PowerStrip

An increasing number of people are connecting their PCs to HDTVs for watching high resolution videos or gaming. But you need to tweak a lot of settings to get the best image quality, and you don't get easy access to them with the software that controls your graphics card.

PowerStrip is a free program that provides access to hundreds of settings which let you to do things like: create the non-standard resolutions required by some HDTVs, change the gamma settings, and customize how colors are displayed for more accurate color. It's not for the feint of heart, though as there's not much explanation of what the technical terms it uses mean, and if you use the wrong settings, you could damage your monitor.

But with a little bit of caution, this excellent little program can help you get the best from your expensive monitor and high-end graphics card. The trial version is fully functional but the developer asks for a $30 license fee.

--Richard Baguley