PC Gaming resolutions + HDTV (1 Viewer)

[Jason Handy]

Hi all,
I am seriously considering a little gaming on my new Toshiba 50H81 but I am worried that I might do something tragically wrong and so I would like to ask a question.
Lets say that I have my VGA-Component converter box, powerstrip software configured for a nice widescreen HD-picture. But, if I go into Half-Life for example, I only have a limited number of choices for in-game resolutions. Standard computer monitors can change resolutions on the fly to fill the screen, as can my laptop (Dell Latitude C600). However, if I spend a bunch of time configuring the video card output for the HD-monitor, how can I play Half-Life? Does this completely screw up my HD-monitor?
Thanks
Jason Handy
P.S. Also, why does S-video out the front of my H81 look so terrible when output from a laptop? I feel like i am looking at my Windows desktop through a pair of dirty glasses with the wrong prescription.

 

[Ken Chan]

I believe that even with S-Video, you're only going to get a vertical resolution of 480; regular TV just can't show you more. So if you're running your desktop at 800x600 or 1024x768, the video card is going to downscale this to 640x480, which would result in mush.
I'm not familiar with VGA-component converters, but I have played Max Payne at 1920x1080 on a HDTV-compatible widescreen (computer) monitor and it sure is pretty It was easy because the game and the vanilla GeForce2 card support that resolution out of the box. Made the selection and poof, it worked. Didn't try older stuff like Half-Life. (At that res, I had to turn down the detail to get a good frame rate; I guess 1GHz and/or the GeForce2 just doesn't cut it....)
//Ken