New to widescreen, little help please...

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 00:02

So I made the leap to widescreen. Am mostly happy I did allthough I don't like the smaller resolution of this monitor/TV (allthough I suppose it is fine and far better than spending another grand for something that does a higher resolution).

I got an Olevia LT26HVX 26", it was a great price and for the most part it seems to work well. I will be using it allmost exclusively as a monitor on my main rig which I use for all sorts of things gaming being a big use. The specs say the naitive resolution is 1366x768 so I added that resolution in (not sure I did it right) with powerstrip. It ran iout of the box at 1280x720 but it jsut seemed a little fuzzy and I really miss the extra height I had coming from a 4:3 LCD @ 1280x1024.

Odd thing so far, and what I was hoping to get input on, is the resolution VS the 720p format. As I said out of the box it worked at 720p fine (1280x720) and games work that way too (HL2 with in game support and BF2 with command line edit) but even though I got the desktop at 1366x768 I cannot get BF2 to launch using 1366x768 - it just crashes after the splash screen. And I am fairly versed in the various files and all are either set to default 800x600 resolution or just rem'd out. Changing the shortcut to 1280x720 works just fine but 1366x768 is a no go. I am not sure it matters, I would just prefer to run at naitive so it isn't scaling and since I got plenty of hardware the more pixels the better the look.

Additionally, another wierd thing I don't get is that when I set the desktop to some 4:3 resolution and tick off the option in the Catalyst Control Panel to 'scale image to panel size' (select 'use centered timings' it stretches the image to the side of the monitor but only about halway to the top??? It also does this if I set the desktop to the naitive resolution of 1366x768 and tell it to use centered timings, to get 1366x768 I have to have it set to 'scale image to panel size'.

Am I missing something or is this kinda odd? I am mostly happy with my purchase but being that the resolution is a bit lower than I am used to I want to get the clearest sharpest image possible to help with the traslation to a 'bigger' desktop. Anyone got some suggestions or explinations of what I might be missing?

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 00:18

Welcome to WSGF !!

OH an ATI x1800 XT (512M), maybe a first here !?

I found the best drivers were the 5.12's - I don't see a reason to switch right now & there are sporadic reports of Cat. 5.13's screwing up things -BF2 etc.
5.10 & 11s were awfull!
The x1800 has its own 7 separate drivers right?

If your MB has an integrated GFX card - make sure it is diisabled in the bios & in Windows device manager.

Download the most current X1800 drivers
- then unistall any older ones using Windows > Control Panel > Add & Remove & then reboot then install the 5.12s.
DO NOT let windows install drivers for the card !!! It will try 2x to do so for the X1800 primary & secondary.

Go to device manger & select view hidden devices.
Delete (unistall) all "greyed" out other monitor & GFX card driver.
Might as well clean up keyboards mice etc while you are at it

Try the other DVI output head on your card. The one that is away from the motherboard side.
Make sure the cables are actuallly a DVI-D or DVI-I (digital) cable non DVI-A (analog) one.

Is the LCD Monitor installed with it's own drivers - if it has them?

Also read here:

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/

Did you also read the BF2 posts here - there are many issues with that game in WS

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 00:38

I have the 5.13 drivers and am fairly versed in all setup specific to the computer itself being a PC enthusiast and professional technician and MS certified system builder - but with WS I am a n00b.

The thing perplexing me at this point is the fact that I have to have 'stretch' on to use the aitive resolution at the desktop and the way I cannot get a 4:3 resoltion to display with bars on the side. The monitor has no driver but I did manage to muddle through and make one with powerstrip basically reading the monitor info and then editing it to reflect the 1366x768 resolution. WIth it or without it doesn't seem to make much differance, in fact - it even works fine with a driver from a Dell HDTV. SO I think the issue is some kind of configuration that I must be missing because it should work so that if I set resolution at 1280x1024 and turned of scaling (stretch) then it should show with black bars on the sides instead of stretching the width to the width of the set and letterboxing the tops??? Also, shoud use the 1366x768 resolution without the stretch on but it doesn't.

I would use the 5.12s or even the Omega's but they don't quite support this card yet, and next wek I am getting a x1900XTX so I think I have to stick with the latest drivers for support.

I hadn't thought about the cable so much but I do have alot of them lying around - allthough I doubt that is it since I used this cable just fine with my 4:3 19" LCD and everything was perfect.

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 00:46

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812123030

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812155073

Could pick up one of those but I really don't think the issue is the cable. Nevertheless, if anyone thinks the pricey cables provide any tangible benifit make a recomendation.

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 02:03

"next wek I am getting a x1900XTX "

WHAT !!

I want links!!!!!

I respect your credentials & expertice - nice to know that.

Have you tried downloading the free utility Reforce & trying the resolutions it unlocks from Windows?

Cat 5.13's WILL mess up BF2 - that is a known quantum.

BTW a decent OEM cable is as good as any other - don't waste $ on hype.
Radio Shack/Circuit City was dumping DVI cables in December.

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 02:12

XTRA INFO

As yours is a TV not a PC monitor & due to internal circuitry specific to TV's as opposed to PC monitors, they often cause overscan & other anomolies when used for PC monitors.

You may even need a scaler or some other device to set things right.

Using different inputs VGA, component etc may yield different picture results (better or worse).

Trying different resolutions close to the ones native to your set may also help.
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2117

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 03:13

"next wek I am getting a x1900XTX "

WHAT !!

I want links!!!!!

Getting from insider. :-)

As for ReForce - I can get it in the right resolution (naitive is stated as 1366x768) it just has that resized look to it. 1280x768 looks good (for a smaller resolution) but it is just kinda short on the height for my tastes so I wanted that extra.

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 05:37

:shock:

I think you should be instantly banned & flogged & have your birth certificate revoked for even mentioning that on this site. :twisted:

You must be a sadist :twisted: :lol:

At least I want pics posted of it - as an act of your contrition

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 06:25

OK, will post 'em when I get it. I won't even bother mentioning the FX60 I am gettin' from another pal.

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 06:30

"GULP" (sound of swallowing own head)

SZZINGSWISS (sound of turning green with envy)

:lol:

Oh - throwing out the "old" x1800xt are we then?? hint hint

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 06:34

LOL, I wish - gonna trade it for 4 of the new Raptors, my exisitng ones are a bit tired.

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 11:41

Well, back on topic...

I still cannot figure out why it won't show 1280x1024 or toher 4:3 resolutions with the black bars on the sides or why other WS formats seem to need the 'scale image to full panel size' option check but on a whim I found that at desktop and in game 1280x768 (not 720p 1280x720) provides a decent enough reolution for work (desktop) and a pretty good image in game, even BF2 looks great considering it is cropped and zoomed from a 4:3 aspect.

So all in all it is working - I suppose the lower resolution on the desktops is worth not having to spend an extra few hundred to get a 24" panel not to mention having a 24" is a pain because new games really punish you generating those 1920x 1200 pixels.

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 14:25

RE: "...not to mention having a 24" is a pain because new games really punish you generating those 1920x 1200 pixels."

& this is said by Mr. X1800 soon to be Mr. X1900 ??? :shock: :?

Those suckers should eat pixels like popcorn.

If not can you spell "C r o s s F i r e" :lol: :lol:

loser_boy_3 · Post by **loser_boy_3** » 07 Jan 2006, 17:23

i hope you die a slow painful death

im running a single x850 platinum .. tsk tsk

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 19:42

I was going to get CrossFire, and I still may, ut right now the only reason I would have to do so would be if I went to a 24" and needed the duals to generate those extra pixels at the rate I currently get. BUt as I can run BF2 now with all the settings on u-high/high @ 80 - 90 FPS CrossFire just seems a little bit like overkill. The other thing about duallies that has be holding off is it means to cards to update and I like getting the newest offerings all the time - with duallies that would be harder to do. And I think this year is going to bring about alot of back and forth and innovation from ATI/NVIDIA so being stuck with one setup this early would suck.

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 19:48

Hi bud,

Re CrossFire

Games within a year will need 1Gig (or more) GFX RAM (one can argue some need 1 Gig now :D

Scenario

X1900XT CrossFire secondary (not Master) can stay while you get the X2000Xt or whatever.

The Master only needs a secondary compatible card.

BTW
:lol: http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2538

Post by **skipclarke** » 07 Jan 2006, 20:13

I am not so sure about that, while CrossFire is more forgiving than is SLi in terms of not requiring identical cards with identical BIOS as I understand it you still need cards of the same model. Maybe you could get away with an x800XT and an x800XL but I have not heard you can and even if you could I am certain it would only run as duals of the lower card. This is true with ram volume too so if you had a 256 and a 512 card then it would run as a dual with 256x2 not 768.

Whichever is the case, I wouldn't want to buy a x1XXX only to have it run in dual setup and be limited to running the lower cards ability. The next gen coming out is quite another leap forward (RD580 for ATI (x1900XTX) and G71 for NVIDIA) - they will be quite a change in architecture, at least the ATI is goign with a theory of more registers over mroe pipelines.

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