[mythtv-users] Slightly OT: X11 Config for DPI and 16:9 ratio

[Edward Wildgoose]

> > Hi, I'm looking at perhaps getting a plasma display, 
> > but I'm somewhat confused as to whether those displays 
> > with non-square pixels are going to work well with X and myth?
> >
> > For example a number of the newer 16:9 42" plasma's 
> > have a 1024x1024 pixel count (seriously non-square).  
> > Quite a lot of the rest have 1024x768 (ie 4:3 ratio, but the 
> > screen is actually 16:9)
> >
> > Is it possible to tell X what the real aspect ratio is, 
> > and hence have myth looking normal, say on a 1024x1024 16:9 display?  
> > If so, how would I go about it...?  
> >
> >Secondly, is it possible to set the equivalent of the "-dpi 100" startup 
> > option into the XF86config file?  I found an option called "DisplaySize" 
> > which allow you to set the screen size in mm, and in a roundabout way 
> > this implies dpi, but is there a more direct setting?

> The Linux HTPC How-to is a good place to start, in particular:
> http://www.sllug.org/how-to/linux-htpc/video_card_configuration.html

It is.  And it's very interesting as well.  Thanks

However, although it's not spelled out here, the message appears to be that X should only be set to a square pixel resolution?  (The method of determining a decent resolution is just to calculate the size of the largest rectange which fits inside the native output device resolution)

Can anyone confirm categorically that X *cannot* handle displays with non-square pixels?

It seems a real shame to have a high resolution device which can do (say) 1024x1024 and then do a bunch of scaling to get a 1024x576 picture, and then feed it into another device, (which is known to have a pretty budget scaler), which does another bunch of scaling to get to 1024x1024.  Also, 576 is quite a low vertical resolution if you want to display, say, photos, etc

I realise that MPlayer and other apps on a one by one basis, *can* be made to handle displays with funny aspect ratios, but I was rather hoping that X could also understand this concept so that photo viewers are not going to leave my pictures tall and thin...

Also, any idea on the -dpi options other than via the command line...?

Thanks for the link, much appreciated

Ed W