Widescreen notebook question

[Tetsuro]

My folks just bought us a new laptop (which is, on a side note, over ten times better than our existing computer when it comes to performance!).

But there's a problem? The widescreen display is really nice, when you're using some software that uses it's own window, or watch movies, but gaming is shite because it always displays the picture stretched horizontally.

Of course, laptops don't let you adjust the display like actual monitors do, so I'm kinda stuck. Or is there some external software that would enforce 4:3-mode?

[dark_angel]

is it a 15.4" Widescreen laptop?

[ADM]

I had a widescreen laptop and there wasn't anyway I could force 4:3 mode on it so yeah I hated it.

I did go to widescreengamingforum.com quite abit to find out ways to play most games in widescreen and usually it's just a config hack so it's not too bad.

[Tetsuro]

Well of course I could just stick a regular monitor or even a TV into the laptop's output, but I was hoping I wouldn't be forced to deal with bulky accessories.

[NutWrench]

There's probably a setting in your video drivers that lets you disable aspect stretching for 3D games. Check your advanced options in your Desktop properties under the Settings --> Advanced

[Wamplet]

If you have a decent video chip in it, you can set it at a typical non-wide screen resolution, like 1024x768, etc.

Some of our laptops at work allow that. :)

[Phait]

From mere recollection, I think my Powerbook plays Quake & Quake 2 widescreen without stretching, woo!

[WillisDM]

A good laptop will have a "scaling" option somewhere within its bios.
If not, most ATI and Nvidia drivers also have a scaling option in their advanced properties.

Typical scaling options are:
Full Scale (stretches out to all parts of the screen)
Aspect (streteches out keeping aspect until one edge is hit) [probably what you want, will results in black bars on the sides in most cases)
None (keeps the actual resoltuion centered in the screen)

I am unfamiliar with Intel's laptop video drivers, but I'd suspect they'd have a similar option

[Tetsuro]

Gee, thanks! I found it, and now I can play games without having everyone looking fat. :P