Featured Review: DTH2Go Widescreen Modes

Post by **skipclarke** » 10 Mar 2009, 07:54

Here is a thread to discuss my recent review of the new Widescreen Surround Modes in the DTH2Go.

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php/Matrox_DTH2Go_Widescreen_Modes_%28Featured_Review%29

Post by **Mach1.9pants** » 10 Mar 2009, 21:16

Hey real nice review, I'll submit it to the other sites I go to and see if it gets picked up in the news.

Just a couple of points:

Under Resolution: such as 1680x1050 (considering that 1400x900 panels are uncommon). Should be 1440. I would imagine 1400x900 are so rare to be virtually non-existent! ;)

A couple of extra links would be nice: your monitor disaster thread ;) where mentioned, your excellent edge distortion vid (although at the top of the page there is a link to the original review, a link to the vid where you mention the vid under gaming would be good) in the gaming section

Under improvements you say: Additionally, an issue was uncovered using 200-series NVIDIA cards in Windows Vista. In this scenario, 5040x1050 was not available as a custom resolution. This error is not just 200 series cards but ALL NVidia cards with the latest drivers. It is a NV driver issue and I think this needs to be made really clear. Matrox get TH working, NV changes their driver set up, we are then chasing ways to get 5040 working again! However Matrox have only fixed it with the BETA GXM on 200 series cards..if you have (for example) a 8800GTX in Vista, your screwed! Unless you can get a custom res to work. Just to note that officially Matrox has this on their compatibility wizard: " 5040x1050 (3x 1680x1050) resolution is only available under Windows XP with Nvidia 200 series GPUs. Under Windows Vista the maximum supported resolution is 4320x900 (3x 1440x900)." Even though 5040 works with ALL NV GPUs in XP , they say 200 series only, dunno why. Hopefully they haven't given up on 5040 in Vista and Win7!

Nice one anyway :)

Post by **MobsterOO7** » 10 Mar 2009, 21:26

They probably say 200 series only because idiots who don't realize their graphics card is crap would whine and complain.

Post by **skipclarke** » 10 Mar 2009, 22:07

I had no problems with my 9800GX2 in Vista. I believe it was limited to the 200 series. Based on your txt from the Matrox site, I guess my 9800GX2 worked on old drivers. I've updated the txt to reflect the extent of the issue, and added links to the videos in the review.

Post by **Mach1.9pants** » 10 Mar 2009, 23:22

That is great, yeah I now of a coule of forum members with 8800GTX and Vista and are stuck with the older drivers. I assume the reason why Matrox pushed ahead with the 200 series beta drivers is that the newer 200 series cards aren't on the older drivers!

L2Phantom · Post by **L2Phantom** » 11 Mar 2009, 06:26

So is 5040x1050 working with vista 64 and gtx 280's now? I am using 175.19 drivers or something like that because thats the only way I could see the resoultion, did this go away with new drivers and the new suite? Or do I have to do some kinda custom res stuff I dont understand? :?

Post by **Mach1.9pants** » 11 Mar 2009, 07:12

Try the BETA GXM from http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/downloads/wth2go-nv200-vista-beta.zip worked for me with the latest NV drivers in Win7 and has for (almost) everyone else in Vista.

L2Phantom · Post by **L2Phantom** » 11 Mar 2009, 23:01

Link appears to not work, any other sources?

P-Storm · Post by **P-Storm** » 11 Mar 2009, 23:06

remove the , at the end, this will work :wink:

Post by **Mach1.9pants** » 11 Mar 2009, 23:32

EDITed out the , Soz!

L2Phantom · Post by **L2Phantom** » 12 Mar 2009, 01:42

Wow, fantastic! Works at last, and without breaking a sweat this time! :lol:

Post by **Mach1.9pants** » 12 Mar 2009, 01:46

Great News: Welcome to 5040 :triplewide

FalconAF · Post by **FalconAF** » 12 Mar 2009, 20:01

Mach1 and L2Phantom,

I posted a (rather lengthly) post earlier today in the forum asking for clarification on the exact things discussed here. I totally missed this thread before my other post...my apologies on that. But it seems this thread contains the answers I was looking for...well, most of them.

I'm ready to spend the $$$ to upgrade my analog TH2G and 3 19" monitors to a DTH2G and 3 widescreen monitors. I run Vista Ultimate 64 with a GTX 280 card (the rest of the system is high-end enough to handle everything else). Just to make sure I am reading this thread correctly, can you confirm that the new beta GXM will work so I will get the 5040 x 1050 resolution to work?

Specific question for Mach1: I've read many of your posts in these and other forums during my "research" about all this. Very informative, and thanks for them. I notice in your system list you are using 3 Dell 24" monitors at 5040 x 1050. Which 24" Dell's are you using? Reason I ask is I'm still not sure which monitors to get. I don't need (or want) ones with internal speakers, included webcams, etc. All that stuff is overkill when I already have a 5.1 Surround Speaker setup, etc. I've looked at the "Monitors That Don't Work @ 57Hz" (sic) thread to avoid that mess, but the list of monitors that DO appear to work is quite daunting. Any recommendations in this area would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I'm leaning towards 3 22" monitors yet due to desktop space, but was just curious about the 24"ers. I noticed in the review with the 24" ones I would have to use a non-native resolution that "stretches" the 5040 x 1050 resolution (if I am reading that correctly).

Rick

Post by **Mach1.9pants** » 12 Mar 2009, 20:45

Yes as it stands at the moment if you have a 200 series card you can get 5040 in Vista with the latest NVidia drivers. Other people have got 5040 with the following methods:
1. Using a version of the Powerdesk Software that it 3 versions ago, worked for me once in Win7!
2. Setting up 5040 as a custom res in the NV control panel, I have never got that one to work but lots of others have.
3. Using older NV drivers (around 178) which I have successfully used, which is not good for owners of 285 or 295 etc 'cos they don't have drivers that old...which is why, since the beta GXM is not released, officially Matrox say you can't get 5040 in Vista.
4. Go back to XP...no problems at all!

I have a Dell 2407WFP in the centre (one of the better/more expensive ones) and 2 E248WFPs on the outside...'budget' ones. Dells here in NZ don't come with speakers etc that I can remember. I like Dells and AFAIK no one has had any problems with them doing 57Hz. As for 24" the desktop image is a bit blurry (scaled/stretched from 22" res to 24") but I got used to it really quick and it is worth it for the extra gaming real estate. And single screen gaming IMO.

L2Phantom · Post by **L2Phantom** » 13 Mar 2009, 17:07

Equipment:

Vista 64-Bit
Samsung 3x 2253 BW 22" Monitors
Matrox TH2Go

5040x1050 @ 57 Hz working with no hassle (read: installed and it worked) with 182.08 and beta power desk that Mach posted above.

Hope it helps! :wink:

FalconAF · Post by **FalconAF** » 14 Mar 2009, 13:37

Phantom,

Thanks for the above recommendation. I took a look at them and they seem good. Question I have about them...are you running them side by side with third-party monitor arms? Reason I ask is the stands they come with aren't adjustable, so the monitors can't be re-aligned, etc. How do they line up 3-wide out of the box on the stock monitor stands?

Rick

L2Phantom · Post by **L2Phantom** » 15 Mar 2009, 01:50

They are fine, since all the stock stands are identical.

blkjag · Post by **blkjag** » 31 Mar 2009, 01:00

Equipment:

Vista 64-Bit
Samsung 3x 2253 BW 22" Monitors
Matrox TH2Go

5040x1050 @ 57 Hz working with no hassle (read: installed and it worked) with 182.08 and beta power desk that Mach posted above.

Hope it helps! :wink:

Hi - I am new to the forum.. can you tell me how you got this work.

I been having issue in trying to get the 5040 to work, matrox finally gave me the beta version of powerdesk, which i install and now I got another problem, my center monitor recognized the 5040, but my left and right monitors turn black when i turn the 5040 x 1050 on, and I know a signal is being sent, because the power light on the monitors are still green.

i have the latest Nvidia driver install 182.08, i have two gtx285 running in sli

I am running window vista 64, direct 10

my monitors are BENQ G2400WD - for left and right
my center monitor is BENQ FP241VW

all of these monitors support 1920 x 1200

Can someone help me to figure how to solve this. Thanks

One more thing, in my nvidia control panel and matrox all three monitors are being recognized as a single one.

thanks for any assistance anybody can provide me.

never mind I just seen this :(

5040x1050 (3x 1680x1050) resolution is only available under Windows XP with Nvidia 200 series GPUs. Under Windows Vista the maximum supported resolution is 4320x900 (3x 1440x900)." Even though 5040 works with ALL NV GPUs in XP , they say 200 series only, dunno why. Hopefully they haven't given up on 5040 in Vista and Win7!

KanadaKen · Post by **KanadaKen** » 17 Apr 2009, 16:16

So do I understand that 5040 will not work correctly in XP 32 with 9800GTX? Is this why I can only get 3840 in FSX? 5040 gets all distorted display in FSX.

Tried all updates for SGU, Powerdesk, GXM etc...

Thanks
Ken

Post by **scavvenjahh** » 17 Apr 2009, 18:19

Folks, this thread is for discussing the review linked in first post. For support, please take a looksie to the other threads around ;) Here are some tips to get you started :
blkjag, as you can see here the BenQ G2400WD is a known non-working model. It cannot display 1680x1050@57Hz correctly. To achieve 5040x1050, you will need to replace them with known working models.
KanadaKen, check out that same thread : maybe your display gets distorted because your monitors do not work properly at this resolution. In any event, 5040x1050 definitely works in XP with a 9800 GTX no problem.

Back on topic : how can Matrox stop sponsoring the WSGF so soon after such a great review gets posted ? :shock:

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