I had the same problem with DOS games on my system. There are only 3 solutions that I could come up with:

1. If the game has a brightness or gamma setting, adjust that.
2. Use the monitor controls to turn up the brightness or gamma of the monitor.
3. Open up the monitor and adjust the potentiometers/riostats on the flyback transformer so that the monitor is brighter by default.

I actually ended up doing the 3rd option on several monitors over the summer because they were all too dark even with the brightness turned all the way up. I found out how to do it by reading the Usenet sci.electronis.repair FAQ ( http://www.repairfaq.org/ )

hmm strange.
Tried powerstrip a bit, has a keycombo for raising the gamma, but turns eveyrthing into black & white under dos 😀

It's me again. 😉

I have only one monitor, therefore i don't want to be a "Tim Taylor". 😀 Also i don't want to lose my warranty. There MUST be a software solution, for this kind of problem. And when not at present, a capable & good-natured programmer should assume this.

pfirsichbluete

Originally posted by Unregistered There MUST be a software solution, for this kind of problem. And when not at present, a capable & good-natured programmer should assume this.

Well, VDMSound has nothing to do with this problem. It will be either an issue with your monitor or your graphics card and it's video drivers.

Unless your video card manufacturer has software that allows you to adjust the gamma of DOS video you may be stuck...

You should also check to see if your monitor has adjustments for color "temperature". For example, my monitor has a color "temperature" of 9300K for general use, and 6500K for game usage.

@Nicht Sehr Gut
I have "played" with all of the relevant monitor-settings -> no success. 🙁 My graphic-card is a GeForce2. Which driver-version would you recommend to me?

pfirsichbluete

P.S.~Are you German? Do you know, what your nickname means?! 😉

Don't think it matters much since the dos video modes are set by the bios and that doesn't seem to care for gamma levels. So your basically stuck with bios default.

Originally posted by Unregistered I have "played" with all of the relevant monitor-settings -> no success. My graphic-card is a GeForce2. Which driver-version would you recommend to me?

I'm afraid you are stuck. It sounds like your monitor is in the process of dying.

No video drivers are going to help here. The reason I asked about your video card is that I remember some older video cards (mostly from the era of DOS) had some DOS utilities that allowed you to tweak the DOS video output. The GeForce is not one of those cards.

Have you run any DOS games that have a built-in gamma adjustment? (such as: DOOM, Heretic, Hexen, Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, Shadow Warrior, etc...) If you run one of those, do you find yourself adjusting the Brightness/Gamma very high for it be to viewable?

P.S.~Are you German?

Nein, Ich bin ein gross weißer Amerikaner *heh*

Do you know, what your nickname means?!

Yes. Quite aware. Came from my early Hexen2/Quake3 online gaming days...

It sounds like your monitor is in the process of dying.

No, i don't think so. From the first switch on, till now, the monitor have not change the brightness. But when i compare it with another monitors, my one looks definitely darker.

Have you run any DOS games that have a built-in gamma adjustment? (such as: DOOM, Heretic, Hexen, Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, Shadow Warrior, etc...) If you run one of those, do you find yourself adjusting the Brightness/Gamma very high for it be to viewable?

Yes, for example Duke3D. When i run this game, i must adjust the brigtness (the one in the game) to the maximum; and even than it is difficulty to see something - in the darker areas. When i edit the gamma-entry in the *.cfg-file, it has no effect - looks like the game has a limited gamma-possibility. 🙁

Nein, Ich bin ein gross weißer Amerikaner *heh*

Nice to meet you, big white american guy. 😀 I'm a not so little german girl. By the way, the correct way of writing is: Nein, ich bin ein grosser weißer Amerikaner. *hah* 😁
But don't think even about it to correct my maaaaany write-errors.

Yes. Quite aware. Came from my early Hexen2/Quake3 online gaming days...

Then you know, that your nickname is a pull-out from a whole sentence; and makes not particularly much sense. 😉


pfirsichbluete

Originally posted by Unregistered From the first switch on, till now, the monitor have not change the brightness. But when i compare it with another monitors, my one looks definitely darker.

Then perhaps it is a manufacturing defect, I 'm not really sure what to tell you. Only other thing I can suggest is to reduce the amount of light in the surrounding area of the monitor.

Yes, for example Duke3D. When i run this game, i must adjust the brigtness (the one in the game) to the maximum; and even than it is difficult...

Then something is definitely wrong. At that level of brightness, even dark areas should appear "washed-out" with all black colors becoming a shade of grey.

Nice to meet you, big white american guy. 😀 I'm a not so little german girl.

..and I'm sure you were just as impressed as the last German girl to whom I made this statement... as in "not at all".

By the way, the correct way of writing is: Nein, ich bin ein grosser weißer Amerikaner. *hah* 😁

I was going from memory, then tried Google's translator. It used the proper "special" letters, but failed to translate certain words. In any case, I have no functional knowledge of German.

I once stepped into a Swiss restaurant to ask if they knew where the local Bank was so I could exchange some Dollars for (Swiss) Francs. They knew no English and I suddenly realized I didn't know the German word for Bank...or exchange..or "where"...

Like I said, no functional knowledge.

Then you know, that your nickname is a pull-out from a whole sentence; and makes not particularly much sense.

What? You never speak in incomplete sentences? *heh*
Actually, confusion is part of the reason I chose it. Most Hexen2/Quake3 players knew no German, which made it harder to mock (during the "smack talk" that took place within the game).

Even those who understood couldn't come up with any "clever" insults...