Widescreen laptops and standard projectors

[AnnDroyd]

I'm surprised this isn't a more common problem, but I've browsed the forums and can't find anyone discussion on the same topic.

 

Basically we have a range of laptops ranging from old models with 4:3 screens, to newer ones with several different variations of widescreen aspet ratios. Most of our projectors work on 4:3.

 

Usually, when someone plugs their laptop into a projector, the screen resolution on the laptop adjusts (becomes distorted) to the same resolution of the projector, which then looks fine. However, sometimes this doesn't happen and we are left with portions of the image missing from the projector screen.

 

To make things more complicated, teachers move from room to room each lesson and take their laptops with them. Does anyone know of a way of getting any laptop to project onto any screen without going through a complex process of manually adjusting display settings?

[Dom_]

It's hardly a complex process...

 

Right click on desktop, click properties, click settings, slide scroller to 1024x768.

 

Annoying yes, but once they've done it once or twice they'll do it without thinking.

[3s-gtech]

^^Our users can't get to the display settings, so that wouldn't work (I know that's the case in many network environments). Many projectors will auto format the image, even older ones, to widescreen (we have some 6 year old Hitachis which will do widescreen no problem). May take a couple of presses on the remotes.

[Dom_]

^^ Harsh, wouldn't be hard to unblock it for staff accounts though ;-)

[sted]

just add some qres batch files to the start menu / desktop so the res can be changed syntax is something like \\server\netlogon\qres\qres /x:1024 /c:16 would give 1024*768 16 bit colour \\server\netlogon\qres\qres /x:1366 /y:768 /c:32 would give 1366*768 32 bit colour

[nickbro]

if your laptop is running vista/win 7, do winkey+p, keep clicking p until it's duplicate. Windows will set to the native of the projector. You can also do winkey+x for the mobility center.

 

I've attached a program I use for changing the res on the computers in our ict suites, edit the .config file for the resolution settings. Make 2 folders in program files, 1 with 1024x768 and the other with the default for the laptop, then make a shortcut somewhere pointing to the exe file

[mac_shinobi]

If the laptop has an Intel onboard graphics card they use there own software ( same as ATI, Nvidia etc ) although the Intel software is a lot easier as gives options for aspect ratio etc

[AnnDroyd]

Nickbro. thanks for that. I'll give it a go and see what happens.

I've come to the conclusion that some manual process is going to be required by the teachers for this to work, so your utility looks like a good way of doing it.