Widescreen LCD Image Scaling Issue

[Ohma]

Okay, so I'm having confusing trouble getting my monitor and GFX card to play nice vis image scaling.

First off, I'm using a Samsung SyncMaster 226BW monitor connected via DVI to my AGP Geforce 6800GT on Windows XP Media Center. I'm using the latest drivers for both my GFX card and monitor, and near as I can tell everything else is up to date as well.

The problem I'm having is that image scaling (specifically nVidia's fixed-aspect scaling) doesn't work properly at 800x600, 1024x768, or 1152x864, when the monitor's refresh rate (don't know why that really matters since it's an LCD monitor >.> ) is above or below 60Hertz, which for some reason keeps getting reset in my display properties, and is unaffected by the settings in the nVidia control panel. Additionally, there doesn't seem to be an option on my monitor to enable or disable any built-in scaling...which seems odd to me since I could swear I disabled it when this monitor was connected to my dad's X-Box.

Anyone have an idea about why this is happening, and even better, a way to fix it?

[Resinence]

You can choose whether the scaling is done with the cards hardware or the monitors in the nvidia control panel (the advanced one), also just a note that the max refresh on that monitor is 75Hz, not all LCD's are locked at 60 now days. The first thing I'd do is uninstall the monitor driver, windows generally detects the capabilities of monitors well enough by itself. And see if it still tries to lock the refresh, assuming simply changing the setting in the nvidia control panel doesn't fix it.

[Executor32]

You could also try mucking about with the screen's OSD. I can't use the nvidia scaler, as my BenQ E2400HD is connected via HDMI, so I had to enable the "Aspect" option in the OSD to use fixed-aspect scaling.

[Argosh]

Heh, I have the exactly same monitor, cool.
Did you try different optopns in 'NVIDIA Control Panel' -> 'Display' -> 'Change flat panel scaling'?

[Executor32]

That's where he's having a problem, the nvidia fixed-aspect scaler won't work properly at the resolutions he specified.

[Ohma]

You can choose whether the scaling is done with the cards hardware or the monitors in the nvidia control panel (the advanced one), also just a note that the max refresh on that monitor is 75Hz, not all LCD's are locked at 60 now days. The first thing I'd do is uninstall the monitor driver, windows generally detects the capabilities of monitors well enough by itself. And see if it still tries to lock the refresh, assuming simply changing the setting in the nvidia control panel doesn't fix it.

I have it set to use my card to scale, the weird thing is that my previous monitor (a SyncMaster 950b) worked just fine (granted, it wasn't a wide screen monitor but still). I have tried uninstalling the drivers, and gotten the same results, any time I change my resolution back to that range (oddly, 640x480 and below seem to work fine, and 1152x864 is the only resolution which only lets me set the refresh rate to 75Hertz). The nVidia control panel will actually remember the refresh rate settings for each resolution, but apparently for some reason it only works if I switch resolutions through the control panel, which means that if I start up a game which maxes out at 1024x768 then I'm stuck with it looking like crap.

You could also try mucking about with the screen's OSD. I can't use the nvidia scaler, as my BenQ E2400HD is connected via HDMI, so I had to enable the "Aspect" option in the OSD to use fixed-aspect scaling.

That's just the thing, this monitor doesn't seem to have a way to change that...which is bizarre since I could swear that it did when it was connected to my dad's X-Box...though I may be confusing it with the other monitor for the family computer.

It's really weird and frustrating, because I know from my extensive exasperated fiddling that everything works shiny at 60Hertz, the native resolution for this monitor maxes out at 60Hertz, and 800x600, 1024x768, and 1152x864 are the only ones which default to (or even let me select) 75Hertz. It even fucks up when I tell it not to do any image scaling (I get hilarious little stretched screens in the center of the monitor ). Ugh, it's so stupid, why can't I set my computer to always use a 60Hertz refresh rate and ignore that one lame resolution? (I suspect it plays some part in this)

[Stark]

I use the same monitor (a significantly better card however) and have a somewhat similar experience; lately, some apps don't follow the control centre setting and are stretched (in monitor hardware by the look of it, it's awful) regardless. Previously (ie as of a few months ago) apps slavishly followed the setting and I could comfortably run things like Majesty in fullscreen and proper aspect. It suggests to me that it's a driver issue.

I know, I know, Nvidia breaking something in drivers? It's unheard of.

[Ohma]

Yeah probably, I have noticed that a few of my tweaks for some older 3D games seem to have stopped working as well since the last few driver installs too, which is a shame because Startopia actually looks pretty rad with like, anisotropy and AA and stuff turned to eleven.

[Alyeska]

Since this is about image scaling, I might as well toss in the question here. How do you go about configuring image scaling in the first place? I've never done it before and I would like to know how I can set it to scale old games that use 4:3 resolutions.

[Ohma]

Since this is about image scaling, I might as well toss in the question here. How do you go about configuring image scaling in the first place? I've never done it before and I would like to know how I can set it to scale old games that use 4:3 resolutions.

Well, I don't know if this is what you wanted but there are two ways I'm familiar with. First, if you're using a wide screen LCD monitor there will probably be an option somewhere in its settings that says something like "stretch image to fit screen", if that's set to off your image should be scaled fairly correctly. Second, if your monitor is connected via DVI (at least I think that's the only criterion >.>, you should be able to set your GFX card to handle image scaling (via your card's driver control...uh...thiiiiinnnng >.> ).

[Alyeska]

I also have a SyncMaster 226bw, running on Vista. Where do I find the settings your talking about? I'm not seeing anything like that.

[Alyeska]

Never mind, found the NVidia settings. It seems to work, some of the time. I launch FreeSpace 2 and the cinematics stretch while the game itself plays with black bars.

[Alyeska]

Hmpf, some games scale, some games don't.

[Ohma]

Hmpf, some games scale, some games don't.

Yeah, I really do think it's because nVidia broke something in their recent drivers. Because I seriously can't force most of the graphics settings I should be able to for some of my older games (like Startopia and Anachronox) anymore, despite being able to change those settings in the control panel. >:(

[Exonerate]

You can choose whether the scaling is done with the cards hardware or the monitors in the nvidia control panel (the advanced one), also just a note that the max refresh on that monitor is 75Hz, not all LCD's are locked at 60 now days.

I remember reading an article somewhere about how all LCDs that supported 75hz input only displayed at 60hz anyways.