1366x768 over DVI

WetDaddy

I know, I know - There's questions like this all over the web! So I'll cut to the chase...

I've just finished building my HTPC. I'm using the onboard HDMI port (Abit Fatal1ty F-I90HD) and a HDMI -> DVI converter to connect it to my Samsung LE32T51. Running XP MCE at the moment, and would rather not change that for now...

The native res of panel is 1366x768. When I connect over the onboard VGA port, the display looks pretty good: Fills the full panel, text isn't warped, etc. Obviously though, I'd rather use the HDMI / DVI connection if possible.

Now, from what I can tell, either the onboard video (Radeon Xpress 1250) won't output any "non-standard" resolution or else the LCD is telling it not to! I've tried to tweak my way around it with ATI'S Catalyst Control Center, PowerStrip and some other 3rd party apps, but to no avail.

Can someone please tell me if there's a way to do this? The HTPC is fairly hefty spec'd (with the exception of using on-board video) so if there's intervening software that can manage it, that'd be sweet. Also, if anyone reckons I'd be better off just using VGA, then I'm all for it. Cheers!

8T8

VGA is 1360x768 as 1366x768 is a non-computer resolution.

In practice only over DVI/HDMI should you be able to force 1366x768 and usually powerstrip should do so to be honest I'm not sure where your going wrong.

I don't have an ATI GPU connected up to a DVI LCD panel so this may be wrong but on the DVI/flat panel settings page in the CCC under the HDTV sub section is allows you to create custom resolutions.

WetDaddy

You're exactly right 8T8. But unfortunately in order to set custom HDTV resolutions in CCC, you have to set the current res to a "HDTV standard". I can only set mine to 720p, which gives me < 1360 horizontal lines to work with (in CCC's resize dealy, you can only go "down" not, "up")... The "Add" button is disabled unless you have it at a standard. However, when I set it to 1080i/p, it's STILL disabled

I must be doing something wrong! If anyone's any ideas, I'd be much obliged!

8T8

Have you tried disabling the use EDID data option ?

Google might turn something up as well.

WetDaddy

Tried Google to extent... I can't find any option to disable EDID in ATI's Catalyst Control Center. You don't know off-hand where it is, do you?

Using PowerStrip I've got the option to write my own monitor driver, but that doesn't appear to help at all. According to PowerStrip, the EDID version is 1.3 but when I choose "Read Data Directly from Monitor" I get an error like this:

"DDC communication with the monitor failed or is not supported. Reverting to the EDID data provided by Windows and the display driver, if available."

The LCD-TV is detected as Plug & Play monitor by XP; there's no drivers for it available unfortunately. However, in CCC it seems to pick up the model type (Samsung), so it must be getting that from somewhere. It reports the max res as 1920 x 1200 and the max refresh rate as 60hz, but I can't get the two of these running together. Also, I don't think that's the max res of the display at all...

I don't understand why I can't just tell the video card to out put 1360x768 @ 50/60Hz and be done with it!

8T8

The EDID option should be on the monitor properties, attributes section.

Powerstrip gives me that EDID error on TV's all the time so you can ignore it.

The max res is definitely not 1920x1080 I think your falling foul of a weird bug in ATI/NV display drivers and HDTV's reporting the wrong resolution that I also have experienced.

If you use Powerstrip to create an INF and set 1366x768 as the max resolution at 60hz it should work.

WetDaddy

Thanks man, I'll give that a shot too. I ended up uninstalling CCC and running with Omega ATI drivers, which did the trick. But I'd also be curious to see if I can whip something up with PowerStrip.

Do you happen to know if 1366 will yield a slightly nicer font rendering than 1360? Y'know, given that they're 1px wide, some of them.

Thanks again!