DVI to LCD clarity question plus 'other issue'

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marmel

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#30396 6-Feb-2009 18:24

I have just installed an Asus 9400GT video card which has a DVI out. After much struggling I have managed to get the resolution set the same as my Toshiba LCD, 1366 X 768. The picture is pretty good although text isn't as crisp as it could be. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make it clearer and easier to read. I know you can change the dpi settings and make the fonts larger and I have had a play with both.

The other question regards HVCPlus. Since changing from vga output to DVI I can't get a picture anymore although I get sound. I just get a black screen. Anyone here running this program with a DVI or HDMI output? I'm running XP Pro. PM me if you wish with any suggestions. Cheers.

sbiddle

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#194509 6-Feb-2009 18:35

It sounds like you don't have 1:1 pixel mapping over HDMI.

Depending on your TV model it may not be possible so it's an issue you may not be able to fix. On many older TV's (ie beyond a year or so) 1:1 pixel mapping via HDMI was not guaranteed. Pretty much every TV does this now.

marmel

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#194515 6-Feb-2009 18:46

It took a while to figure out the aspect had to be set to PC on the TV Menu as opposed to 16:9 or wide as I was missing the outer 1cm of the desktop. All to do with scaling I found out, there are a lot of similar questions posted in various forums around the world all to do with nvidia and scaling.

The picture isn't too bad it just makes small text hard to read.

I have the PC display set to the native resolution of the TV and it fits the screen perfectly so not sure if it has the pixel mapping mode or not.

sbiddle

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#194517 6-Feb-2009 18:55

If you had 1:1 pixel mapping text would be sharp.

Easiest way is to run a test from here and you'll easily see if you have 1:1 mapping.

Have you just switched from VGA? If so was there a specific reason for doing so? IMHO VGA is a better option if you don't get 1:1 over HDMI and typically always get 1:1 mapping via VGA.

marmel

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#194518 6-Feb-2009 19:00

I had to switch because my Toshiba 37A3000A only accepts a limited resolution through the PC input and even then restricts the screen to a 4:3 box. With HDMI I can get fullscreen. Just thought it would work a lot better as I'm in the process of setting up a HTPC.

mpjkraak

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#199686 6-Mar-2009 22:08

Why not have your TV tell the PC which formats it can handle.
There's a free program called "moninfo" that can create a monitor 'inf' file from the data supplied by the connected TV. My samsung LCD certainly did not come with proper drivers.
I replaced all my PNP monitors with monitors made through moninfo.
I simply do not have any problems with my DVI+audio>HDMI connection anymore.
resolutions OK (up to 1080i) /Sound (LPCM) via HDMI OK.

Setup;
Windows7 UE 64bit & Windows XP HE SP3 32bit
M2N-VM DVI (integrated audio/DVI & VGA) - All video disabled
1.2 Tb media files
ASUS EN9600GT HTDI 1G (2*DVI/HDMI)

stevenz

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#199727 7-Mar-2009 10:40

I've found that the font smoothing in Vista makes it look blurry at high resolutions, it looks fine under XP however. If you mess around with the ClearType settings in the control panel under Vistayou should be able to improve it a bit, as you're on XP you might want to try turning font smoothing on or off via the display prefs.

The Toshiba TV in the lounge has a PC and an ExactScan option, both of which work for HDMI. PC has a little bit of overscan, ExactScan has none.

Has HVCPlus got a "display on external screen only" option somewhere?

I've got the 42" version of that same set, and it is possible to "trick" it into displaying the resolution correctly via VGA. IIRC it involves setting the output resolution to 1024x768 or 1280x1024, (or something similar) which will then let you change the aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9, then you can change the resolution to 1360x768 and the aspect ratio setting sticks, giving you a correct output. The aspect ratio option becomes unselectable at 1360x768 though.

They're a picky series of TV when it comes to PC input resolutions.

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WaffleMakerMan

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#199739 7-Mar-2009 12:16

heres a tip too, I found that setting the digital output in the nivida control panel to YCbCr444 made the colour look way better on my tv, RGB just looks washed out.

kiwijunglist

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#199915 8-Mar-2009 16:19

Just wanted to add that you should have overscan set to zero/off (look under nvidia display settings)
Set display resolution to match same resolution as your TV 1366 x 768
Save this file to desktop - http://www.tigerdave.com/images/testpatterns/1368x768_overscan.gif
Open picture
if you zoom in and out you will notice that the line colours are uneven this is because it is not 1:1 mapping
Click view slideshow, so you can fullscreen the picture
If the uneven coloured lines dissapear then you have 1:1 mapping enabled.
Also check what Hz you are using, as some TV's don't like 24Hz etc. Stick to 50Hz or 60Hz to start with before following around with other settings.

HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.