Greetings...I am in the process of Monitor selection for the new FSX system I am having built. I am confused about aspect ratio and resolution. * I want to purchase a 22" LCD monitor.* I am just about set on a Samsung 226BW. (Any opinions?) I was able to watch it at Fry's. It may not have the subtle grays of my old Sony 19" CRT, but other than that it looked great.* The aspect ratio is 16 x 10 and native resolution is 1680 x 1050. I know that is not in proportion to the standard 4 x 3. Now then, can this be adjusted so that my 2 D instruments will not be oval, but round? Also how are the VC instruments affected by this. I am a real world instrument pilot. I haven't run FSX on my home system because (let's be kind) it is an antique. But I have run the sims from '98 to FS-9 and the 2D panel is what I used for IFR flight. People say that the VC is so good in FSX that they can comfortably (without eye strain) fly IFR (without auto pilot) on FSX.My problem is, I think if I can't fix the oval instruments in 2D... I may not be able to get used to the distortion... With 500 or so real hours of round instruments... it might be hard to accept ;^)Thank you kindly for any advice. If anyone thinks I have made poor, or substandard choice for the monitor, please let me know.Best wishes from Indiana where we are enjoying Spr-Inter weather!Steve

One other question ... With the 16 X 10 aspect ratio, will the scenery be stretched when I look out my window? That is assuming I have the resolution in the sim set for 1680 x 1050?Thank you for the assistance of anyone with wide screen experience out there.Take care, Steve

1. Regarding the stretched view of the 2D. yes..by default it would be stretched. But it can be adjusted. Move your mouse pointer to the right edge of the 2D front panel and when it turns <-> left click hold and resize the paenl window (move left) so the round instruments are round. After doing this.. you would have a gap to the right side of the panel. You would then display another 2D guage like the GPS or the Radio stack in its place.Save the flight.Next time when you load that flught you don't have to do all over again.2. This does not affect the VS. And these days...depending on the aircraft that you are flying, have some amazing 3D/VC views.3. The scenery is not stretched in either 2D or in VC. I am using the Dell 24" Widesceen monitor. BTW.. you may want to consider the Dell's 24" monitor. ;)Hope that helps.Manny

Thank you so much, Manny!I'm now cleared for take off on the wide screen monitor. That was very helpful... Yes I like your monitor but my budget won't allow right now.God bless, Steve

A more elegant way to get rid of the oval gauges in 2D cockpit: Change the line: WideViewAspect=False in the FSX cfg.to: WideViewAspect=True :-)BestGrahame

>A more elegant way to get rid of the oval gauges in 2D>cockpit: >Change the line: WideViewAspect=False in the FSX cfg.>to: WideViewAspect=True :-) Thank you Grahame!! That would be good thing if I just wanted the instruments round without the extra space for the GPS!Steve

I'm not sure that option has any effect on the 2D cockpit. Its main purpose is to modify how the Zoom value interacts with the 3D view frustrum - basically allows zooming without getting the fish eye effect.

WideViewAspect Does nothing to your panel problem (Oval)Manny

Thanks to all of you... informative and helpful... I certainly have enough to go on now, to know that I CAN obtain round instruments with a wide screen. Manny, I tried your method simply on my current 19" display, and it worked great under FS-9. I have FSX on my office machine which is also very much a slowpoke... I'm hoping to have a Core 2 Duo system in about three weeks. I'm going to wait till then to get serious with FSX... wow... and t'would be great if SP-1 arrives about the same time!Best wishes!Steve

oops! How embarassing to have made such a stupid statement! I must confess, I havn't actually got a wide-screen monitor myself yet(it's ordered though, should be here in a few days, a present from my wife and kid for my recent birthday)The cgf.entry just looked so logical, I assumed it had that effect. I should know better at my age, and should've tested it beforehand. Sorry guys!BestGrahame

Well Grahme, You still brought attention to "WideViewAspect" parameter and the Pastor would sure benefit from that. Thats the best part about a dialog here at AVSIM. There is always benefit.. even if one is wrong here or there.Its always better for folks to post things... rather than not and just lurk.:)Manny