CRTEmudriver still has 480p / 31kHz / 640x480@60

[faxesystem]

So this is the third system that I set up with CRTEmudriver. My first one was a very small AMD Kabini 5350 with APU, the second one a big and too powerful one with a AMD R9 380X. Now I wanted something in between for my main setup and bought an older HTPC that has a Low Profile AMD R5 340. I set up everything as always but sadly now I still have 640x480 in my mode lines. So everything works in Retroarch but if an Emulator initially puts out 640x480 it is not switching to 480i but used 480p and my 15kHz only CRT can't display this 31kHz resolution.

I already found these information http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=158512.0 and https://www.reddit.com/r/crtgaming/comments/9nwh8h/crt_emudriver_serious_problems_help_please/ were it is suggested to "Just disable the windows service "AMD External Events Utility" and activate the tickbox "hide modes this monitor cannot display" in windows advanced display settings in the monitor tab". But "hide modes this monitor cannot display" is greyed out for me and so I can't disable it. Never had this problem with my other setups. Already tried several fresh Windows installations.

Does anyone have a solution for this?

Thank you,
Faxe

[buttersoft]

Can you please post screenshots of your VMM settings, and your .ini file, the one with your modelines. And when you select this file and hit generate modes, can you grab a screenshot of the top of the list with the first ten entries or so.

[faxesystem]

Sure. I regenerated / installed the modes today and now it also shows 480i@60 as an option in ArcadeOSD but there also is still 480p@60... Why is it also showing native behind 480p? I did everything as usual and also AMD External Events Utility is disabled but there is still this pesky 480p 

## Desktop ##

 640 x 480 @ 60.000000 desktop

## Super resolutions ##
2560 x 192 @ 60.000000 retroarch
2560 x 200 @ 60.000000 retroarch
2560 x 224 @ 60.000000 retroarch
2560 x 237 @ 60.000000 retroarch
2560 x 240 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 248 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 254 @ 55.000000 retroarch
2560 x 256 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 264 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 272 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 280 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 288 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 296 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 304 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 320 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 336 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 344 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 352 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 360 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 368 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 376 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 384 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 392 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 400 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 416 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 432 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 448 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 464 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 480 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 496 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 512 @ 59.000000 super
2560 x 544 @ 55.000000 super
2560 x 560 @ 54.000000 super
2560 x 768 @ 60.000000 super
2560 x 800 @ 60.000000 super

And this is the content of my modeline.txt

"640x480_60 15.69KHz 60.00Hz" 13.05 640 664 728 832 480 483 489 523 interlace -hsync -vsync
"2560x192_60 15.66KHz 60.00Hz" 52.12 2560 2664 2912 3328 192 218 221 261 -hsync -vsync
"2560x200_60 15.66KHz 60.00Hz" 52.12 2560 2664 2912 3328 200 222 225 261 -hsync -vsync
"2560x224_60 15.66KHz 60.00Hz" 52.12 2560 2664 2912 3328 224 234 237 261 -hsync -vsync
"2560x237_60 15.66KHz 60.00Hz" 52.12 2560 2664 2912 3328 237 240 243 261 -hsync -vsync
"2560x240_60 15.66KHz 60.00Hz" 52.12 2560 2664 2912 3328 240 242 245 261 -hsync -vsync
"2560x248_59 15.75KHz 58.77Hz" 52.42 2560 2664 2912 3328 248 249 252 268 -hsync -vsync
"2560x254_57 15.75KHz 57.48Hz" 52.42 2560 2664 2912 3328 254 255 258 274 -hsync -vsync
"2560x256_57 15.75KHz 57.07Hz" 52.42 2560 2664 2912 3328 256 257 260 276 -hsync -vsync
"2560x264_55 15.75KHz 55.46Hz" 52.42 2560 2664 2912 3328 264 265 268 284 -hsync -vsync
"2560x272_54 15.75KHz 53.94Hz" 52.42 2560 2664 2912 3328 272 273 276 292 -hsync -vsync
"2560x280_52 15.75KHz 52.50Hz" 52.42 2560 2664 2912 3328 280 281 284 300 -hsync -vsync
"2560x288_51 15.75KHz 51.14Hz" 52.42 2560 2664 2912 3328 288 289 292 308 -hsync -vsync
"2560x448_60 15.69KHz 60.00Hz" 52.22 2560 2664 2912 3328 448 467 473 523 interlace -hsync -vsync
"2560x464_60 15.69KHz 60.00Hz" 52.22 2560 2664 2912 3328 464 475 481 523 interlace -hsync -vsync
"2560x480_60 15.69KHz 60.00Hz" 52.22 2560 2664 2912 3328 480 483 489 523 interlace -hsync -vsync
"2560x496_59 15.78KHz 58.77Hz" 52.64 2560 2664 2912 3336 496 498 504 537 interlace -hsync -vsync
"2560x512_57 15.78KHz 57.07Hz" 52.64 2560 2664 2912 3336 512 514 520 553 interlace -hsync -vsync
"2560x544_54 15.78KHz 53.94Hz" 52.63 2560 2664 2912 3336 544 546 552 585 interlace -hsync -vsync
"2560x560_52 15.78KHz 52.50Hz" 52.63 2560 2664 2912 3336 560 562 568 601 interlace -hsync -vsync

[faxesystem]

more screenshots

[faxesystem]

.

[Zebidee]

My understanding is that 640x480p 31khz is hardwired into the video card, that is why it is "native". You cannot remove it.

If GM is choosing that 31khz mode for games, then it suggests something is wrong with the monitor / crt_range settings in your mame.ini

Easy way to update mame.ini is to use VMMaker. Edit Settings -> "MAME" tab (last one), select "Export monitor settings to Groovymame" and browse to your GM executable. Then click OK.

[faxesystem]

@Zebidee the problem is Retroarch (starting Mupen64Plus-Next for the first time) or if I want to use a modern game that starts in 640x480 and switches to 480p instead of 480i. My prior GPUs never had this problem. Considering the GPU in the Kabini 5350 is an R3 HD 8400 and my other setup having a R9 380X, it is strange,  why now the R5 340, that would be in the middle of these models, should have some hard coded resolution. As already mentioned I don't have this problem with the R3 HD 8400 nor the R9 380X.

[Zebidee]

Yes it is bizarre behaviour.

Does it do the same if you switch to 640x480i desktop before launching game?  Also wondering if you can use a close-but-different mode like 648x480i or 640x480i@59 or @61 to trick it out? Other than that I'm out of ideas.

[Calamity]

@faxesystem,

Unfortunately this is something we can't avoid, that 640x480 is the most standard mode ever and drivers want to force it in their list for some reason, I guess it'd require some hardcore driver patching to avoid that... it could even be Windows itself adding it, I don't know for sure.

Anyway, GM shouldn't have any problem with that. RA either, at least if you're using recent versions which already contain SR 2.0 (basically the same as GM).

[buttersoft]

In ArcadeOSD 640x480p doesn't show up for any of my crt_emudriver cards/systems when lock unsupported video modes is on. I realise 480p is still there, but it's not in the list with that option set. Only it is for faxesystem...

His modes and settings look fine. 15kHz works, EDID emulation works (i presume, yes?) it's just that 480p is available under normal circumstances when it shouldn't be.

Hmmm, faxesystem, can you try this:

• load vmm, and into the command window, type "modelist import" and hit enter
• then type "modelist export modetest.txt" (or whatever you want to call the file)
• Open that new file (it's in the crt_emudriver directory where VMM is)

Is there a line that looks wrong i.e. 31kHz? If so, remove it, save the file, and...

• load vmm, and into the command window, type "modelist import modetest.txt"
• type "modelist install"

Otherwise, maybe post up the contents of the modetest.txt file you created.

[Calamity]

In ArcadeOSD 640x480p doesn't show up for any of my crt_emudriver cards/systems when lock unsupported video modes is on. I realise 480p is still there, but it's not in the list with that option set. Only it is for faxesystem...

I've seen it here too, can't remember if lock unsupported modes was on, I'd say it was.

[buttersoft]

Hmmm, if that's the case though, what normally stops programs from just grabbing 480p? Or to put it another way, why do they use 480i instead and not just 480p?

[Calamity]

Hmmm, if that's the case though, what normally stops programs from just grabbing 480p? Or to put it another way, why do they use 480i instead and not just 480p?

Switchres is frequency aware and should pick the correct mode. Other software can't.

Since we couldn't fix other software, the strategy was making all relevant emulators Switchres-capable (MAME, Medanfen, Retroarch, FBNeo)

[buttersoft]

When i use an emu like model 2, or even games in Teknoparrot, they grab 480i and not 480p. How does a program like that know? Sorry if this is sounding a bit rude, it started out being relevant to the topic but now i'm genuinely curious

[xbrunox]

U r lucky! When I use teknoparrot if I don't set before desktop resolution to 640x480i always TP grab 640x480p

[buttersoft]

U r lucky! When I use teknoparrot if I don't set before desktop resolution to 640x480i always TP grab 640x480p

Well, i use Display Changer 2 within the batfiles to launch games. So DC2 switches to the resolution i want, then i have the game load. Admittedly that's mostly because AttractMode keeps grabbing 480p, so forcing it to close, then using DC2 at the end of an AHK script means i can force the desktop into 480i or whatever, then reload AM after that, and everything goes smoothly. Always a good option if you get into trouble.

[faxesystem]

Sorry for the late reply. It seems the problem was / is connected to which video driver I use in RetroArch and also just with the Mupen64Plus Next. When it is set to gl the core switches to 480p instead of 480i after first starting it. I edited the core's configuration manually so that the core uses Parallel RSP and than uses Vulkan and there everything works perfect. So all the other cores and PC games that would start in 480p are correctly switching to 480i.

[buttersoft]

Cool, and thank you for posting the fix! Always interesting to hear workarounds. I really need to find a way to stop AM grabbing 480p one day...

[faxesystem]

I switched to Launchbox a long time ago. One of the main reasons was to be able to start PC games from within launchbox / bigbox while using switchres.exe and handing over the correct resolution. Currently I'm checking out Dolphin, PCSX2 as to have more modern emulation. I'm currently building a setup that should be able to emulate all the consoles up to the last 480i generation which should be the WiiU. Also I needed to go with Windows 10 since I wanted my kids to watch their favourite TV shows on the CRT. https://www.instagram.com/p/CbQBP50NvKb/