Playing LOTRO at 2K and 4K
The MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online runs on a broad spectrum of PCs. From archaic laptops to high end gaming rigs, although it may require a bit of tweaking. At present, the optimal way to play the MMO is at a resolution of 1920x1080 (FHD) with the graphics setting maxed out. The graphics are sharp and the UI is readable. However, a growing number of gamers are now using 2K and 4K monitors. You can play LOTRO at higher resolutions such as 2560×1440 (QHD) and 3840x2160 (UHD) and the game looks great. However, the UI does not scale and so is very small on 2K and 4K monitors. The skill icons on the quickslots (shortcut bars) and the in-game text become difficult to see at these resolutions, which deters some players from using them. It is a known issue that Standing Stone Games are attempting to address but it is unlikely to be resolved any time soon.
The MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online runs on a broad spectrum of PCs. From archaic laptops to high end gaming rigs, although it may require a bit of tweaking. At present, the optimal way to play the MMO is at a resolution of 1920x1080 (FHD) with the graphics setting maxed out. The graphics are sharp and the UI is readable. However, a growing number of gamers are now using 2K and 4K monitors. You can play LOTRO at higher resolutions such as 2560×1440 (QHD) and 3840x2160 (UHD) and the game looks great. However, the UI does not scale and so is very small on 2K and 4K monitors. The skill icons on the quickslots (shortcut bars) and the in-game text become difficult to see at these resolutions, which deters some players from using them. It is a known issue that Standing Stone Games are attempting to address but it is unlikely to be resolved any time soon.
LOTRO running at 2560 x 1440 resolution with non-scaling UI
Naturally, there are workarounds which address this UI issue but they are just that, workarounds and as such are not perfect. The most common solution is to upscale the game from FHD to QHD/UHD. This way the UI remains readable. One way to do this is to use your graphic card’s software, such as AMD Adrenalin or GeForce Experience. Set the screen resolution in LOTRO to 1920 x 1080 and then use your GPU software to upscale the image to either 2K or 4K. This does work but setting it up is quite complex. There are presets for more recent gaming titles but not LOTRO, so it has to be configured manually. Furthermore, upgrades to the software can sometimes reset these settings. An easier method is to use a third party tool, such as Lossless Scaling which not only efficiently upscales the game resolution but can also provide frame generation if required.
Lossless Scaling is developed and published by THS and is a popular third-party utility primarily used by PC gamers. It applies various upscaling algorithms (including its proprietary LS1 and LSFG frame generation) to games and applications that lack native support for technologies like NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR. It is available for purchase via Steam or direct from the developer and costs $6.99 (although it is frequently discounted to half that price). Lossless Scaling makes the UI and text on high-resolution monitors much larger and more readable by scaling up the lower-resolution image. Unlike some mods, Lossless Scaling operates as a post-process and does not inject anything into the game's code, so it should not trigger anti-cheat systems or cause crashes. The results are good although the upscaled icons on the quickslots can be a little soft focus.
Quick guide to using Lossless Scaling
Download and run Lossless Scaling: Purchase and install Lossless Scaling from Steam, and let it run in the background.
Configure LOTRO: Launch The Lord of the Rings Online and set the game to run in windowed mode.
Set the in-game resolution: Within the game's settings, choose a lower resolution that matches your monitor's aspect ratio (e.g., \(1920x1080\) for a \(16:9\) monitor, even if your display is \(4K\)).
Activate scaling: In the game, press the Lossless Scaling hotkey (Ctrl+Alt+S by default) to start the scaling process.
Adjust settings: For a better experience, consider enabling "clip cursor," adjusting "cursor speed," and setting "scaling type" to LS1 in the Lossless Scaling application's settings.
Troubleshoot: If the game freezes, try disabling features like frame generation or performance mode in Lossless Scaling's settings, as these can sometimes cause issues.
LOTRO running at 1920 x 1080 resolution and upscaled to 2K using Lossless Scaling (Note the larger UI)
I have been using Lossless Scaling for a week and so far I’ve not encountered any major issues. The upscaled image looks good and the game runs smoothly. As mentioned earlier, the trade off in scaling the UI is that it doesn’t look as sharp as it does in its native resolution. There are some artifacts and tearing but the increase in size is far better on the eyes. If you have HDR compliant monitors, ensure that HDR support is toggled in the Lossless Scaling settings or else LOTRO looks over exposed with washed out colours. Until SSG resolves this matter, this is by far the best solution around. The nominal price is worth every penny. Furthermore, it can be used with other games and if you have a slightly older GPU, its ability to generate frames can help with more demanding titles.
My Home Entertainment System
The last time I wrote about our home entertainment system was six years ago. Back then I was hoping to upgrade our TV from HD to UHD. However, unless you are fortunate to have a surfeit of cash, most of us tend to soldier on with the hardware we already have until it breaks. Then at least we can justify replacing it. And that is exactly what happened to us last week. It would appear that both the TV and the powerline internet adapters which are in our lounge, suffered electrical induction damage during a recent thunderstorm. One of the powerline adapters was completely dead and the HDMI sockets on the television ceased to function. This meant we had no access to streaming services, the Blu-ray player or our BT TV DVR. We could access a selection of free, terrestrial digital channels via the aerial, but could not pause or record anything. Furthermore all of these were in standard definition.
The last time I wrote about our home entertainment system was six years ago. Back then I was hoping to upgrade our TV from HD to UHD. However, unless you are fortunate to have a surfeit of cash, most of us tend to soldier on with the hardware we already have until it breaks. Then at least we can justify replacing it. And that is exactly what happened to us last week. It would appear that both the TV and the powerline internet adapters which are in our lounge, suffered electrical induction damage during a recent thunderstorm. One of the powerline adapters was completely dead and the HDMI sockets on the television ceased to function. This meant we had no access to streaming services, the Blu-ray player or our BT TV DVR. We could access a selection of free, terrestrial digital channels via the aerial, but could not pause or record anything. Furthermore all of these were in standard definition.
Hence Mrs P and I looked at various TV models online and read a few reviews. As we’ve been happy with our previous Samsung TV we decided to buy another. We ordered a Samsung UE43AU8000 from John Lewis department store for £340 which seems to be the standard price for this model. We chose this one because we didn’t want a TV over 43 inches, due to the size of our lounge (we live in a bungalow). We also had no requirements for excessive functionality. Everything we watch comes from external sources. Our BT TV DVR provides a selection of free and premium TV channels in SD, HD and UHD. We also have a Blu-ray/DVD player for the handful of disks that we still own. And I recently acquired a Zidoo Z10 Pro media player for third party video files. The new TV meets our requirements, having three HDMI inputs and no superfluous extras. We also opted to pay £125 for the installation of the new TV, as I didn’t relish the idea of having to mount it on the wall myself.
This morning, two gentlemen arrived to install the new TV and broadly things went well. There was a problem using the existing wall mount but fortunately the engineers had a spare in their van. This did incur a further £109 cost but needs must when the Devil drives and all that. Another issue arose regarding the HDMI inputs. Two were inset along the right edge of the TV but the third was directly on the back. When a cable was inserted it wouldn’t allow the TV set to hang flush to the wall. I managed to purchase a 90 degree adapter later and so the problem has now been resolved. Replacement powerline adapters were supposed to be delivered in time for today but didn’t arrive until after the two engineers had gone. However, I installed a Netgear wifi extender that I had spare. This has a single ethernet port that I split between the three previously mentioned devices, using a mini switch.
Our TV is mounted on the chimney breast in our lounge and we have a sofa in front of it about 8 feet away. The DVR, Blu-ray and media player are on shelves in the fireplace below. Although practical this is not necessarily convenient from a technological perspective. The roof aerial is in the loft above the lounge so the cabling comes down the chimney. However, providing sufficient power outlets and internet access is a challenge. For safety and cosmetic reasons Mrs P is not keen on long ethernet cables, even if they’re neatly pinned to the skirting board. The wireless bridge solution works and the data transfer rate is sufficient but wifi is not always a reliable means of providing internet access. As and when we next move, a lot more thought will go into ensuring that there are enough electrical sockets and data ports exactly where they’re needed.
I am extremely pleased with the new Zidoo Z10 Pro media player. It runs on Android 9.0 and plays a wide variety of file formats. Files can be stored either in an internal or external drive or streamed from a source on your home network. Most of my film collection is encoded in x264, however I can now play back 2160p content encoded in x265. It has been most interesting to watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies in 4K. I am still undecided on the aesthetics of the format as it does lose an element of cinematic quality, while gaining visual clarity. Another benefit of the Z10 Pro is how easy it is to install apps for any streaming services that you may use. There are also some interesting customised variants such as Smart Tube; a client for Android TV with additional playback features and a conspicuous lack of adverts. The GUI can be customised, providing thumbnail images of your content, although I find it does misidentify films, especially more obscure titles.
I wrote in my last post, six year ago, that sound was the weak link in my home entertainment system and that remains the case. I still need a sound bar or something similar as the television’s integral speakers are somewhat lacklustre. However, such a purchase will have to wait another month or two for financial reasons. Overall, both Mrs P and I are happy with the new set up. It took a while to disable a few features on the new TV that were being “over helpful” such as HDMI-CEC. We also have a policy of “if it’s not being used, remove it from the home screen” as this tends to reduce confusion and scope for “pressing the wrong button”. Hopefully our current home entertainment system is future proof for the time being. I do tire of the upgrade treadmill sometimes, having seen the rise and fall of so many formats over the years. In the meantime we intend to enjoy what we have.
