High DPI Support in Windows 8.1, 10 Explained [Video]

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by Radu Tyrsina 

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This video explains the meaning and role of high DPI support in Windows 8.1
windows 8.1 high dpiWe heard for the first time that Windows 8.1 would bring DPI scaling enhancements back in July. Now that Windows 8.1 is finally official, you are probably wondering what exactly it means and what it implies. This video from below pretty much sums it all up, featuring Larry Larsen, Andrew Richards, Chad Beeder from the Channel 9 Defrag Tools online series.

The positive effects of the high DPI support in Windows 8.1 for Internet Explorer 11 are explained by Microsoft:

Internet Explorer 11 brings enhanced scaling for high DPI screens and small slates, ensuring the consistency of your website’s text, touch targets, and layout across Windows 8.1 devices. Specifically, IE11 introduces the following high DPI improvements.

Also, it improves the multiple monitor support

Because Windows 8 uses a single DPI setting, if you’re using multiple monitors with different DPIs, you get a sub-optimal scale factor on at least one of your monitors. IE11 adds per-monitor scaling support, so your web content scales to the correct level automatically as you drag the window between monitors. This is particularly useful when projecting from high DPI devices, as projectors are typically low DPI displays.

High DPI support in Windows 8.1 explained

If you are a Windows 8 developer or you’re just curious about this new feature in Windows 8.1, have a look at the video from below. Here is the timeline of the video so you can know what to look for:

  • [00:00] – What is DPI (Dots per Inch)?
  • [02:12] – Issues with High DPI before Windows 8.1
  • [03:18] – Windows 8.1 support
  • [04:00] – Launch configuration via DpiScaling.exe
  • [06:18] – 500% scaling now available
  • [07:22] – Non-High DPI (legacy) apps are fuzzy due to DPI Virtualization
  • [09:50] – Writing High DPI Applications
  • [13:22] – (Application) Compatibility tab

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina Shield

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.