VGA-in settings for 16:9 LCD HDTV

I have tried to wade through the info on this topic, but find myself lost, so apologies if this has already been covered. I have a Panasonic 50" LCD projection HDTV (PT-50LC13), and bought a Mac Mini to specifically use with this. I tried DVI input, but was not that impressed with the clarity, and don't currently own a DVI switcher (and would like to flip from DTV to computer), so I plugged the Mini into the RGB port with the DVI-VGA adapter. I get good readability from across the room at 800x600 at 60 refresh rate, so I'm not hyper about upping the resolution, but only have use of the center part of the screen (a 4:3), and would like to use the extra real estate on the sides (16:9, I guess). Several messages talk about using utilities like DisplayConfigX or SwitchResX to use this extra space, but in the context of DVI input and mapping pixels...
1) Is there a way to do this with VGA input?
2) I have scoured the manual for my TV, but can't identify the settings DisplayConfigX wants (refresh rate range, horizontal frequency range, pixel frequency, or default refresh rate). I don't want to guess and mess it all up.
Does anyone have any suggestions on the use of this TV with Mac Mini? (I'd like to avoid having to sink money on a DVI switcher, so I'd like to have a different video input than DVI - VGA, or I could get an S-video adapter if that'd be better...).
Thanks for any help!!!!!!!

When you hooked the mini up via the DVI port, what resolution resulted? You say you weren't "impressed with the calrity" but I am curious to know what resolution caused you to be unimpressed. It seems the PT-50LC13 has a native resolution of 1280x720. Is that what your goal is and you can't get it through VGA? Sorry but need to understand these points to give advice.

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