Comments For Flat Panel Users
I realize that purists may shudder at the idea of using a resolution setting of less than the monitor's "native"
resolution, which is typically higher than 1024 x 768 (e.g. 1280 x 1024 or higher),
for 4:3 aspect ratio flat panel monitors.
However, unless you have a fairly large monitor, it is my conclusion from having experimented
with viewing the pictures on this site at great length on a particular 17 inch flat panel monitor,
that you may be way ahead to temporarily lower your video resolution setting to 1024 x 768,
if it is not already there, because the increased size rendering
of the pictures will show them to much better advantage than staying with the much smaller
pictures presented at higher resolution settings. That said, however, how well any particular flat panel displays
fine detail at settings less than its native resolution seems to vary significantly from one model to another
based on experiments I have conducted on a variety of different monitors at a local store;
some seem to become downright "fuzzy" looking when they are used at anything less than the native resolution.
My observations seemed to be confirmed by a magazine review I recently read concerning a monitor with a large color gamut
supposedly intended for photo use and the comment
was made that the performance deteriorated so drastically at anything less than the native resolution that the user
would almost have to put up with text so small as to be difficult to read in the menus of the photo editing software.
Also, I have looked at the pictures on this site on
my inexpensive laptop with a 15.4 inch screen that only has a native resolution of 1024 x 768 to start with,
and they definitely look better at the native resolution in that case, despite their small size in
this situation, than they do at 800 x 600, so a little experimentation may be required to optimize your picture
viewing experience on this, or similar sites.
Please note
that the comments above relate to standard 4:3 aspect ratio monitors and not to wide screen ones,
since a wide screen monitor must be somewhat larger than a standard aspect ratio one to provide the same
vertical screen height. And be careful if you change your
monitor settings to maintain the proper aspect ratio, since failure
to do so may produce blurry, distorted results.
Below is a sphere that is 200 pixels in diameter. If it appears essentially round, then your video
settings are presumably correct for your monitor. If it appears oval shaped, then you should check
your settings. For example, if you were previously using a standard aspect ratio monitor with a
computer resolution setting of 1024 x 768, and you have recently acquired a new wide screen monitor,
unless you changed your computer to the appropriate video settings, the sphere will no longer be round; it
will appear "squashed" down into an oval shape that is wider than it is high.
|