I fixed this problem with my 8500LE (driver version 6037) by defining a custom monitor profile using PowerStrip. Here is the .ini file created (comments at top removed):
[Version]
signature="$CHICAGO$"
Class=Monitor
ClassGUID={4d36e96e-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}
Provider=%MFG%
[Manufacturer]
%MFG%=MonMfg
[MonMfg]
%MODEL%=Mon.Install
[Mon.Install]
DelReg=DEL_CURRENT_REG
AddReg=Mon.AddReg,RES,DPMS
[Mon.AddReg]
HKR,%MODE%,Mode1,,%RANGE%
[DEL_CURRENT_REG]
HKR,MODES
HKR,,MaxResolution
HKR,,DPMS
[RES]
HKR,,MaxResolution,,%MAXRES%
[DPMS]
HKR,,DPMS,,0
[Strings]
MFG="HTPC"
MODEL="MAG"
MAXRES="2560,1440"
MODE="MODES\\2560,1440"
RANGE="30.0-75.0,50.0-85.0,+,+"
I set the max to 2560x1440 so I could do 1440i, since my set will do 720p. It works fine, but I have the garbled display problem that DRS has when switching to interlaced modes. As a workaround, I found that if I switch the depth to 256 colors (8 bit) first, then switch to the interlaced mode, then switch back to 32 bit color, it works.
It's very difficult to get games running at interlaced resolutions though because they want to start out a lower progressive resolutions when first run, and when they switch to interlaced upon choosing a higher resolution, the display gets garbled. I have to memorize how to quit out of the game after switching resolutions without being able to see the display, and set a hotkey to change the desktop to a progressive mode to "un-garble" it. Then before playing the game each time I have to switch into the resolution the game will use, using the color depth trick. This only works for games that do not insist on always starting in a low res progressive mode before switching to the mode chosen for gameplay, otherwise I'm out of luck. Even though the Radeon is supposed to have lower 3D performance in interlaced modes, the performance in 1280x1024i (embedded in 1920x1080i) has been pretty good, and looks great! I wish more games would let users define custom resolutions so I could run them at 1920x1080 (or even try 2560x1440), or get awesome performance using 1280x720p. Usually the only 16x9 mode they offer is a piddly 856x480. Is there a way to force games to use custom resolutions?
Hopefully ATI will solve the interlaced mode issues (the overlay problem and this garbled display business) along with the supposed gamma fix in their next driver release. If not I will definitely be ditching the Radeon for a Matrox Parhelia based card (assuming it doesn't have similar problems).
- Dave