Author Topic: Monitor Help Please! (Read 1788 times)

QB1DABOMB · « **on:** December 29, 2009, 11:44:29 am »

I have a problem I can't seem to troubleshoot. I'm using Mala as my frontend and am running MAME and a few console apps off it. Here's my problem; when I play any console games the screen bowes (perhaps folds?) when I move my game character. Note this happens ONLY while moving the character; when I stop moving the screen at rest is perfectly fine. This also happens in MAME but is less noticeable. My computer refresh rate is set at 60hz; I'm using WIN XP, I've switched back and forth from 640 x 480 to 800 x 600 (both on the computer and in MALA). Nothing I do seems to help. I've tried to search online but can't find any resources that help. Any insight that will help me fix the problem would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Jay

SirPeale · « **Reply #1 on:** December 29, 2009, 11:48:40 am »

You left out one critical piece of info: what kind of monitor?

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #2 on:** December 29, 2009, 11:49:20 am »

Sorry about that. I'm using a 27" CRT TV.

SirPeale · « **Reply #3 on:** December 29, 2009, 11:51:16 am »

I'd like to see video of this if possible.

Does it do this with another video display?

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #4 on:** December 29, 2009, 11:56:41 am »

I'll try to get this on video, give me a few minutes.

I'm not sure if it happens on another monitor...I'll try to get the video first, then I'll see if I can take this monitor downstairs and see if it happens on a computer monitor too.

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #5 on:** December 29, 2009, 12:15:01 pm »

I've just shot it on video but upon replaying the video the "bowing" doesn't appear on screen. Any ideas?

Hopefully others will offer their expertise as well. I will haul my computer monitor downstairs and report back with my findings in a few minutes.

Thanks

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #6 on:** December 29, 2009, 12:35:45 pm »

I hooked up my computer monitor. It does NOT have the same problem the TV does. It seems to have its own unique problem where the character seems to be moving perhaps a fraction of a second faster than the screen can scroll along with the character (something the TV doesn't have the problem of). Where can I go from here?

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #7 on:** December 29, 2009, 01:31:53 pm »

Usually find a ton of people with advice, all opinions are welcome *patiently waits*.

Me --->

grantspain · « **Reply #8 on:** December 29, 2009, 01:44:39 pm »

itrs something to do with the frequency in settings,if its a tv how is this connected to the avga card

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #9 on:** December 29, 2009, 02:17:55 pm »

I'm guessing the answer you're looking for is my video card is connected to the TV by an S-Video cable. If I'm misunderstanding the question please rephrase.

grantspain · « **Reply #10 on:** December 29, 2009, 02:22:47 pm »

its a resolution issue,the horizontal frequency is too high-i have never used a svideo to connect a tv as we have lovely scart in europe but imo its a setup issue

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #11 on:** December 29, 2009, 03:08:56 pm »

But I tried to switch between 480 x 600 and 600 x 800, nothing changed at all. What resolution are you suggesting to use? I switched to something absurdly low (320 x 200 I believe) but it still didn't change anything (and additionally made my MALA near impossible to navigate as everything was 800 times its regular size). Does anyone have a workable solution?

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #12 on:** December 29, 2009, 05:03:32 pm »

Still awaiting insight!

grantspain · « **Reply #13 on:** December 29, 2009, 05:42:13 pm »

do you have a photo of the screen distortion?

DJ_Izumi · « **Reply #14 on:** December 29, 2009, 06:02:19 pm »

On my PC monitors I've noticed rapid transsitions from dark to light colors makes the screen 'wobble' sorta, it 'zooms' just slightly and returns, you'd see this briefly if say you had a window open that was all white, closed it and the background behind was black. It's more signifigant when the monitor is still warming up and barely noticable once it's all warmed up.

Is it similar to this? Because as you described it, it only seems to happen when what colors are where changes.

grantspain · « **Reply #15 on:** December 29, 2009, 06:08:28 pm »

you could try to bring the contrast and brightness down to see if it affects

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #16 on:** December 29, 2009, 08:14:33 pm »

Thank you for the follow up so far. For an update I connected the s-video to my main TV and it experienced the exact same problem; therefore it's not the TV itself.

I do not have a photo but will get one on here sometime this evening.

To accurately describe the exact problem it's like this; I'll boot Phatasy Star (for example). It starts with a title screen - no video problems, it then goes to the game select screen - no video problems, it then goes to a still overview of the game (without the character moving) - no video problems. Once I start to move the character the screen then "bowes" on a straight line that runs from the left side of the screen all the way to the right. The line isn't wider than an inch or so. The line ALWAYS originates about 20% from the top of the screen and will actually slowly scroll down to the bottom (always remaining only the one inch in width). In order for the scrolling line to make its way to the bottom I have to keep the character in motion; if I stop and put the screen in a resting position the line disappears. Once I begin moving again, however, the line will then continue from the place it was last seen.

Until I get the photo a very easy way to give you a visual without a photo is this;
accept | | | | | | as a screen correctly displayed
then accept / / / / / / / as the screen when it is "bowed"; this is literal the "bowed" screen actually just displays the screen but slants it as above

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #17 on:** December 29, 2009, 08:17:29 pm »

So when the screen bowes it essentially looks like this;

| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
/ / / / /
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |

and the / / / / / will simply scroll down one line every second or so as the character continues to move.
This is the only remaining problem I have in my cabinet project so I hope one you great gamers can figure out the solution for me!

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #18 on:** December 30, 2009, 08:58:44 am »

Wow, I was really hoping to wake up to a slew of answers, surely someone knows what to do?

SirPeale · « **Reply #19 on:** December 30, 2009, 11:47:38 am »

Quote from: QB1DABOMB on December 30, 2009, 08:58:44 am

Wow, I was really hoping to wake up to a slew of answers, surely someone knows what to do?

Most of us can tell you what to do if your monitor dies, how to rebuild it, how to interface it with your system, etc etc. This is a really odd problem that you can't seem to capture on film. That's why there are no answers - no one has seen it before.

It's already been suggested that it's some kind of odd refresh issue. And since it only seems to happen on this display device, your immediate options are:

1) different display device

2) different display adapter.

I'm sorry, I wish I could be more helpful, but without being there firsthand to see it, I can only offer basic advice.

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #20 on:** December 30, 2009, 05:54:20 pm »

Wouldn't this be a generic problem that anyone hooking up to a CRT TV would have? Is it because the TV isnt able to use the high resolution from the computer? Do I need to somehow set my computer to output a low resolution to match the TV? I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had this problem; BYOAC member khigh says he has the problem on specific games (like Shinobi) and says he felt it was some sort of screen folding...does that help anyone?
My wife is home tonight so I'll see if she can use the camera as I play to get it on film...though my description really nails it.

grantspain · « **Reply #21 on:** December 30, 2009, 06:16:52 pm »

imo its a problem with the graphics card

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #22 on:** December 30, 2009, 06:20:38 pm »

If it was a problem with the graphics card wouldn't it also happen when used on the PC monitor (questioning - I don't actually have any clue)?

grantspain · « **Reply #23 on:** December 30, 2009, 07:41:22 pm »

i doubt you are using the svid for the pc monitor

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #24 on:** December 30, 2009, 08:08:18 pm »

definitely not, but I've read about a whole bunch of successful MAME cabs that use S-video to TV's so that can't be the problem?

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #25 on:** December 30, 2009, 09:51:04 pm »

New info: I'm running MAME, MESS, and ZSNES on this cabinet. MAME and MESS experience this problem but ZSNES doesn't. Doesn't this mean it isn't a video card problem?

DJ_Izumi · « **Reply #26 on:** December 30, 2009, 11:28:32 pm »

Can you recreate the problem on the TV with other sources? Like a video game console or something?

QB1DABOMB · « **Reply #27 on:** December 30, 2009, 11:37:01 pm »

Thanks to all but this thread can die. My new post gives a link to the EXACT problem. Anyone who can help please go to the new post and offer suggestions there.

Thanks

qrz · « **Reply #28 on:** December 31, 2009, 10:35:59 pm »

analog tv's use interlaced scanning (NTSC in USA)

meaning , the pic scans every odd horiz line in the 1st half sec, retrace , and the even ones for the remaining half second. @ 59.9Hz
of course the Horiz is operating @ 15.734 khz each individual line is scanned @ 53 uS (+ 10us for h sync)

might help to know the make/model of the TV in question.

if "de-cased", the model info may be located on the tuner , crt, or elsewhere on chassis.....


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