Regarding HDTV and Video Output

If I have an HDTV and I hook it up directly to my pc 7900GT (soon to be 8800GTS) and set it to the maximum resolution that the TV can handle, does that mean if I play a DVD, will it play the DVD @ the highest resolution and therefore be like playing a 720p or 1080i from that DVD?

IE - my regular DVD player does 480p on my HDTV, but if I played it from my pc will it then be 1080i or is that more a limitation of the DVD rather than the resolution the TV is in?

It'll still be 480, but just stretched to 1080. I'd guess that it would still look better on an upconverting DVD player, but it'll probably look ok.

jivetrky said:

It'll still be 480, but just stretched to 1080. I'd guess that it would still look better on an upconverting DVD player, but it'll probably look ok.

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Actually, that's incorrect. It depends on how he hooks up his HDTV to the video card; VGA, Super, HDMI, DVI, or component. Most VGa inputs will limit resolutions to the 'native' resolution of the display. However, the upper end cards coupled with a good decoder, nVida's Purevideo for instance, will actuallly output the film in the resolution you've set up for your display. DVI will allow you to customize the resolution to the dsiplay. HDMI will also allow some latitude although I have no hands on with that format. So the answer to that question is kinda: the dvd is encoded in a specfic format but a good decoder can upmix that signal to really excellent Hidef output.

Ok, cause I'd be doing it out of a 8800GTX with the dvi connector on the card.

soulrider4ever said:

Ok, cause I'd be doing it out of a 8800GTX with the dvi connector on the card.

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So your HDTV has DVi input? excellent. if you need some help setting it up when you get it together, give me a PM. nVidia's drivers have all the tools you need, it's just a learning curve configuring a HDTV display. You can tweak the display, resolutions, etc., once you get the hang of it. There's even sites just for tweaking and hacking games to run in the Hidef res's, although most of the current games are 'HD ready.' (Meaning they'l pick up and run in your custom resolutions.)