Different VGA max resolution and HDMI max, Sony TV

Hello!

Probably this is normal, but I want to ask just in case. I am using a Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV (see my specs) as a monitor. At first I tried to use HDMI but it would only go up to 1280x720 at 60Hz without filling the screen (leaving black bars) because the resolution is 16:9 while the panel is 16:10. Trying to adjust the aspect ratio from the remote doesn't work for HDMI signal. So I disconnected the HDMI cable and used VGA instead. This allowed me to raise the resolution up to 1440X900 which can be adjusted to "full" and perfectly fill the screen. I see in the specs (see link) that maximum resolution is 1680x1050, but is not available and has to be added as a custom resolution. Anyway, I thought it is perfectly reasonable to add 1440x900 as a custom resolution to HDMI using nVidia Control Panel. I added it but the TV would display a distorted image in 1360x768 instead, while Windows 10 report 1440x900. Probably the CVT-RB timing is not the correct one. Which one could work? Or it is just the TV cannot properly use custom resolutions with HDMI? I tried the advanced tab in custom resolution but I had to input all data manually and do not have a clue. If anyone can help me successfully add 1440x900 or 1680x1050 I would be grateful.

according to the support page its support for high dpi is "interlaced" meaning either you have to set the custom resolution you created to be an interlaced one (some times referred to by the letter i just) or if not present as an option you have to set refresh rate to be 30 MHz then and not 60 .

Good luck with that .

I wish that I could write something helpful. Getting full resolution out of the TV looks like it would require some sort of hack that I can't supply. I doubt that you'd want to use 1080i (interlaced, 25fps in Europe), even if your graphics card permitted that.

I'm surprised that a TV panel has a native resolution of 1680 X 1050 (16:10 aspect ratio, as you write). 10 years ago, I had a Sharp "720p" TV, and I believe that it was 1366 X 768 (approximately 16:9).

The attached shows the officially supported resolutions for the TV. I see that 1440X900 isn't on the list for VGA.



Not sure what to suggest, other than replacing the Bravia with a 1920 X 1080 monitor or an HD TV.

I used Custom Resolution Utility (CRU) that reads the EDID from the monitor and allows you to hack it. If I cannot add a custom resolution of 1440x900 or 1680x1050 with HDMI connection, I could try adding this resolution with CRU. The new resolution should be available in Windows Display Properties (or forced with List all Modes. In worst case I could try adding it again in nVidia Control Panel. Experiences like this makes me believe that HDMI isn't always the best option. In older displays like my TV you get the best picture with VGA (with native resolution and properly calibrated colors). HDMI is best suited or newer displays that lack VGA input and support standard HDMI resolutions such as 1080p. In VGA you can also change the aspect ratio of the picture to Full to make it cover all the panel. In HDMI you are not allowed to change anything, so if the picture is distorted all you can do is change resolution to make it better fit the screen. If the native resolution is not available at best you are left with annoying black bars (16:9 resolution on 16:10 panel) or at worst with distorted and somewhat blur picture. In that case, of course VGA is much preferable, even if there is a small (unperceivable) quality degradation over HDMI.

I just tested the resolution 1680x1050 on VGA. Windows report the desktop resolution is 1680x1050 but actual output resolution is still 1440x900, so everything was just made smaller to fit the screen. It is not any sharper. My TV also confirms the signal is 1440x900. There was a reason this resolution was not available by default. So I went back to 1440x900 what is the maximum possible and looks as sharp as it gets. I don't think I'll be able to see it on HDMI, so I better stay with VGA cable and leave HDMI available for connection at my video projector. If anyone knows better, please do tell.

In your case you are asking in both HDMI and VGA to go above the max specs of the TV. The supporting electronics not the actual panel pixels.
1440x900 or 1680x1050 are both above the maximum vertical frame (lines) of 768.

No chance of that working well, seems you have gotton a little over the rated specs anyway.

Many years ago I knew someone who had a PC monitor with such a resolution of 1680 x 1050 and that was basically trouble as you have to delve into custom resolutions, I forget the details, that relatively unusual resolution is certainly possible with Intel HD Integrated graphics and Nvidia graphics.

I have 2 Sony TVs one is 1366 x 768 and the other is 1980 x 1080 about 4 years younger than your model. The lower resolution one is specced for 1080p so will take resolutions higher than native and scale it down, for PC inputs via HDMI.
No problem with either of those. Very standard resolutions and this was a factor considered before purchase. They will actually do more resolutions than stated within the range of the stated specs.

The link in my first post is the specs from Sony's official site and surprisingly states native resolution as 1680x1050. So unless this is wrong, the panel should somehow support this resolution at least on VGA. As said before, the only true resolution I managed on VGA was 1440x900. 1680x1050 is squeezed to 1440x900, not acceptable.

Time to surrender, and acquire a PC monitor?

No, it works fine, why replace it? I just wanted to maximize the performance, as I think most of us want, that is to get the best possible out from our devices. This TV has Composite, SCART, Component, VGA and HDMI inputs. Perfect for connecting just about any device I want to test from PC to TV box to whatever. It doesn't have Miracast support to test wireless devices, but this can be easily fixed by connecting a Miracast receiver at the HDMI port. If I would replace it with a monitor I would miss all this functionality and I don't want to.

I will mark the thread Solved, but if anyone knows how to get that 1440x900 resolution from HDMI (probably custom resolution with manual timings), is welcome to post. Thank you all.