If you have an LCD monitor and Windows XP, remember to use ClearType...

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ThaPerculator

Golden Member
May 11, 2001
1,449
0
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Clear type probably won't work if you aren't using the native resolution of your LCD monitor.

100% true.

I just hate how Digidesign Pro Tools has issues with cleartype, so every time I want to use it, I have to turn it off. It has become an epic struggle of "good-looking text" over "using awesome software with satan-esque support". :(
 

eLiu

Diamond Member
Jun 4, 2001
6,407
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Yeah cleartype rocks. I found it by accident and now my LCDs are so much happier.
 

whoboo

Member
Jun 14, 2004
145
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I cant seem to go pass step 2. tried pressing the next button several times but nothing happens.
 

CptObvious

Platinum Member
Mar 5, 2004
2,501
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81
I don't like ClearType, personally. It's a minor improvement for reading long documents but at the expense of making everything blurry.
 

DerKaiser

Senior member
Feb 12, 2002
460
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ClearType definitely blows. Why would anyone want to blur their text? To become more buzzword compliant? It has to be the most overhyped "feature" ever.
 

Ryland

Platinum Member
Aug 9, 2001
2,810
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I just tried it on my CRT and it looked lousy. I will probably try it on my home LCD tonight.
 

pxc

Platinum Member
May 2, 2002
2,001
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Originally posted by: DerKaiser
ClearType definitely blows. Why would anyone want to blur their text? To become more buzzword compliant? It has to be the most overhyped "feature" ever.
LOL

It doesn't blur text if it's used on an LCD and especially not with a DVI connection (VGA inputs on LCDs look meh, IMO). Standard font anti-aliasing (which is fuzzy and only works on larger fonts) is not the same as ClearType.

You should understand how it works before dismissing it. Here's a brief summary: ClearType borrows adjacent subpixels to INCREASE the horizontal resolution to 3x the native pixel resolution. It looks very good on LCDs and bad on most CRTs. It's only intended for LCDs though.
 

jpeyton

Moderator in SFF, Notebooks, Pre-Built/Barebones
Moderator
Aug 23, 2003
25,375
142
116
It makes all the fonts look fuzzy and blurred on my LCDs...pass.
 

DerKaiser

Senior member
Feb 12, 2002
460
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LOL

It doesn't blur text if it's used on an LCD and especially not with a DVI connection (VGA inputs on LCDs look meh, IMO). Standard font anti-aliasing (which is fuzzy and only works on larger fonts) is not the same as ClearType.

LOL at your assumptions.

I have a 19 inch LCD with a DVI connection. When I turn ClearType on with TweakUI, the text becomes blurry.

I don't care how it works. It still sucks.
 

Showtime

Platinum Member
Jun 16, 2002
2,016
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Blanket statements dont really apply for cleartype. Some need it and some don't. It helped with my 1800FP and I havent even tried it for my 2005. Give it a try, it only takes a minute.

-show
 

STiSev

Senior member
Nov 24, 2002
212
0
0
Guys... I have to say this.

OK. New big versions of Firefox is hot. Free software is hot.

Telling me to turn on Cleartype is NOT HOT.
 

utdeep

Member
Jul 4, 2001
54
0
0
You guys can be real jerks sometimes.
I turned it on on my computer for my 2001FP Dell and it is incredible.

This was a hot deal for me, so stick your opinions where they belong. Not every hot deal is for every single person.
 
Apr 29, 2004
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Originally posted by: utdeep
You guys can be real jerks sometimes.
I turned it on on my computer for my 2001FP Dell and it is incredible.

This was a hot deal for me, so stick your opinions where they belong. Not every hot deal is for every single person.

This may be a "hot deal" for you, but not for this forum.....

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...catid=40&threadid=984199&enterthread=y

What is a Hot Deal? Here are a few examples:

  • * A discount coupon on a vendor's site.
  • * Info about a good "price match + rebate" situation.
  • * Links to store ads and reposts of store ads, especially if they contain a really great deal. You might include a "heads up" about the specific deal in the thread title and/or your post.
  • * Any nice premium deals, as long as those taking advantage are in the intended group. If a company wants to survey Senior Network Administrators, or if they offer a discount to retail sales employees, and you are in the tenth grade, you probably do not qualify. It is a good idea to point out such limitations in your post.

Just because something is helpful doesn't make it a hot deal. This is a "Hot Deals" forum, not "Hot Software Tips".
For Windows tips, I personally would prefer to look elsewhere.

Everything has its place to avoid anarchy.

For instance, I added dry gas to my snow blower to fix stalling problem caused by water in the tank.

Should I post new topic here in "Hot Deals" to tell everyone about my "great new discovery"? Think not.

Maybe I'll start my own "Hot Snowblower Deals" forum. Nah, guess I'll pass.

Just my two cents.... (and hopefully a lock).

-LS


 

osiris3mc

Golden Member
Oct 23, 2001
1,514
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71
I don't care if this "violates" the rules of the Hot Deals forum. It's a great find. I was unaware of this technology until this threat was posted. Thanks OP!
 

john333

Member
Mar 13, 2003
67
0
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Gah, so much misinformation in this thread!

First of all, cleartype will work better on higher resolution displays - if the display is so low res that the pixels are too visable, then it'll just make things blurry - the finer the pixels, the better it works.

DIV / not-DVI - makes no difference apart from the usual 'DVI gives a sharper picture', which might mean in extreme cases that a particularly bad VGA connection was already so blurry you didn't need cleartype to get the same effect.

As mentioned above, if you're running your LCD an non-native resolution, then fonts are going to look crap no matter what you do, cleartype or not. Best thing to do about this is change back to native resolution, and if the fonts are too small for you, change them in the windows properties (you can get very good control over them if you go into the advanced section from the Apperance tab). After doing that, then try cleartype.

Not everyone will like the effect. Took me a while to decide I liked it. Again, your preference will probably change depending on the display resoluiton/size.

Also, may need to tweak what it does depending on the display pixel arangment (i.e. how the red/green/blue cells are laid out). The best method of doing this, and of changing the effective contrast of cleartype, is a nifty (and free!) program called cleartweak. It is also very useful for quickly turning cleartype on and off - handy for a laptop that you also use connected to a CRT : http://www.ioisland.com/cleartweak/

 

BlackPear1

Senior member
Sep 6, 2004
687
0
0
Thanks for the info OP. I haven't decided whether this improves my display, but it's interesting to experiment.

BTW, even if this isn't in the right forum, I doubt that it will lead to "anarchy", despite warnings to the contrary by the forum's junior storm troopers.
 

programmer

Senior member
Mar 12, 2003
412
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SimMike2

Platinum Member
Aug 15, 2000
2,577
1
81
Cleartype is fantastic, but you have to use the native resolution of the LCD panel. This is what most sensible people do, as non-native resolutions pretty much look like cr@p anyway. For instance most 17" LCDs have a native resolution of 1280 X 1024. With 15", it is usually 1024 X 768. If you use any other resolution, it is going to look fuzzy.

Not sure if the previous guy was kidding, but I seriuosly doubt any 15" screen is going to have a native resolution of 1900 X 1200.