Clarence's POWERWALL: Blending 2 CRTs with Nvidia FX  

even if not using overlay mode for playback?

Woo-WoHo-Hoo!

That's a blend with an overlap..:)

A big thanks for the slide one - it seems straighforward..

I'm using the Holo 3DII app along with Powerstrip..not exactly sure how these change but I'm assuming these are set up at 1080P using a 4:3 screen..I'll start with 2 PC monitors today and with your Nvidia settings and go from there..

Sure hope you can keep in touch over the next 2 weeks..

It would be great if you could get back to using 2 identical pj's, even if that means using the 103x's. (I figure the color balance will likely be closer that way.)

-Brian

What about screen shots of the current achievement?

Ok, now I know why you didn't post them before. :D

thanks again Clarence for your PP image --I used your settings and have it set up nicely across 2 computer monitors..

Desktop and Holo app menus all look fine spanned across..

Here's the problem..

I cannot get the DVD image displayed on both monitors at the same time..

When I launch the Holo app, the left side plays - after 30 seconds the left goes blank and right image displays..

The right stays on for 15 minutes or so then flips back to the left

Rebooting and relaunching Holo has same results - at least what happens is consistent..

When either side is blank the Holo menus come up and are displyed correctly on both monitors..

I never touched Powerstrip and the Holo app pulled in the correct 2048 x 768 resolution..

I turned off the screensaver on the display and no change..

The left monitor is analog (DVI-->VGA adaptor) and right monitor is DVI-->DVI in case this may be a factor..

Any suggestions as to what I could try?

I'd ask the question of immersion

John, Did a normal dvd work in a software player like zoom or windvd etc?

Andrew

I tried everything within powerstrip - the Holo app and the Nvidia drivers and it is slightly worse now..

I can only get the left image - and nothing (with DVD) on the right monitor..

desktop is still fine across both..

I don't have any PC players installed on the HTPC but worth trying at least so I can duplicate Clarence's setup..

the holo pull down menus are also properly across both...

Ted is bringing a couple of DVI -->RGB adapters in the morning and we'll hook it up to the CRT's and see what happens..

I think you guys need to use VMR9 rather than Overlay.

Way to go Jesse!

That was it - switched to VMR9 and have the image fitting properly on both monitors..

I'm happy again..:)

am going to set it up for 1080P here then we try the 1292's..

I made the switch toVMR9 in the the Holo app..

We are unable to get the 2 halves of the desktop to be the same size and shape...the right side is correct - left side is smaller in both directions..

Doesn't matter what display mode we use - sizes are not the same

Holo app is mirroring the desktop so it's not the problem..

We will try re-installing the Nvidia drivers..

After hours with this card, we have made progress..both halves of the image are lined up fairly well..

I was running out of memory trying it at 1080P so we stepped back to 1024P - I will try again using 960P as the image is not smooth at 1024..and I need to compare 60 HZ vs 72HZ..

The blend zone is not as wide as I was expecting it to be....

The card is incredibly tempermental - settings do not stick with consistency....

We play with the values for the blending and nothing changes in the blend zone..:(

The settings you used do not do a thing...

At the far left, the image is darker - It appears as if the contrast modulation meant for the blend zone is happening there and not in the center..

Will have to do more trial and error and perhaps stumble onto the magic combination..

Keep going, guys, you're on the verge of making a lot of people very happy :) Six months ago, this was just a nice little "what if?" fantasy. Look how far you've brought us :)

I'll throw in my own offer for a steak dinner next time I'm the US for whoever works it out first :D

Clarence,
If you don't have a Holo card, use Zoom Player to use VMR9. Go to "Player Options" ---> "Advanced Mode" --> "DVD" --> "Customized (Recomended)".

Under "Video Renderer", select "VMR9 Windowless". Make sure you have the right video and audio decoder selected as well. For VMR9 I'd use Nvidia for video.

For media playback (not DVDs), on the left column, click "Filter Control" --> "Customized Media Playback" and check the box to enable cutomized playback. Then click on "Settings and Renderers" and select VMR9.

Then click on "A/V Decoders" tab, double click on "MPEG2 Video" on the list on the right, and use the pulldown menu to select Nvidia 2.0 filters (or 3.0 if you have the beta). On the list on the left is audio. Double-click on MPEG2 audio and pick a filter that you have installed (Invervideo is probably the best). Click manual save and/or restar Zoom Player.

When you playback something, right click the screen and go to the filter properties menu. It will tell you what filters you are using. If you see VMR9 or Video Mixing Renderer 9, then your set. Select the Nvidia video decoder and make sure it's setup to use VMR9.

If you see Overlay Mixer and Video Renderer, or just Video Renderer (VMR7), then something's wrong with the custom graph you setup and it's reverting to Windows' default filters. Make sure you have everything installed and verified.

One last thing, in Zoom Player's settings, there's a checkbox to enable a fix for the VMR9 scaling bug. Make sure it's checked.

Jorus,

Forget downing a 64 ounce steak and get a Nvidia FX card if you want a real challenge..

This fricking card is unbelievable - and not in a good way either..

I was able to get rid of the dark area over on the left side and FINALLY was able to reduce the brightness - at first it was too dark..I could reduce the darkness..making progress only to have it go back too no reduction at all..

Then no matter what numbers I plug in absolutely nothing changes and I'm back to square one..bright in the blend zone..

I'd like to blend together the a$$ cheeks of the guys who designed this and released it..

Blended A$$ cheeks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

You break me up John !!!!!!!!!! hehehehehehehhe

Well shoot some support e-mails off to NVidia!
I would also e-mail Tom's Hardware with what you are doing, those guys would p[robably love to review the 'powerwall' feature, and they have a direct line to the guys who write the drivers.

The blending does indeed work and can be masked and rolled off. The problem we were having is with the location of the blend zone (edge and not centered) and the answer is likely in the initial install of the drivers and the fact we are on the beginning edge of the driver's learning curve, and no documentation. After a pm reply from Clarence, I am convinced I might have messed up our chances for success yesterday. I reinstalled the nVidia driver twice, the first time to give myself a clean working slate to get up to speed (and to rule out any of John's playing with dual lcd monitors) and selected dual monitors to set resolutions. I also tried one driver install with horizontal blending enabled from the start but had problems with setting up the resolutions. We need to select horizontal blending in the initial setup, make sure the center box in the blending box is green (enabled?). I believe it is currently red (disabled???). John also threw out the idea that each blending edge is on a per edge setting which is likely the case with building a Powerwall and multiple FX 3000Gs and indivdual computers per monitor. For a single FX card and dual monitor setup, there is but one blended edge and I think I got locked into thinking we needed a blended edge on the the right 1292Q's left edge and the left 1292Q's right edge and we had the edges reversed from where we needed them. What I needed to be thinking was the blended image as one projector with the blend centrally located. So obvious now....

Clarence's posted driver set up documentation was an excellent primer but step four was where I went wrong. Maybe Clarence, at a later date when you're not not so busy, you can add some further documentation to the diagram to clarify the center button as central blending at step four once we get this sorted out.