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andrewbw · Feb 14, 2003, 03:03 PM

Hey --

This feels like a dumb question, but I don't have a lot of experience with Apple LCD displays, so forgive me. I'm strongly considering getting a 20" Cinema Display to replace a Sony 19" CRT. As a designer, I can use the extra space. The price makes it a no-brainer, too.

Other than just being burried in design work, however, I do occasionally play a few games -- mostly Return To Castle Wolfenstein. In order to keep frame rates high, I usually play at 1024x768.

What happens on a Cinema Display when you select a lower resolution? Will games work with the wide-screen aspect of the Cinema Displays? Do they "recognize" it? If I selected 1024x768, does it stretch to fille the wide aspect (and distort the image), or does it "center" the window, with black bars around it, in its native resolution (as if you had a 1024x768 "window" within the native resolution of the display), or does it fill as much of the display as possible, at a non-standard resolution (causing it to blur, like when you run one of Apple's standard 4:3 aspect laptops or a 15" iMac at 800x600) and put black bars around the rest?

I guess I'm just interested in hearing from people who play games using one of Apple's wide-aspect displays, and what they think about the experience -- better than a CRT, same, any hassles I should be aware of, etc.

Gaming is my one respite from work sometimes -- I don't want to do anything to make it not fun

Thanks in advance!

-A.

clarkgoble · Feb 14, 2003, 03:16 PM

I don't have the 20" LCD monitor, but I have the 17" one and it plays games fine at the different resolutions. I can't speak to perceived frame rate, as the game I mainly play is Galactic Battlegrounds. But thus far I'm quite pleased with my monitor.

AssassyN · Feb 14, 2003, 04:03 PM

Great question, as I'd like to hear the answer as well, and also, with intensive moving games such as fast flicks of the mouse in Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Quake III, etc., does the LCD not respond quick enough? Or can you see no visible pixel lag?

iDORK · Feb 14, 2003, 07:34 PM

Does anyone know the response times on the new Apple Cinema displays?

iDORK · Feb 14, 2003, 07:37 PM

Originally posted by andrewbw:
Hey --

This feels like a dumb question, but I don't have a lot of experience with Apple LCD displays, so forgive me. I'm strongly considering getting a 20" Cinema Display to replace a Sony 19" CRT. As a designer, I can use the extra space. The price makes it a no-brainer, too.

Other than just being burried in design work, however, I do occasionally play a few games -- mostly Return To Castle Wolfenstein. In order to keep frame rates high, I usually play at 1024x768.

What happens on a Cinema Display when you select a lower resolution? Will games work with the wide-screen aspect of the Cinema Displays? Do they "recognize" it? If I selected 1024x768, does it stretch to fille the wide aspect (and distort the image), or does it "center" the window, with black bars around it, in its native resolution (as if you had a 1024x768 "window" within the native resolution of the display), or does it fill as much of the display as possible, at a non-standard resolution (causing it to blur, like when you run one of Apple's standard 4:3 aspect laptops or a 15" iMac at 800x600) and put black bars around the rest?

I guess I'm just interested in hearing from people who play games using one of Apple's wide-aspect displays, and what they think about the experience -- better than a CRT, same, any hassles I should be aware of, etc.

Gaming is my one respite from work sometimes -- I don't want to do anything to make it not fun

Thanks in advance!

-A.

There is a way you can set the resolution to run in the wide aspect ratio such as in Quake 3 and I'm sure for RTCW too.

I run Quake 3 on my Powerbook and by going through the console, I type:

/set r_customwidth 1152
/set r_customheight 768
/set r_mode -1
/vid_restart

Quake 3 restarts at 1152x768

This command should work on the Apple 20" display too but maybe someone else can confirm?

lordwizard · Feb 14, 2003, 07:43 PM

I saw several games running on 23" Cinema display during last Apple Expo in Paris (september 2002)

They looks great, with fast pixel response, nothing really noticeable for me even if some hardgamers still prefer CRT

The display depends on the game, some like Return to castle Wolfenstein, even support 16:9 ratio !!!

I'm waiting for my new 20" , will tell you more in a few days!!

iDORK · Feb 14, 2003, 07:49 PM

Originally posted by lordwizard:
I saw several games running on 23" Cinema display during last Apple Expo in Paris (september 2002)

They looks great, with fast pixel response, nothing really noticeable for me even if some hardgamers still prefer CRT

The display depends on the game, some like Return to castle Wolfenstein, even support 16:9 ratio !!!

I'm waiting for my new 20" , will tell you more in a few days!!

Thanks LordWizard, please let us know!

CheesePuff · Feb 16, 2003, 06:56 PM

They are about 30 MS for Apple's 22" and 23" Cinema displays (pixel response rate).

Anything at 30 MS or less is fine. If you are some kind of obsessive gamer then you will will not even consider a LCD for gaming, but I enjoy it on my PowerBook G4 and my Studio display.

AssassyN · Feb 16, 2003, 07:42 PM

Originally posted by CheesePuff:
They are about 30 MS for Apple's 22" and 23" Cinema displays (pixel response rate).

Anything at 30 MS or less is fine. If you are some kind of obsessive gamer then you will will not even consider a LCD for gaming, but I enjoy it on my PowerBook G4 and my Studio display.

Sounds good man, thanks!

saltines17 · Feb 17, 2003, 02:48 AM

Originally posted by iDORK:
There is a way you can set the resolution to run in the wide aspect ratio such as in Quake 3 and I'm sure for RTCW too.

I run Quake 3 on my Powerbook and by going through the console, I type:

/set r_customwidth 1152
/set r_customheight 768
/set r_mode -1
/vid_restart

Quake 3 restarts at 1152x768 This command should work on the Apple 20" display too but maybe someone else can confirm?

Does this stretch the image or crop it?

Is there any way to do this for Jedi Knight II?

andrewbw · Feb 17, 2003, 02:39 PM

So I thought I'd see if I could answer some of my own questions.

I went to my local CompUSA since they (finally) got the 20" display in stock. It was hooked up to one of the new MDD G4's (a 1.25, I think. Very snappy�)

When I went to Display Preferences, there were lots of display options, including separate stretched and boxed versions of 800x600 and 1024x768. This suggests that any standard game resolution (e.g. 1024x768) would work fine on the wide aspect displays -- the unused portions of the screen on either side will simply be black. What I don't know is if games choose the "correct" version. Meaning, if I selected 1024x768 in Quake III, for example, would it default to the stretched version (bad) or the boxed version (good)?

I can also add that I was stunned how good the non-native resolutions look on the 20" display. While they are a little fuzzy, as expected, it's sigificantly better than a non-standard resolution on, for example, my Pismo Powerbook. Very usable, and would be fine for gaming.

Anyway, hope this helps. I'd still like to hear from someone who uses a wide-aspect cinema display for gaming on a regular basis.

-A.

atomiclotusbox · Feb 17, 2003, 04:37 PM

I have a 22" cinema display. It stretched Diablo 2 on its own, the game looks amazing. I've also played some Jedi knight II on it, the monitor squares off at whatever resolution you set it at, I have not messed around with figuring out how to 'stretch' it. Starcraft also looks really good on it.

The only problem I have with gaming on the cinema display is that after a few beers its easy for the display to get you dizzy, it's a lot of screen for you to get sucked into.

Oh yeah, Max Payne played freakin awesome on it as well.

OwlBoy · Feb 18, 2003, 01:04 AM

can anyone make screen shot of wolfenstien or Quake 3 or Jedi Knight at the native res of one of these huge monitors? I have always wondered... I know I know, it prolly wont show much, but I would love to check it out anyway.

-Owl

THE MAC GOD · Feb 18, 2003, 01:09 AM

I have the 22" (now defunct)... but I was wondering if anyone else has the same problem...

Ghost Recon... I can't really play night games becuase the night vision sucks... on the cinema display it just turns green... my friend on the 17" has a screen that looks bright as day... I've tried every setting change (game and OS) I can... but nothing... other people on Gameranger seem to have a similar problem with the 22". Any ideas?

Oh.. and every game (including GR except at night) looks fing SWEET!