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Need Help - Using 'Kirk' as a PC Monitor

697 Views 19 Replies 7 Participants Last post by htwaits, Oct 13, 2004

sisert

Discussion Starter · Oct 12, 2004

I'm sorry if this has been discussed before. I tried doing a search for this, but couldn't find anything.

I am having some trouble adjusting the resolution to output to 1280x720. It's stuck at 800x600 for some reason. I'm using the Radeon 9600xt all-in-wonder. Would appreciate any help you guys could provide. Thanks.

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mjones73

· #2 · Oct 12, 2004

Search on powerstrip here...

htwaits

· #3 · Oct 12, 2004

You left a lot out.

How do you have your PC connected?

Which ATI drivers do you have installed?

Are you running two monitors or one?

What operating system are you using?

I have a 9000 Pro with the latest ATI drivers and it is connected to a HLP5063 with a DVI cable. My system sees the TV as a 1280x720p Plug&Play monitor.

My system is dual boot so the TV is the primary monitor in my "movie" partition and the LCD flat panel (VGA connection) is primary in my "work" partition. The flat panel is running at 1280x1024.

I'm running Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 1.

I haven't used Powerstrip.

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sisert

Discussion Starter · #4 · Oct 12, 2004

I currently have the PC connected to my TV via VGA. For some reason this particular video card doesn't have DVI out, which came as a suprise to me. Not sure if I should try to find a VGA to DVI cable.

I installed the ATI drivers that came with the 9600xt AIW. I'll have to check and make sure which ones they are.

Currently, I only have the PC hooked up to my TV. I'm still trying to decide on what kind of monitor I should purchase.

The operating system is windows XP.

This is the first time I've put my own computer together and I'm not really PC literate. Really appreciate your help.

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htwaits

· #5 · Oct 12, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by sisert
I currently have the PC connected to my TV via VGA. For some reason this particular video card doesn't have DVI out, which came as a suprise to me.

I didn't know that either.

Not sure if I should try to find a VGA to DVI cable.

I don't know how that would work. VGA is analog and DVI is digital.

Currently, I only have the PC hooked up to my TV. I'm still trying to decide on what kind of monitor I should purchase.

It sounds like you may not be able to run two monitors from your 9600xt card. Maybe there is someone here who knows for sure.

This is the first time I've put my own computer together and I'm not really PC literate. Really appreciate your help.

Have you checked out the the "Home Theater Computers" forum. Here is a link to the forum list for AVS.

Special Forums Area

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sisert

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 12, 2004

I didn't even notice that forum. I'll have to check it out.

I was looking at a 9600xt that had DVI out so I guess I was assuming the 9600xt AIW would have it too. I should have been more thorough. However, it does have two VGA outputs.

I'm trying to find out right now if the digital to analog conversion is done in the video card or the TV. If it is the videocard then a VGA to DVI cable would do me no good.

My system sees my TV as a Samsung DLP, but the resolution still defaults to 800x600. I'll try to see if I can get it to switch to 1280x720 when I get home today. Otherwise I'll have to get the powerstrip thing.

htwaits

· #7 · Oct 12, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by sisert
I'm trying to find out right now if the digital to analog conversion is done in the video card or the TV. If it is the videocard then a VGA to DVI cable would do me no good.

I think it would have to be done in the card because VGA is analog. If you use component inputs then the data stream must be analog. I think VGA would be the same.

MikePSmith

· #8 · Oct 13, 2004

I may be wrong but, the last time I looked a the Samsung DLP, the VGA port only supported 800x600. If you wanted higher resolution you had to use the DVI connection, or if you have a newer model HDMI with a DVI to HDMI connector. You can try the VGA to Component adapter from ATI too.
http://shop.ati.com/product.asp?sku=2537968

I, and friends of mine, had overscan issues with the ATI cards that can be fixed with the Powerstrip software.

Good luck!

fluffhead

· #9 · Oct 13, 2004

not true, u can get 1280x720 thru vga. in fact, my hlp5063 booted up to that res the first time i connected my laptop. your "problem" lies in your video card. that being said, there is no problem, as you just need to use powerstrip to create a monitor driver for your tv. theres a thread somewhere that shows u how step by step. btw, im jealous that youve got the hd2+ as it is even better than the 63 for displaying text, as each pixel is completely defined. next time u go to a B&M, compare this by pulling up the menu on the 85 and 63 and compare the pixels in the menu text. huge difference imo. long story short, youre gonna love your kirk as a monitor (seeing as youve obviously already accepted its hideous design

)

fluffhead

· #10 · Oct 13, 2004

one more thing, you may need to use DVI to get perfectly distinct pixels, i believe the late arun gupta did a comparison with the hd2 chip thru dvi and vga and dvi had better pixel representation.

absolutezerok

· #11 · Oct 13, 2004

I am using my 85 as a monitor with a ati 9700 pro through dvi. The text is great. Wide tv is the best setting at 1280X720 for text but you will get some overscan. I think it's best when watching dvd's as well. Oddly enough i have the 4.9 catlyst drivers and the control center but my video card will not force 720P without powerstip..

Geckotek

· #12 · Oct 13, 2004

No matter what has been said, you need to at the VERY least download the 4.9 (current) drivers from www.ati.com to see if that helps. ATI did not natively (w/o using Powerstrip) support that resolution until 4.8 from what I understand.

sisert

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 13, 2004

Thanks for all the advice guys. I've downloaded powerstrip and the latest ATI drivers. Hopefully one of these will solve the problem.

I'm having trouble getting sound from the SPDIF digital output on the 9600xt AIW now. I guess that's the price I pay for being cheap and not shelling out for a sound card.

I'm starting to wonder if it would have been better for me to purchase a pre-built system since I know so little about all this stuff. Did you guys build your own PC's or did you buy a pre-built one?

htwaits

· #14 · Oct 13, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by sisert
I'm having trouble getting sound from the SPDIF digital output on the 9600xt AIW now. I guess that's the price I pay for being cheap and not shelling out for a sound card.

Check for an SP/DIF property associated with your on board sound chip that isn't checked. My Audigy2 ZS had to be set to output SP/DIF. There are also some cabling tricks you have to know about to get the Audigy2 ZS board to work. Unless you have a dedicated SP/DIF output from your mother board you may have to look for folks with the same motherboard and find out how they are doing it.

I'm starting to wonder if it would have been better for me to purchase a pre-built system since I know so little about all this stuff.

If your mother board has an up to date AGP slot you can alway add video and sound if what you have won't work the way you want it too.

Did you guys build your own PC's or did you buy a pre-built one?

I've built several systems over the past twenty years. I always feel like a beginner. Maybe I shouldn't wait so long between systems.

Things change very fast. It still pays to start with the applications you want to run during the next 18 months and then configure a new system to satisfy those requirements. I've failed to do that correctly many times.

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sisert

Discussion Starter · #15 · Oct 13, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by fluffhead
not true, u can get 1280x720 thru vga. in fact, my hlp5063 booted up to that res the first time i connected my laptop. your "problem" lies in your video card. that being said, there is no problem, as you just need to use powerstrip to create a monitor driver for your tv. theres a thread somewhere that shows u how step by step. btw, im jealous that youve got the hd2+ as it is even better than the 63 for displaying text, as each pixel is completely defined. next time u go to a B&M, compare this by pulling up the menu on the 85 and 63 and compare the pixels in the menu text. huge difference imo. long story short, youre gonna love your kirk as a monitor (seeing as youve obviously already accepted its hideous design )

I had actually bout a 5063 earlier, but had some problems so I exchanged it for the 5085. I haven't seen much of a difference in PQ. I guess that the 85 would be better for displaying test since the picture is a bit sharper.

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sisert

Discussion Starter · #16 · Oct 13, 2004

The new ATI drivers did the trick. Only problem now is that I have a black border all around the screen. I guess this is where powerstrip comes into play. I'll try to find that thread you guys are talking about. Thanks for the help.

Geckotek

· #17 · Oct 13, 2004

Not sure how much Powerstrip will help, but before trying it, be sure to try your different picture sizes ("P. Size" button on the remote.) Expand is sharpest for me, but has some overscan.

htwaits

· #18 · Oct 13, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by sisert
The new ATI drivers did the trick. Only problem now is that I have a black border all around the screen. I guess this is where powerstrip comes into play. I'll try to find that thread you guys are talking about. Thanks for the help.

What do you have "P. Size" set too?

For anamorphic enhanced widesceen movies or HDTV use "Wide (TV)" which allows over-scan but is bit mapped 1x1. To see your whole Windows XP desktop use "Wide (PC)" which will cause you to loose a little sharpness because it's scaled to reduce the image (small black border all around).

For Letterbox widescreen films use "Expand" and for Acadamy Standard films use "4x3".

I haven't tried it with our HLP5063 sets but with HD2 and HD2+ chip sets others have gotten 1x1 bit mapping using powerstrip. A search on "powerstrip" should get you mountains of hits.

Keep in mind that VGA is analog and DVI/HDMI is digital.

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sisert

Discussion Starter · #19 · Oct 13, 2004

I've tried that, but get some overscan on the expand mode and get significant overscan on Wide TV mode.

htwaits

· #20 · Oct 13, 2004

You will get the best PQ using Wide (TV). Over-scan is intentional to hide undesirable information that may be at the edges of the image. Zero over-scan is an advantage only with PC desktop work where important information is at the edges of the screen.

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