DVI to HDMI 1920x1200: screen cropped and shifted...?

[sun4384]

Just got an L246WP from LG, which has an HDMI input (no DVI). It came with DVI to HDMI cable.
My motherboard is Biostar TA690G (yes, I'm talking about integrated graphics...), which has both DVI and HDMI output.

So, I hooked up the two using the cable, from DVI output of motherboard to HDMI input of LCD monitor.
The issue is that There is a black framed area around the edge of the screen that is not used to display anything,
and in the black frame the desktop is displayed shifted to upper-left, which crops many of upper-left part of desktop.
Well, a picture might be better than words here...
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/5504/15001655yy5.jpg

Depending on the choice of screen resolution, the black area on the LCD monitor and the viewable desktop area vary,
but I didn't see a fully filled non-cropped screen once.
I tested the monitor with other systems, and there was no problem at all. The difference was that the monitor displayed
HDMI 1920x1200 60Hz as input signal when connected to the other no-problem system, while it displays HDMI 1080p as
input signal when connected to my TA690G. Apparently, there seems to be a signal incompatibility issue here, but I cannot figure out...
BTW, the screen is set to 1:1 mapping, so no stretching or blurring.

I just tried all possible combinations, including
- 1:1 or full screen option on the LCD monitor
- Video or PC option on the LCD monitor
- Full screen image stretch or centered timing option in the Catalyst control center
- Alternate DVI operational mode option in the Catalyst control center
- all other refresh rates in the Catalyst control center
- just all other changeable options in the Catalyst control center and the LCD monitor...
leaving no viable solution...

I'm pretty sure the LCD monitor is not guilty. Any idea? Is my motherboard problematic in terms of H/W?
Is my display driver or Catalyst control center wrongly configured? (BTW, it's version 7.9)
Or is it the cable? I'm waiting for an HDMI to HDMI cable, and will give it a try.

 

[sun4384]

I forgot to mention that DVI to DVI connection with my previous monitor had NO problem at all at any resolution below 1600x1200. Also when connected through RGB cable to my new monitor, there is no problem. I strongly believe that the motherboard or especially the ATI driver is the guilty one... but no idea what to do to get it solved.

 

[Peter]

so ... are you driving a 1920x1200 resolution from this Biostar PC at all?

 

[sun4384]

Yes, it's ok since I don't play 3D games. At this point I'm very certain this is a ATI driver issue, because when the ATI driver is uninstalled, the black frame disappears (though I can't set 1920x1200). Pathetic ATI...

 

[imported_i2k]

Seems a push to get 1920x1200 from an onboard video card?

 

[sun4384]

Well, technically it's ok. With RGB cable, it works fine with that resolution. I just wanted digital connection, which that board should be able to. I got an HDMI to HDMI cable today, and will see if it changes anything.

 

[Peter]

Originally posted by: i2k
Seems a push to get 1920x1200 from an onboard video card?

Nah, why? At work, I'm even running twin flat panels from a single onboard video (one DVI, one VGA). It may sound paradox before you think about it, but for 2D work, shared-RAM video actually is faster than discrete.

 

[sun4384]

Ahhhh now it gets weird and weird..........

I switched to HDMI to HDMI cable to connect the LCD to computer. Now, anything higher than 1280x720 does not show up at all, though the cropping and shifting has gone. The weirdest part is here: when resolution is set high, like 1600x1200 for example, as I said nothing on screen. At that moment, if I connect a DVI cable to the DVI output (NOTHING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CABLE. THE CABLE IS HANGING), exactly the situation I described originally appears. What the heck........?

Does a DVI port have some sensing capability to know something is connected (no matter what is actually connected to the other side of the cable)?

Another strange thing is that with the HDMI to HDMI connection, when system is booted and before windows starts (like bios setup screen), the signal is set to 1280x1024x75Hz (identified by the monitor). The screen flickers like crazy..... which didn't happen with DVI to HDMI connection. There must be something big that I'm ignorant of.... Maybe HDMI to HDMI is not the proper way of connecting a computer to an LCD monitor?

 

[BernardP]

You don't have a problem with the monitor but with the integrated graphics. I see 3 lines of investigation:

--- Go into your bios and look at options for IG to see if there could be a setting that could cause this.

--- Install the latest ATI driver if not already installed, after first completely uninstalling the current driver

--- Find (borrow? buy?) a recent discrete ATI videocard and install it in the PCI-E slot on the motherboard. Make sure the IG graphics is disabled in the BIOS. Plug the monitor into the new card.

Worst thing that can happen is this is going to cost you an entry level videocard to bypass the IG.

 

[sun4384]

the first two lines were tried, but no difference. The last one might be the best approach of localizing possible causes... well, at least I don't have one... (should have done it if I had one)... Fhew......... now what......? just RGB cable for this big monitor....??? Maybe I'll RMA this mobo first. For the life of me I cannot understand a dangling DVI cable making some difference.

 

[BernardP]

You could purchase a videocard at a B&M store that has a no-risk, full-refund, return policy for 15 or 30 days. If it solves the problem, you'll know it is related to the IG. You can then decide to keep the card or RMA the mobo. There is no guarantee that a new mobo wouldn't have the same issue.

 

[sun4384]

I tried what BernardP suggested: buying an ATI card (with both DVI and HDMI output) and try to see what happens. Well the strange problem of HDMI requiring DVI port to be connected to any cable thing does not appear. So I believe it's MB problem. Then, the shifting and cropping is still there with HDMI to HDMI connection. The monitor says it's getting 720p (or 1080p sometimes) in this case. When DVI to HDMI connection is used, the screen is properly displayed (1:1 full screen). In this case the monitor says it's getting 1920x1200 / 60Hz.

Can anyone confirm that you have HDMI to HDMI connection between a computer and an LCD monitor with higher resolutions like 1600x1200 or 1920x1200?

 

[lopri]

Only if I had a monitor that has an HDMI input.. I have a Biostar 7050, and the HDMI works with the included HDMI-to-DVI adapter on my Dell 2405 up to 1080P. Is it smooth? lol, no. But It handles 720P/1080i pretty well. (Have a Pioneer BDC-202) In case anyone wondering about the HDCP support of the Dell monitor - that's where AnyDVD comes into play!

But I haven't had any issue with desktop resolution. Then again I am using DVI/VGA input for the monitor..

 

[BernardP]

Thanks for following up sun4384.

The most damning thing in what you are reporting is that the connection that should work the most naturallly, HDMI to HDMI...Well...Doesn't. :shocked:

HDMI was first designed for television, not for computers.

At least you have found a way to make your monitor display properly. What model of videocard did you buy? Have you decided what you are going to do next? Keep the videocard? RMA the MB?

 

[sun4384]

The card I bought is Radeon HD 2400 Pro, which seems to be targeted to HTPC market because I has a dedicated HDMI output. I mentioned that my mobo also has DVI and HDMI output. But one difference I found was that Catalyst control center recognizes both the DVI and HDMI on my mobo as an HDMI connection, while it recognizes the DVI as DVI and HDMI as HDMI on the new video card.

Well, if I have another HDMI source to test my monitor, it will be obvious where the problem is. Now, I'm quite certain the problem is on the signal source side. Anyway, I'll RMA this board, and probably try another OS like CD-bootable linux to see if 1900x1200 can be properly displayed. Then it's ATI driver problem <-which I suspect the most, because when the ATI video driver is UNINSTALLED, 1600x1200 shows with no shifting and cropping.

Thank you for the help, all.

 

[yzarc314]

I'm having the exact same problem with my L246WP!

My Acer Aspire has VGA/HDMI output, and runs on the Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Familiy. VGA mode works (although blurry since it's analog). With HDMI, I get the cropping and shifting you describe.

The monitor works perfectly with DVI out from my desktop.

Hitting the OK/AUTO button while HDMI is plugged in, I get the message, "HDMI 480i". Strange. The viewable resolution seems to be approximately 1500x1178 out of 1900x1200.

Did you ever find a resolution???

 

[Soundmanred]

Last Activity: 03-09-2008

 

[yzarc314]

I know this thread is very old, but for reference I just want to say that I eventually found a very slick solution. Look at my youtube channel for detailed step-by-step instructions.

Background:
My L246WP monitor works with a DVI-to-HDMI connection, but when using an HDMI-to-HDMI connection, the screen image is improperly offset. This can be fixed by altering the EDID, which is the metadata supplied to the computer by the monitor. This can be done via software or hardware. A software solution seems to be driver-dependent, and not supported by my drivers.

The EEPROM which stores the EDID is write-protected. Consequently, using i2cset would produce "Error: write failed." I disabled write-protection by disconnecting the appropriate pin on the EEPROM after disassembling the monitor following byuu's excellent instructions, both on the forum and on his archived homepage (see the ******* link). Disassembling the monitor was stressful, difficult, and unnecessary!!!

Instead of disassembling the monitor, it is possible to disable write protection by temporarily enabling "Aging mode." A comment by Michael Pitts confirms that this works. "You get into service mode by holding MENU when you press POWER. Then select MENU, you will be able to access the service menu. Turn Aging Mode ON and the chip becomes writable!"

Once write protection is disabled, this video demonstrates how to fix the EDID using an Ubuntu LiveUSB. This should be much easier and more reliable than trying to use an obscure old DOS or Windows program.

 

[tweakboy]

You can uninstall all nvidia in your rig. Then try again.