I don't have a test setup to replicate your problem. However, you could download Daum's build and configure it with the following settings:
fullscreen=true; fullresolution=desktop; output=openglhq; aspect=true; scaler=hardware_none

Then, create a "batch file" named RunDosbox.bat, move it to the dosbox directory, and add the following lines:
set SDL_OPENGLHQ_DOUBLEBUF=1
set SDL_OPENGLHQ_SHOWFPS=1
dosbox

Next, set the video driver so "vsync" is always on. However, do not activate vsync within the dosbox configuration file. Finally, run the above batch file to start dosbox.

These steps *should* enforce the aspect ratio while full screen with vsync on. The screen will stretch horizontally to the 1280 pixels, but only stretch vertically so that the aspect ratio is preserved. If it doesn't work, provide a link to a demo of a problematic game.

To be honest you have very particular and specific requests that IMO can only be fulfilled with building or getting a real 286/386 PC.

DOS games run at 72Hz, so it will always be a challenge on modern displays.

truth5678

Thanks for the great reply

Sadly DOSBOx and my Intel GMA dont are not good friends with openGL

And the Athlon with integrated SIS neither

But I went to a friend house, that have a Athlon x2 6000+ and ATI 5870

I tried exactly what do you say, using Daum's build, but was terrible

1- openglhq have a horrible filter, like a 2xSai or similar, openglnb in other hand is perfect

2 - using openglnb and vertical activated on ATI panel, vsync is OK, but a lot of slowdown.. the athlon X2 is not power-full?

3- Every time the resolution change, there is a flickering, and in games like Pinball Fantasies, that change resolution a lot, is very bad, the sound skip a lot...

What im doing bad?

Mau1wurf1977

I have one XT, one 286/25, one 386DX40 and one 5x86 133mhz, but all have the same "problem" ... low resolution VGA output... 😀

In CRT is great, but in TFT the scaling is terrible... 😵 jeje

Use a CRT then 😀

But LCDs shouldn't be that bad. Most support the 72 Hz just fine. For best scaling get a 20" or 21" 1600 x 1200 resolution monitor.

theelf wrote:

truth5678 I tried exactly what do you say, using Daum's build, but was terrible […]
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truth5678
I tried exactly what do you say, using Daum's build, but was terrible

1- openglhq have a horrible filter, like a 2xSai or similar, openglnb in other hand is perfect

2 - using openglnb and vertical activated on ATI panel, vsync is OK, but a lot of slowdown.. the athlon X2 is not power-full?

3- Every time the resolution change, there is a flickering, and in games like Pinball Fantasies, that change resolution a lot, is very bad, the sound skip a lot...

I tested Pinball Fantasies in Daum's build. Try these settings with vsync off in the video driver:
fullscreen=true, fulldouble=false, fullresolution=desktop, output=openglnb, machine=vgaonly, vmemsize=0, memsize=16, aspect=true, scaler=none, core=auto, cputype=auto, cycles=17500, sbtype=sbpro1, oplmode=opl3, oplemu=compat.

If the display is not sharp, try scaler=hardware2x instead. Also, the cycles can be decreased or increased by a few thousand to prevent some of the sound skipping problems.

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

Use a CRT then 😀

But LCDs shouldn't be that bad. Most support the 72 Hz just fine. For best scaling get a 20" or 21" 1600 x 1200 resolution monitor.

Hi! i have 2 CRT, one connected to 3 machines, a PC98, Sharp x68000 and FMTowns 2, and the other to the DOS only 5x86

I tested a 17" TFT to all this machines, and besides the bad scaling, work like a charm, no problem with scrolling, vsync, refresh... etc

1600x1200 will be bad for scaling 640x480 and 640x400 resolution!! much better 1280x1024

My idea is to sell both CRT, and some machines, and replace all with a good computer + TFT + emulators.........but it seems impossible to emulate PC correctly!! PC98, X68k and FM towns no problem, have a really great emulators

truth5678 wrote:

I tested Pinball Fantasies in Daum's build. Try these settings with vsync off in the video driver: fullscreen=true, fulldouble= […]
Show full quote

theelf wrote:

truth5678 I tried exactly what do you say, using Daum's build, but was terrible […]
Show full quote

truth5678
I tried exactly what do you say, using Daum's build, but was terrible

1- openglhq have a horrible filter, like a 2xSai or similar, openglnb in other hand is perfect

2 - using openglnb and vertical activated on ATI panel, vsync is OK, but a lot of slowdown.. the athlon X2 is not power-full?

3- Every time the resolution change, there is a flickering, and in games like Pinball Fantasies, that change resolution a lot, is very bad, the sound skip a lot...

I tested Pinball Fantasies in Daum's build. Try these settings with vsync off in the video driver:
fullscreen=true, fulldouble=false, fullresolution=desktop, output=openglnb, machine=vgaonly, vmemsize=0, memsize=16, aspect=true, scaler=none, core=auto, cputype=auto, cycles=17500, sbtype=sbpro1, oplmode=opl3, oplemu=compat.

If the display is not sharp, try scaler=hardware2x instead. Also, the cycles can be decreased or increased by a few thousand to prevent some of the sound skipping problems.

Thanks for your help, sadly I tested what do you write, I tested on:

Pentium D 3.4ghz + Geforce 86600GT = using openglnb
C2D 1.6ghz + intel GMA950 = using direct3d, opengl not working

In both cases, a lot of slowdown, and everytime the resolution change, crackling in sound. If i disable vsync, then the sound is OK, no problem, but terrible scroll....

About cycles, i tested from 1500 to 65000 and same problem

Pinball Fantasies work Ok on your PC? can I ask what is your specs? maybe my bot PCs are not enough...

Thanks a lot for your reply

theelf wrote:

truth5678 wrote:

I tested Pinball Fantasies in Daum's build. Try these settings with vsync off in the video driver:
fullscreen=true, fulldouble=false, fullresolution=desktop, output=openglnb, machine=vgaonly, vmemsize=0, memsize=16, aspect=true, scaler=none, core=auto, cputype=auto, cycles=17500, sbtype=sbpro1, oplmode=opl3, oplemu=compat.

Pentium D 3.4ghz + Geforce 86600GT = using openglnb. In both cases, a lot of slowdown, and everytime the resolution change, crackling in sound. If i disable vsync, then the sound is OK, no problem, but terrible scroll.... Pinball Fantasies work Ok on your PC? can I ask what is your specs?

Your computer is powerful enough to run the game with the above settings. It seems to run fine for me, but I may not perceive the scrolling problem well. Did you run "setsound.exe" in the game directory and verify that the sbpro is selected?

A next step is to disable audio while using the above settings; and then verify whether the scrolling is improved; next, try core=normal. Also, install FRAPS or similar software to record the framerate and verify that it is running nearly constant at 72. I'll test it further.

Thanks for all truth5678, i will give up

After so many test, so many dosbox compilations and options, i think is clear to me that Dosbox is very far away to be a replacement to a real DOS PC

For example, I get a perfect scroll and sound for Pinball Fantasies, using this compilation. This is the only DOSBox of all I test (and believe me, i test a lot... 😒 ) that works good

But the problem, is if to work OK, i need to chose surface, and this compilation, don't have more than simple3x, then even at max scaling, i will not fit the 1280x1024 screen, at least i will need a simple4x...

For now, i will keep the 486 PC, until DOSbox development get better

Is a shame, since 2005?¿... every year I tried to use DOSbox...I give a chance, build a PC, test compilation and games... and get disappointed...

Maybe next year!

theelf wrote:

But the problem, is if to work OK, i need to chose surface, and this compilation, don't have more than simple3x, then even at max scaling, i will not fit the 1280x1024 screen, at least i will need a simple4x...

With further tries, I can now detect the scrolling problem in pinball fantasies. The OPENGLHQ output mode appears to fix this problem while full screen. If you confirm this, and that the vsync is off and the audio is not skipping, then I can try to remove the "2xsai" effect.

I used sbpro2 this time, with oplrate=11025, and prebuffer=150; blocksize may also help; then setsound.exe to configure game with sbpro device.

Another solution is to try a LCD monitor which supports a 72Hz (or 75Hz) mode. This should also help the scrolling problem. Here is a discussion on these monitors: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1670817

truth5678 wrote:

With further tries, I can now detect the scrolling problem in pinball fantasies. The OPENGLHQ output mode appears to fix this p […]
Show full quote

theelf wrote:

But the problem, is if to work OK, i need to chose surface, and this compilation, don't have more than simple3x, then even at max scaling, i will not fit the 1280x1024 screen, at least i will need a simple4x...

With further tries, I can now detect the scrolling problem in pinball fantasies. The OPENGLHQ output mode appears to fix this problem while full screen. If you confirm this, and that the vsync is off and the audio is not skipping, then I can try to remove the "2xsai" effect.

I used sbpro2 this time, with oplrate=11025, and prebuffer=150; blocksize may also help; then setsound.exe to configure game with sbpro device.

Another solution is to try a LCD monitor which supports a 72Hz (or 75Hz) mode. This should also help the scrolling problem. Here is a discussion on these monitors: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1670817

Thanks a lot for your reply

I tried some stuff:

First, my LCD, is a Philips 170C, I can´t test with the software in the link you post, because only MSDOS, but I test with some games, like Hocus Pocus, Pinball Fantasies, Goddess, Jill, Jazz.. etc

All the games I test, have problems in DOSBox, but work perfect in the real PC + TFT 170C. No scroll problems, flickering, nothing, perfect

I even test some strange resolutions like 256x224 (nesticle emulator) and everything was great, perfect scroll

To be sure, I tested the games with this machines

5x86 133mhz + S3 Trio
Pentium 200mmx + Voodoo 3
Pentium II 333mhz + MX4000

(On the pictures you can see the PII machine, I build just for test the games)

Well, about DOSbox, I tested latest Daum build + openglhq, and Direct3D, ddraw, etc

I tested in two machines

Athlon x2 6000+ ATI 5870
Pentium D 3.4ghz + NV 8600GT

The result are this:

Direct3D - the best of all, good scroll, perfect scaling, but still some slowdowns and in Pinball Fantasies, every time resolution change, the sound get cracklings and skipping

surface - no good scaling, good scroll, but sound bad like D3D

Openglnb - similar to Direct3D but slower

Openglhq - the worst of all, slow like hell, and a lot of problems on ati and nvidia, same

I record a video, in openglhq even, everytime Pinball Fantasies change resolution, i can see the command line!!

http://youtu.be/q_u11zcem9E

Pinball Fantasies use 320x240 resolution for the first screen (the lion) and intro, and 640x480 for the ingame menu, the problem came when dosbox need to change the resolution "on the fly", for example, in windowed mode, this problem not happen...

Other games, different problems, Hocus Pocus, get a incredible slowdown on the fadein/fadeout effect on menus for example in openglhq mode

Sorry for the long post...

Realmode game, try core=dynamic for the slowdowns. For the screen flickering try machine=svga_s3. Your video driver seems to have problems with the 16-bit output mode. Only the menu needs vgaonly.

h-a-l-9000 wrote:

Realmode game, try core=dynamic for the slowdowns. For the screen flickering try machine=svga_s3. Your video driver seems to have problems with the 16-bit output mode. Only the menu needs vgaonly.

HI, thanks for reply!

Sadly I test all this options, all core options, and all graphics cards (s3, et, paradise, etc) and the problem remain same

About the 16bit output problem, the same happen in the ATI 5870 and the nvidia 8600, i will try another driver. Sadly the ATI is from a friend, and i need to give back

theelf wrote:

h-a-l-9000 wrote:

Realmode game, try core=dynamic for the slowdowns. For the screen flickering try machine=svga_s3. Your video driver seems to have problems with the 16-bit output mode. Only the menu needs vgaonly.

About the 16bit output problem, the same happen in the ATI 5870 and the nvidia 8600, i will try another driver. Sadly the ATI is from a friend, and i need to give back

This game and its scrolling is sensitive to the number of cycles. I have a good result along with correct aspect ratio on an LCD running at 75Hz:
fullresolution=original, output=openglnb, machine=vgaonly, memsize=8, core=simple, cputype=486, cycles=1500, prebuffer=150, sbtype=sbpro2, oplrate=11025. The cycles could be increased by 250 in either direction; the scrolling seems best with low cycles.

However, I would first solve the problem with the resolution switching. With the above settings, I have no switching lag; also, there are no major problems even when using openglhq, as in your youtube videos. As Hal said, the video driver is suspect. It shouldn't have the problems that you showed and it is an insightful suggestion to explore the 16bit output mode of the driver.

Also, I believe that series of ATI cards can handle older drivers with a possibility of better results in opengl mode. I also wonder which OS is running, is it XP 32-bit? Have you turned off GPU scaling?

I've had better luck with Nvidia.