Computer Monitor question (“windows 10 rant #745”)

[dr wogz]

Frustrated, need to vent / rant, and am looking for advice if any can be given..

So, over the weekend I received my new computer; a custom built jobbie with a Radeon 580. I go to plug it into the monitor (HDMI to HDMI) and the image on screen is garbage! Text all ghosted, colours blown out. Just horrible from what I had before. Like, the gain, the contrast & brightness are all turned way up.

What I had before (the newly replaced PC) has an older Nvidia NVS 300 with a DMS59 connector to a splitter: 2 DVI-I ports, to a VGA converter, into the VGA port on the monitor. Colours are sweet, resolution is 1920x1080. The monitor is a generic flat screen, about 8 years old. Absolutely no issues.

I initially suspected the HDMI cable.. I rummage around, and even call up a friend to rummage around in his ‘cable box’, for some different cables. I try different combinations of cables & ports (on the PC and the monitor). I even spend about a few hours going thru the settings on the video card to try & get a proper image. (one internet search mentions to reboot after changing cables) Nothing. I even try all this on a 2nd monitor. Nothing, same issues. We looked around for resolution & refresh settings to change, as we feel it’s getting too much data, and the monitor(s) can’t refresh fast enough.. But nothing. No changes to any settings help. After a wasted (and frustrating) day trying to trouble-shoot this, I break down and pull apart my home TV (Samsung Smart TV) and plug the new PC into that. Picture perfect! (The PC vendor even said the graphics / images were nice, and he was watching Youtube on it!)

[insert adult words here] So, it IS the monitor..

So, I now have to buy a new Monitor for the new PC.. Seriously?!

Anyone have an idea of how I might make things nice & crisp? Anyone know of a video data buffer? Or am I stuck needing to buy a new, “smart” monitor?!

Now, while doing all this, I took my old PC, and plugged it into the 2nd monitor I mentioned; it has only HDMI ports, and I managed to get the DMS59 plugged into the HDMI port with a combination of cables. Again, this image is also all blown out & garbage. (I do plan to plug the old PC in the smart TV so the wife can do her FB stuff while I work from home.)

(Meanwhile, the new PC is parked in a corner until I can resolve this, or buy a new monitor. The old PC is back in its place so I can work & she can do her e-mail, FB & FB games..)

I musty admit, I'm not super techhie, not up to date on all the jargon & trends, etc.. Even my IT guy says I'm somewhat 'cursed' when it comes to computer machines..


Here’s the rant:
Both PCs have Windows 10. I suspect Windows 10 won’t support anything older than a toddler. Windows is expecting some finite definition of what the monitor is, and requires a specific driver for said monitor (Never heard of a monitor needing a driver).. I’ve also had a crash course on Video ports (seriously, there are about a dozen that have come out in the past 15 years!! “DVI” counts for about half of these) I did find something that mentions going into the displays settings, advanced options, then choosing a ‘digital monitor’ from a list you can pull up.. And, with this, means 2 perfectly good (albeit ‘cheap & old’) monitors are rendered useless.. I’ll just add them to the other 2 perfectly good TVs I have in the garage which society has deemed old & obsolete.. I thought Windows 10 was supposed to make things easier?!! Or is Microsoft the driving force behind disposable consumerism? Grrr!!!

 

[heada]

How closely are you tied to Windows? Download and try a Linux Live USB. Linux Mint has a nice live version to test out. I am forced to use Win10 on a laptop for work. I use Win7 still at home for the system that requires Windows. For everything else I use some version of Linux.

 

[Steve Shannon]

Before dumping the old monitor I would try an hdmi to vga adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Adapter-Converter-Black/dp/B00879DM56

 

[cerving]

LCD monitors have a definite resolution that they want to operate at, since they're made up of physical discrete pixels. At resolutions other than the optimal, they blur. I've seen people get "better" monitors and actually have a worse image than they had with the old lower-resolution monitor, because they're running it at the lower resolution and the monitor can't handle it so it crams three pixels into two. You have to match the resolution to the monitor, so getting a brand new monitor for an older computer doesn't always turn out well, especially if it's a laptop and the video doesn't put out the same resolution as the new monitor.

 

[Marc_G]

Like above, first make sure you are outputting the monitor's native resolution.

Then make sure black levels are aligned. Most monitors have a setting for this for HDMI.


Your monitor may also have an autosync function; if so try it.

My NEW monitor looked like trash on my computer until I changed its HDMI black level to low.

There's a thing where consumer video sources tend to use only certain bits in output, referred to as full (0-255) or limited (16 to 234). Mismatch between content, computer graphics settings, and monitor settings can result in what you describe. Black crush, white crush, and similar terms are used.

Keep us posted!

 

[Marc_G]

Here is a link that may help and may hinder understanding:

https://referencehometheater.com/2014/commentary/rgb-full-vs-limited/

 

[dr wogz]

Ok, thanks all..

Yes, monitor set to native resolution. Its's an older monitor on a newer computer. They seem to see each other; the monitor seem to be "seen" by windows.. Pretty much set to default for it. I have tried others, but no effect (except bigger or smaller icons!) (We initialy tried the resolution & refresh, no effect. At least finding the refresh rate on the card is difficult..)

Yes, the VGA-HDMI 'dongle' is a thought, but will have to source one locally

No, No "HDMI Black level" although that would make sense / help (again, older monitor)

Yes,i can change the RGB, 4:2:2, 4:4:4, full RGB, enhanced RGB, etc. Doesn't seem to make a difference. (but I will try with a reboot in between each swap)

 

[dhbarr]

99% of the time it's a problem with DDC, two li'l wires in there that carry EDID & HDCP via I2C.

At a guess, your new vidya doesn't savvy the EDID on your old monitor and spits out some nonsense timings instead.

Were you to manually select a monitor profile with your exact timings, it'd probably work.

 

[Reinhard]

How does the color gradient chart look on your display (middle of the post)?
https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/calibrating-monitor-with-argyll-dispcalgui.398448/
Can you test your monitors HDMI input with a different source?

Reinhard

 

[mpitfield]

Does the monitor have a manufacturer's driver, or are you using the windows 10 generic driver? EDID or not if the driver doesn't support the features of the monitor you won't have an optimal setup.

 

[dr wogz]

Mike, generic driver (M$ - 2006). No drivers, and the monitor is 'discontinued' on their website.. (and, it's an old cheap monitor with a VGA connector!! )

Reinhard, I will try a Blue ray player over an HDMI cable to see how it is. good suggestion!

Dh, yeah, exactly, but Windows 10 seem to have all this hidden away somewhere. It 'knows' what monitor I have, but that's about it. As mentioned I did find a site that talked about how to get into changing the monitor, and allowing you to select it from a list. But,of course, I can't find it anymore!

 

[hartlch]

You may need a new HDMI cable to go with the new video card. Probably the "high speed" flavor to support the 580's capabilities. I ran into that situation a while back, though in my case it was a new monitor. I had just unplugged the old monitor and replaced it with the new one. Looked like crap. Fiddled around for a while like you and then finally replaced the cable with the one that came with the new monitor. Voila - looked perfect.

I have also run into problems with the plastic shell of the HDMI connector interfering with the monitor case around where the connector is. Looks/feels like it is fully seated, but it is not quite.

And yeah, it would be a good idea to check that the monitor's HDMI port isn't bad if you never used it before.

 

[heada]

If the monitor is 8 years old, it probably only supports HDCP 1.2 or so. New video card supports HDCP 2.2. It could have problems downgrading the connection since 2.2 isn't fully backwards compatible with versions prior to 1.4

Look up the HDMI/HDCP versions on both.

 

[dhbarr]

If the monitor is 8 years old, it probably only supports HDCP 1.2 or so. New video card supports HDCP 2.2. It could have problems downgrading the connection since 2.2 isn't fully backwards compatible with versions prior to 1.4

Look up the HDMI/HDCP versions on both.

Hooray for protecting Steamboat Willie from the evils of the Public Domain for another hundred years! That's right, we invented the most powerful technology in the world but gave it cancer so Enrico Caruso's great-grandkids can blah blah....

Too tired to keep ranting, but every time the Blu-ray player accuses my kids of being thieves I get a little annoyed again.