how can I maintain aspect ratio playing fullscreen?

Sexy Mallard · 13 Dec 2009

Hello, I'm posting because I am currently having a problem playing 4:3 game with no widescreen support on my 1440x900 (16:10) monitor. What I mean is that when I play it fullscreened, the game is stretched.

This was funny because It used to add the black bars for me on the sides to keep the 4:3 (800x600) ratio. But then disappeared after I decided to update my graphics card's drivers (Nvidia 9600 GT). I searched everywhere constantly over the net and this forums using the search for a solution but it only seems like people want to remove the black bars, I WANT them.

There are some solutions saying that I should check the "Maintain aspect ratio" selection in the Nvidia control panel, but because I don't have the "Flat Panel Display Monitor" option in my control panel (seen below), I cannot access it.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/7288/nvidia.jpg

If anyone knows a solution to this problem, please let me know!

thanks!

Coolness · 14 Dec 2009

try selecting 1280 x 1024 and then play. See how that works out. Its weird you have a 16:10 in a laptop =/

Sexy Mallard · 15 Dec 2009

Coolness said:

try selecting 1280 x 1024 and then play. See how that works out. Its weird you have a 16:10 in a laptop =/

I never said im on a Laptop, but I did forget to mention that im on a desktop

Coolness · 15 Dec 2009

Oh, well did you do as i said? If that didnt help, go and right click the desktop -> screen resolution -> press detect. Then choose the resolution it recommends. Now go to the game, go to the settings tab, and choose a resolution it recommends.

Sexy Mallard · 15 Dec 2009

Coolness said:

Oh, well did you do as i said? If that didnt help, go and right click the desktop -> screen resolution -> press detect. Then choose the resolution it recommends. Now go to the game, go to the settings tab, and choose a resolution it recommends.

yeaaaaaaaa, it didn't work. Thanks anyways though!

stormy13 · 15 Dec 2009

What game? Also be worth having a look here,

Essential Games List - WSGFWiki

and see if it is on the list. If it is, see what they have to say about it.

Diosoth · 15 Dec 2009

I found the solution to this problem was in my monitor's menu settings, not Windows display options.

That is, pressing the menu button on the monitor itself and working in its little BIOS settings screen.

Kari · 15 Dec 2009

Coolness said:

try selecting 1280 x 1024 and then play. See how that works out. Its weird you have a 16:10 in a laptop =/

A lot of todays laptop displays, as well as other LCD displays are 16:10 (1920:1200, 1680:1050, 1440:900 etc. are all 16:10).

Kari

Sexy Mallard · 16 Dec 2009

stormy13 said:

What game? Also be worth having a look here,

Essential Games List - WSGFWiki

and see if it is on the list. If it is, see what they have to say about it.

It not on the lsit, they are 2 fighting games that worked though (before I updated my graphics and motherboard card).

'Melty Blood Act Cadenza' and 'Vanguard Princess' (a kinda perverted fighter lol). Neither had widescreen support, but played with correct aspect ratio nevertheless.

GatoSoft · 16 Dec 2009

Keeping aspect ratio sometimes is related with your monitor. Some VGA monitors adjusts automatically the aspect ratio, others let you choose if you want to stretch or keep the aspect ratio and lots of others (really, LOTS) just stretch the image to cover all the screen.
DVI monitor are different. When I switch my old VGA 19" 5:4 AOC to my actual VGA/DVI/HDMI 25.5" 16:10 Samsung using DVI connector, my nVIDIA driver now decides which aspect ratio I want to use. But, even in VGA mode, that monitor keeps the correct aspect ratio.
Right now, I'm at work installing Windows on a client's PC using an 17" 5:4 LG that uses native resolution of 1280x1024, but using 800x600 stretchs Windows making things looks taller. Funny, huh?