Reputator wrote:

dr_st wrote:

Azarien wrote:

Unfortunately 1280x960 is broken on this monitor. They decided to display it as a letterboxed 1280x1024, which itself is pillarboxed. The result has correct aspect ratio, but doesn't fill the whole screen, instead it has black frame on all sides (much smaller than when using 1:1 scaling but still noticeable).

Strange. Gonna have to try it on my 2007FP, to see if it has the same problem.

I'm curious to hear about your result!

Well, the 2007FP seems to behave a little different in this regard, also poorly, but in a different way.

Officially, 1280x960 is not in the supported resolutions list. Only 1280x1024 is. Source: http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products … /2007fp_new.pdf

On my PC (with nVidia 6600GT), 1280x960 was not listed, but I could add it as a custom resolution. The monitor, however, detects it as 1280x1024. It has 3 settings for 'Wide Mode': 1:1, Aspect and Fill.

The results are as follows:

1280x1024: Fill: stretched to full-screen and aspect-distorted, Aspect: pillar-boxed, aspect correct but blurry, 1:1: letter-boxed, pillar-boxed, aspect-correct and sharp
1280x960: Fill: stretched to full-screen, blurry, but aspect-correct, Aspect: pillar-boxed, blurry and aspect-distorted, 1:1: letter-boxed, pillar-boxed and aspect-distorted

So with the 2007FP you can get 1280x960 to stretch to the whole screen (and it will be aspect-correct, since both resolutions are 4:3), but you cannot get a correct 1:1 pixel mapping.

However, it is possible to compensate for it with video adapter drivers. I can configure the nVidia control panel to output any resolution as a centered image, which causes the GPU to basically letterbox/pillarbox the entire thing to get it to 1600x1200, then transmit the full 1600x1200 to the display. Now that I think about it - could it be that this is what's happening on Azarien's system?

I've been using LCD's with my 286, 486, and Pentium boxes for years without problems that are not specific to the model/make of the monitor.

Currently my 486 is uging a Samsung SyncMaster 17V 17" LCD. WFWG looks great on it at 32-bit true color 800x600, and it's perfect for what I do with DOS games because I do some "dev work" for fun on it, and drawing backgrounds and sprites in Graf-X II is a bit easier and results in a more professional looking result because I can clearly see the pixels defined. There's little bleed, the colors are accurate, probably a bit more than the NEC MultiSync II CRT I use with my Tandy, and it seems to take low resolutions in stride.

Soon I'll be trying my 21" Enlight monitor with it as we are cutting down on the computer population in the house, so I'll be getting a DVI based ViewSonic widescreen for my modern rig, and then the 486 will get the 21", and the 286 will get the NEC LCD17V. The 17 takes low res well as well, but it's a newer 4:3 aespect display - I bought it new in 2010.

For the longest time I had a Samsung SyncMaster 710MP TV/LCD Monitor combo that I used with everything through the 2000's - first A+ Certified I.T. Job netted me enough for the hefty $300 price tag in like, 2003. Used to use that one with everything including my old consoles and the Tandy. Did great but did not like the Atari 2600 composite mods of the time very much. It also had a problem overheating if it was anywhere near sunlight in the summer.

I wonder if exist better retro LCD that Dell 20 - 2007, i have it, but its too small for me.

I mean:

1. Bigger 4:3 LCD.
2. With IPS or PVA etc.. simply not TN crapp.
3. If wide screen, with hardware 4:3 mode, where i can force 4:3 without any OS and drivers from boot until i disable it, i start some Dos wide screen game (its only optimal feature). On modern OSes XP+ or something i has use GPU scaling, but i need solution for DOS and WIn98 too.

The Dell 2007fp is either MVA or IPS.

Eizo and NEC both have 21.3" 1600x1200 monitors.

Its PVA panel.

BTW does Dell 2007FP support 70hz or 75hz without frameskip?

The Serpent Rider wrote:

BTW does Dell 2007FP support 70hz or 75hz without frameskip?

I don't believe so. When I was using one it seemed to convert everything to 60Hz.

I dunno how to test it, but it has 75 Hz refresh rate for some resolutions in manual.

I still own it, if you would like me to I can hook it up and test whatever modes you would like me to. I've been using it in "Mame cabinet" running Lakka for a while, which converts everything to 60Hz anyway, but I can hook it up to something else for testing if that would be helpful.

Every LCD monitor supports 75Hz in some resolutions. Most of them will just silently throw away every 5th frame in such modes. You have to check for smoothness, preferably with external equipment, like a very fast camera.

What about these new 144 LCDs, there are ok for 75Hz? There are even some Freesynch cheaper IPS monitors with 75 Hz like Acer Nitro VG240Ybmiix , but yeah of course with stupid 16:9 aspect ratio.

ruthan wrote:

What about these new 144 LCDs, there are ok for 75Hz?

Probably, but as you say they are all 16:9 or wider.

BRING BACK 4:3

Microsoft has 3:2 sceerns on some of their devices, but I'd like to see standalone monitors with such aspect ratio, and not at DPI higher than 125...

I hate scaling stuff... 1440p is the sweetspot IMO

1920x1440, then? 🤣

jxhicks wrote:

I still own it, if you would like me to I can hook it up and test whatever modes you would like me to.

Can you test it with PixPerAn at 70 and 75hz, probably at low resolution (640x480 or 800x600)? If it does skip frames you will see it immedieatly.

I still wonder why doesnt exist some box between videcard and monitor, which can emulate monitor - only that with 4:3 and 5:4 resolution.. so videocard things that there is 4:3 monitor.

There are 16:9 and 16:10 monitors with correct aspect ratio auto mode with pillar boxes on the side, i dont mind them, there much better thant streched picture with incorect aspect ratio.

So with such box we could have bigger (4:3 on 24+ inch with pillar boxes would be bigger than 20" 4:3 picture), more better picture quality (IPS) and with faster refresh rates than 60 Hz..

dr_st wrote:

So with the 2007FP you can get 1280x960 to stretch to the whole screen (and it will be aspect-correct, since both resolutions are 4:3), but you cannot get a correct 1:1 pixel mapping.

However, it is possible to compensate for it with video adapter drivers. I can configure the nVidia control panel to output any resolution as a centered image, which causes the GPU to basically letterbox/pillarbox the entire thing to get it to 1600x1200, then transmit the full 1600x1200 to the display. Now that I think about it - could it be that this is what's happening on Azarien's system?

I don't think so, because my monitors (I have two of them now) recognize 1280x960 as 1280x1024, not 1600x1200.

Can you test it with PixPerAn at 70 and 75hz, probably at low resolution (640x480 or 800x600)? If it does skip frames you will see it immedieatly.

So I tested it with PixPerAn at both 640x480 and 800x600 at 70 and 75Hz. It was dropping frames on all of them. I also tried it at native res (1600x1200) at 60Hz and the scrolling was smooth.