ArcadeVGA brightness issue?? -UPDATED-

[stellarola]

Hey, i'm using the ArcadeVGA card and the ultimarc videoamp. Im having trouble with brightness/contrast/gamma or whatever it is. I used this program that Kevin Steele of Retroblast recommended, "Nokia Monitor Test". I ran the program, setup with brightness/contrast using the knobs on my monitor. I followed the directions to a T. After using that program, I went back into Windows, to find the screen was really bright! I dunno what to do to get the regular brightness/gamma/contrast settings for my monitor, someone help!!!

-Ben-

[JoeB]

Ben..

forget windows. How do the mame games look like? Are they also too bright??  Some games (especially the mortal kombat ones) have a build in test screen with all the color bars, etc.

Use that to configure your video setup.

[stellarola]

Do you use an arcadevga card w/windows xp?

[stellarola]

I still dont get it!! I tried the brightness in the mortal kombat diagnosis program, but still I am not satisfied with the color and brightness. Any other good programs out there to test my monitor brightness/color???

Does it matter if my ground wire is hooked up even though im using a videoamp and arcadevga?? Does that effect brightness?

[stellarola]

I just had to mess with some color features in Control Panel...not the default settings, but still good. I also bought some tinted plexiglass, oh Im soo happy, its almost done!!

[exibar]

Hey, i'm using the ArcadeVGA card and the ultimarc videoamp. Im having trouble with brightness/contrast/gamma or whatever it is. I used this program that Kevin Steele of Retroblast recommended, "Nokia Monitor Test". I ran the program, setup with brightness/contrast using the knobs on my monitor. I followed the directions to a T. After using that program, I went back into Windows, to find the screen was really bright! I dunno what to do to get the regular brightness/gamma/contrast settings for my monitor, someone help!!!

-Ben-

 yes yes yes I have the software for you!  http://www.majorgeeks.com/download960.html   Nokia TV test software.  this is basically a signal generator with help screens.  You can configure your brightness, focus, screen, color, convergance, etc with this program.

  It's a must have and it's FREE!!!  :-)

  You can thank me later for it :-)  you'll be happy with the results

[stellarola]

Hey, i'm using the ArcadeVGA card and the ultimarc videoamp. Im having trouble with brightness/contrast/gamma or whatever it is. I used this program that Kevin Steele of Retroblast recommended, "Nokia Monitor Test". I ran the program, setup with brightness/contrast using the knobs on my monitor. I followed the directions to a T. After using that program, I went back into Windows, to find the screen was really bright! I dunno what to do to get the regular brightness/gamma/contrast settings for my monitor, someone help!!!

-Ben-

 yes yes yes I have the software for you!  http://www.majorgeeks.com/download960.html   Nokia TV test software.  this is basically a signal generator with help screens.  You can configure your brightness, focus, screen, color, convergance, etc with this program.

  It's a must have and it's FREE!!!  :-)

  You can thank me later for it :-)  you'll be happy with the results

Did you use this program to configure your monitor, and when you hooked up your AVGA card did you have brightness issues??

[exibar]

You use this program to generate the monitor test patterns (ok, they're TV test patterns, but it's the same thing).  

  You MUST be using your AVGA card on your arcade monitor when you run this program.  There are brightness adjustment slides, with instructions on the top of the screen that tells you exactly how to adjust your brightness and contrast to achieve the proper levels.

  I just re-read your post, looks like you've used this software... ugh, silly me I must have missed that point even though I quoted it in my first reply!  no points for being braindead for a moment :-)

  Anyway, if it's just in Windows that you're seeing the issue, take a peek at your video settings, particularly GAMMA.  You might have the GAMMA turned up way too much.  Generally I don't have to touch those settings for windows.

  If it's perfect in your front-end, and games.... Hmmm, dunno if I'd worry too much about it then, but I guess it would bug me a bit

[stellarola]

Its a brightness and color issue. Its like im not getting the right colors, because the brightness is too high, I guess I'll have to take some pictures.

[exibar]

When you run the Nokia software, how's your convergance?  It might be that you have a gun that's not firing or something like that....

  take a couple pics, that will help loads :-)

[stellarola]

Nothin wrong with the convergence.. I'll take a picture, do you have aim??

[exibar]

nope, no AIM here.  Post it to the thread so others can help too.

[stellarola]

Is there a difference between monitor test and tv test??

[exibar]

nope, they're both the same

[stellarola]

So with the ArcadeVGA..all I have to do is install the drivers and all the colors should be fine??  I have to fine tune everything to get the correct colors and brightness...I use Nokia Monitor test to configure the the brightness, then I go into the ATI Control Panel to change the colors. The default settings make everything too bright, so there only looks like there is like 8 colors! So then I have to go the color toolbar in ATI control panel, and move the red, green, and blue lines to make the color its suppose to be. So they all mix and get all the 32 colors. Then I turn the brightness up in that so I can sharpen the image, then I turn the brightness on the monitor down....

SHOULD I HAVE TO MESS WITH ALL THAT CRAP!!!!!!??!!!! Y CANT I JUST GET THE CORRECT PICTURE WHEN I INSTALL THE DRIVERS!!!!?!?!?!

Im going crazy. : |

[exibar]

Did you try it without the Video AMP?  A lot of Wells-Gardner monitors don't use an amplifier, they take 1 volt just fine.  There is another monitor that works with 1 volt too, but I don't remember which....

  Try it without the AMP, you will not hurt anything.  The worse thing that would happen on a perfect setup is the screen would be too dark.


  Have you tried different colored backgrounds in windows?  Does the screen get better with darker colors and worse with lighter colors?

  Have you tried to adjust your "screen" setting on your high voltage cage?  It's usually right under "focus".

  Mike B

[stellarola]

I messed with the "screen" before. I the way to basically remove the videoamp part is to remove the ground wire. When I use to remove the ground wire I rememeber the screen went pretty dark..now it just scrambles the screen.

[exibar]

What kind of monitor is it?

[stellarola]

19" WG 7000 series