downer, but I suppose it will be sorted out by the time I get around to needing it. Either MS wil patch the resolution forcing code or else a crapload of patches will be required for each individual game that doesn't play nicely.
At least this problem isn't permanent, unlike, say, the PS2's hard drive. Don't even get me started on that overhyped piece of plastic. On par with the Xbox HDD my eye...
JPRacer @ Mar 12th 2006 8:19AM
A professional CRT monitor will always give a better picture quality than any other technology. Maybe in the future LCD and plasma will render CRT useless, but at present, every professionals use CRT monitors for picture calibration and reference.
So Doug, I'm glad you like your TV, but I'm complety with Spartacus here, a good CRT monitor is much better than anything currently on the market. The only negatives with CRT are weight and convergence problems. But when a CRT is correctly calibrated they offer the best image quality.
paul @ Mar 12th 2006 9:29AM
hmm... the Xbox did the same thing , I think. Let me explain I have a "square" TV and when I tried changing it to "widescreen" mode it would just stretch the picture. Well actually it looked like it "squatched" and "stretched" the picture. I could see how having black boxes would help.
But maybe your trying to something like that and thats incorrect.
Go Sony GO
Bob @ Mar 12th 2006 3:31PM
When did the 360 start including a VGA cable? I've got a 360 and I definitely don't have a VGA cable. The official website doesn't show a VGA cable as part of the package.
Spartacus @ Mar 12th 2006 4:59PM
Again, let me reiterate that this seems to be a software issue not a hardware. It is also very minor, so I don't know why it would keep some of you from purchasing a 360. The 360 and the PS3 are pushing HD formats, therefore widescreen formats. 4:3 users can still play, but *MAY* encounter some minor issues if their display doens't have some calibration software or because some developers may have just designed the game for widescreen displays. In either case there IS a simple solution...
SOLUTION:
Simply play your 360 in widescreen mode on your 4:3 screen. I just recently made the adjustment on my "old" 21" CRT, adjusted the screen to the proper dimensions and viola... NO MORE PROBLEMS. Yeah sure, this is a given and it doesn't utilize all of your available screen real estate, but most of the games don't in single player mode anyway. If your monitor doesn't have adjustments to display a 16:9 correctly, then once again, you're out of luck, but most CRT owners should be fine, as long as you don't mind black bars on your screen all the time. My CRT has settings for each input, so I hit a button and switch back to my PC without having to go through a bunch of screen readjustments, so this solution may not be practical for everyone, but it is a simple fix to the 4:3 woes.
kilo 113 @ Mar 13th 2006 10:58AM
just now? this annoyance has been an annoyance since day one!!
i don't mind playing with bars, since it keeps aspect ratio and resolution the way it should be, 16:9 1280x720, but games like pgr3 suck big time when playing on an lcd monitor thanks to that horrible stretching.
ps, the only game that displays fullscreen the best(with no jaggies or stretching) is DOA4. play that at 1280x1024 and be amazed.
MacDork @ Mar 14th 2006 3:43PM
Can anyone w/ the vga cable verify if it'll let you set the resolution to 1440x900 (16:10)?
I bought a relatively inexpensive LCD that has component input, but it automatically stretches the content to fit, and on an lcd, it doesn't look at nice as I'd like. If the vga could output at native resolution, I might take the plunge and buy the optional vga cable.
warren Hickman @ Mar 14th 2006 7:02PM
Just a minor correction here, in the technical tv/film world "streched" would mean that everyone on screen looks short and fat (like when you play a 4:3 image on 16:9 screen without letterboxing). What you are referring to is called "squeezed", wich would make everyone look tall and skinny (like when you display a 16:9 image on a 4:3 screen without letterboxing)
Fab @ Mar 28th 2006 1:22AM
Would a VGA conection on a Loewe Aconda tv produce a better picture than an S-Video or RGB Scart connection - since this is a SD Tv??
Brad @ Apr 1st 2006 1:25AM
I have just purchased a 17" widescreen LCD which takes component input and has hd res. The problem i have is when i set the xbox 360 to 420i the picture is the correct shape but low detail, when i set it to 720i i get hd detail but a stretched picture horizontaly with no letterbox. The tv sets to automatic in component mode so i cant adjust it. can anyone help as this is very annoying because the picture looks distorted and fin.
Thanks Brad
Mike @ Apr 5th 2006 6:44PM
Well, I have read just about all of the above comments partaining to this problem. However, not to shoot anyone down or anything, I did not find a solution. Does anyone know of a fix for this problem? Preferrably a patch of some sort?
Mike