If anyone needs help using DVI out to their HDTV, I KNOW HOW =)

[ronjon228]

Well I've just spent over a week learning new things about DVI cables, HDTV's, and PC's with DVI-out. I have a GeForceFX 5900 Ultra, the Golden Sample Gainward to be exact. Basically this is what I have set up right now:

65" Samsung HDTV Monitor
3' DVI Cable (got it for $10.00 on ebay)
DVI-out on my video card running to HDTV
21" CRT Monitor (Clone Mode)

All I can say is that this is COMPLETELY AMAZING! I mean having 65" of pure high definition gaming is mind blowing. I've already played Generals Zero Hour, Call of Duty, and True Crime all in TRUE high definition AND WIDESCREEN format. You can basically do a little config and .ini modding in nearly every game to get the widescreen format to work. As for the DVI connection... that takes some research and alot of tweaking. However, I can give you a simple guide that will make it ALOT easier.

Before you start, don't plug in the DVI cable, I'll include when to do this in my guide

1) Make sure your video card has DVI output
2) Get a DVI cable (MAKE SURE its DVI-D single or dual link, check out this page for pics http://www.datapro.net/dvi.html)
3) Download power strip
4) Make sure your in Clone Mode or Single Display on your Nview settings (makes it way easier)
5) Open PowerStrip and goto display profiles, then configure, then advanced timing options
6) Then go to custom resolutions
7) Find the resolution that says: 1120x630p (DVI/HDCP derived)
8) Click on this resolution and a dialog box will pop up, if it says you have to restart then do so and repeat step 7, then go to step 9
9) If it DOESN'T have to say restart, then hit OK and it will apply the resolution
10) Now, plug the DVI cable in the computer and then into the TV
11) Go to your NView display setting and turn on Clone Mode (Analog Display+Digital Display)
12) Turn on your TV and you should have it =)

This guide is the easiest and most simplified way to get your HDTV working. I used the resolution 1120x663 because it compensates PERFECTLY for overscan. If you go with 1280x720 (which is actually HDTV standard) then the overscan will cut off quite a bit of your video output (about 10 percent all the way around). After you have your HDTV working then look online and find out how to mod your games for custom resolutions. Make sure you put in 1120x663 for your gaming resolutions as well or the overscan will cut off alot of the game screen. Hopefully this will help all you out who are trying to figure this out. It took me a good week of searching and experimenting to find all this out but it's SOOOOO worth it now that it's working. Trust me, try it, you won't be disapointed =)

If you have any questions just email me at magicseller228@hotmail.com and I will be more than happy to help ya out.

Lates
Ron Jon

[ragejg]

Welcome to nvnews, ronjon228!!

Good read!!

:)

I'm sure there's more than a few forum members here who will find your post very benificial! :)

[ronjon228]

Well thats why I posted it =) I'm hoping it'll help people to see how easy it really is. It's amazing to be playing PC games on an HDTV. It's just something you have to see to really appreciate.

[ronjon228]

I'm gonna go ahead and give my self a shameless bump right now...

I've had ALOT of email response to this post and I'm really glad to help you all out. If your using TV-Out right now... spend the 10 bucks and GET A DVI CABLE. It's sooo worth it. Anyways, if you have any questions, email me, and I'll get back to you asap.

Lates....

[PerfectCr]

Great Guide!

I will copy and paste a post I made a while back custom resolutions in games and how to do them! Also check out this article (http://htpcnews.com/main.php?id=hdtvgaming_2) at HTPC.com! It has literally EVERY GAME and how they play with HDTV's!

Link to my article --> Linky (http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1026102928#post1026102928)

Text:
Hey man,
Guess what? They do NOT need to support so called "Widescreen Resolutions" in order to use them.

I have a Samsung 172W LCD that has a native res of 1280 x 768.

I did a post a while back but there IS DEFINITELY a way to play most (not all) games in the native res of 1280 x 768 (or your monitor's custom res). It's actually VERY easy to do. All Quake 3 based games (Q3, Jedi Knight Series, Call of Duty, Elite Force, RTCW, ET, etc.) and all UT engine based games (All UT games, Splinter Cell) work by editing the .cfg and .ini files. UT2K4 actually HAD this resolution in the game menu (first time I've seen that, I think it reads the display driver).

Here are the instructions:
Quake III Based games:
Go into the game Directory, then find your way to the BASE Directory. In the base dirrectory there is a .cfg file, which varies by name based on the Q3 Engine based game you are playing. For JKII, there are two .cfg files. One for single player and one for multiplayer. Double click the respective .cfg (use NOTEPAD to edit) file (this is for any QIII based game) and do a search to find the command called r_mode. It will probably have a value of 6. i.e r_mode "6". Change the value of r_mode to "-1". This allows custom resolutions. Then find in the .cfg file (I use Alt-F to search) the Height and Length (commands are r_customheight "1024" r_customwidth "1600") numbers, which should be set to the last resolution you used in the game. Change the Height to whatever you want the Heigth to be. i.e the 1024 in 1024x768. Then find the other value and change that to the horizontal (WIDTH COMMAND) resolution. Save the file and exit. The next time you enter the game it will be at whatever resolution you set it at in the .cfg file.

For UT and UT2K3 (4) engine based games:
UT2K3 automatically recognized my 1280x768 resoultion. But if it does not.....
Goto the game dir and find the SYSTEM dir. In the system dir there should be a user.cfg file. This is easier. I am not sure of the EXACT command line, but I just do a search in the file for "1024" or whatever the resolution was when you last played it. It is actully pretty easy once you find the resolution command line. You simply replace whatever was there with the resolution you want. This works for any UT based game. Splinter Cell and the like.

or

even easier way to set resolutions in ut2k3 engine based games is to acces the command screen by pressing the tilda key " ~ " and enter in the command "setres HxVx32" where the "H" is horizontal the "V" is vertical and the 32 is the color depth
ex: to run at 1680x1050 res
type in :
setres 1680x1050x32

to run at 1024x640:
type in:
setres 1024x640x32
and press enter
your screen will adjust automatically

Serious Sam:
Same deal. Find the game dir. I forget the specific directory but you know the drill by now. Find the .cfg file. Open it in Notepad and find the resoultion you last ran the game at. Replace the resolution numbers with what you want to run the game at.


FarCry
Automatically recognized it!

Hope this helps! I can run most all my games at my monitor's native resolution!

Now the only games I cannot get to work at 1280 x 768 resolution are Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and Knights of the old Republic. I have tried editing the .ini to no avail. So I play these at 1024 res. Every other games I have I play in my native res!

[Makaveli_786]

Yeah it certainly looks superior on HDTV or a projector...

By the way if you want absolutely breath taking visuals ive got something for you..

Download this CGI, and play it on maximum resolution...

http://www.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_onimusha3_gi.html

[Maker]

Well, I'm running an Asus FX5800 (the V9900 series)card with DVI out, going into a Sony 57 inch HDTV, but I seem to get a rather poor picture, even through the DVI. The resolution you mentioned for Powerstrip doesnt seem to fit quite right, and the text is next to aweful. Am I missing a step, or should I assume the PC to HDTV just won't work on the sony?

Maker

[Neo42]

Running a Leadtek 5700 Ultra to a Toshiba 52HM84 (DLP) and no luck here either. Nividia has a nice utility 'NVKeystone' which will help you resize your desktop--too bad it won't compensate when in overlay/full-screen mode. The main function I want from my PC is to be able to output full screen picture from my HDTV Wonder tuner card. Thus far, I have been unable to make it fit correctly on the screen under any condition. Is this just going to be impossible or what?

Powerstrip - What an awful experience in having my TV picture disappear whenever I try to even SLIGHTLY tweak anything.

I will try that resolution you mentioned but every one I've tried thus far never has fit correctly on the screen and absolutely none have actually been smaller than the screen.

-A

[ronjon228]

Wow,
I just realized that I'm in an actual article on NVNews. They linked to my guide here talking about HDTV support from the FX and 6 series cards. Freakin awesome =)