Vista - help with monitor/TV

Hi,

I recently purchased a dual core Pentium system with Vista Home Premium
installed. I could use some help with a problem that may have implications
beyond Vista. In previous times I would enable a seamless software/hardware
interface with a monitor using a 'monitor.inf' file supplied by
manufacturer. In the present case I am trying to interface to a Samsung
FP-T5084 plasma HDTV with an innate resolution of 1080x1900. The Samsung can
do all the magic of converting between input resolutions, no problem. I am
connecting the Vista PC to the HDTV using a 'monitor' or VGA connector and
cable. The Vista PC uses Nvidia graphics hardware which should be fairly
competent. Vista is reporting that the monitor device is not 'Plug and
Play'. It is assigning it has the characteristics of a CRT. Vista software
provides a number of built in resolutions and also provisions for custom
resolutions. Some of the standard resolutions do not work. For instance, the
Samsung cannot sync with 1200x1600 as presently generated by the Vista PC. I
have another PC, a Dell laptop running WinXP and equipped with an ATI card
and that can transmit 1200x1600 resolution which the Samsung can sync, using
the same VGA connector/cable. I think the WinXP PC assumes the extra monitor
is a flat panel display like the built in display and not a CRT.

I've asked Samsung customer service for an appropriate 'monitor.inf' file
but they do not know what I am talking about. I know that a 'montor.inf'
file would be helpful for my WinXP PC and I think it would solve the
problems with the Vista system. Perhaps there is a template 'monitor.inf'
file that can be adapted or perhaps a file from another manufacturer can be
used. One other feature of the HDTV/monitor is relevant. One can select
between 4:3 aspect ratio or 16:9 aspect ratio which fills the whole screen.
Most standard resolutions assume an aspect ratio of 4:3. When I use a
standard resolution and select 16:9 aspect ratio, circles become ovals and
thin girls become fat. It is my belief that Microsoft graphics is
sufficiently sophisticated to make corrections for aspect ratio, if there is
some way to tell it about aspect ratio.

I think my solution is to acquire an approprtiate 'monitor.inf' file and I
hope some one here can link me to one or possibly a utility program with
which I can edit one. If I can inform Vista that monitor is not a CRT but is
a flat panel display, then maybe I can also get the custom resolution
feature to support 1080x1900 high resolution and solve my aspect ratio
problem. I presume that Vista is sufficiently general that it can support
1080x1900 high resolution.

Help, advice and comment would be appreciated.

L.

"Vista PC uses Nvidia graphics hardware "

I'd ask the computer supplier.
Failing that, I'd be looking for updated NVidia drivers.
It sounds like you have a driver related problem rather than a Vista
problem.


"Len" <len017@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:PJ6nk.65626$nD.247@xxxxxx

"Patrick Keenan" <test@xxxxxx> wrote
I think you are right, I have posted this question in the wrong group. At
this point I would not question nVidia but I would question Samsung. I have
contacted Samsung and they are clueless. Below I have attached an INF file
for a SONY GDM-C520 Monitor. As you can see, the software makes connections
to other files and manipulates registry entries. This is why I think it is
premature to question nVidia driver software. I think Sony is a good
manufacturer (unlike Samsung. Can you here me Samsung?) The C520 is probably
plug and play. PNP tells MS Windows "I'm a C520". Then MS Windows extracts
the file below from its catalog and installs the SNYMON51.INF file. In case
the customer has a copy of MS Windows that does no behave, then the customer
must download the file from Sony (as I have done) and install it manually.
If only I could obtain a compatable monitor.inf file for the my samsung I
would be happy. I do not know enough to edit the file below to suit my
needs.

This problem only relates to Vista to the extent that I'm trying to solve
the problem in Vista. The problem also exists for my WinXP system.


; #######################################
; [SNYMON51.INF]
;
; Revision 1.00 July 11, 2002
; Sony Corporation
; Copyright 2002
; #######################################

[Version]
signature="$CHICAGO$"
Class=Monitor
ClassGuid={4D36E96E-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Provider=%SONY%
CatalogFile=SNYMON51.cat
DriverVer=07/11/2002,1.00

[ControlFlags]
ExcludeFromSelect.nt=Monitor\SNY01B1

[DestinationDirs]
DefaultDestDir=11

GDM-C520.Copyfiles=23

[SourceDisksNames]
1=%DISK%,,,

[SourceDisksFiles]
sony_d11.icm=1
sony_d93.icm=1
sony_d65.icm=1
sony_d50.icm=1

[Manufacturer]
%SONY%=SONY

[SONY]
%GDM-C520%=GDM-C520.Install, Monitor\SNY01B1

[GDM-C520.Install]
DelReg=DEL_CURRENT_REG
AddReg=GDM-C520.AddReg, 2048, DPMS
CopyFiles=GDM-C520.Copyfiles

[DEL_CURRENT_REG]
HKR,MODES
HKR,,MaxResolution
HKR,,DPMS
HKR,,ICMProfile

[2048]
HKR,,MaxResolution,,"2048,1536"

[DPMS]
HKR,,DPMS,,1

[GDM-C520.AddReg]
HKR,"MODES\2048,1536",Mode1,,"30.0-130.0,48.0-170.0,+,+"
HKR,,ICMProfile,0,"sony_d93.icm"

[GDM-C520.Copyfiles]
sony_d11.icm
sony_d93.icm
sony_d65.icm
sony_d50.icm

[Strings]
DISK="SONY Monitor Information Disk"
SONY="SONY Corporation"

GDM-C520="SONY GDM-C520"

On Aug 9, 1:44 am, "Warp 10" <warpe@xxxxxx> wrote:

To me 'drivers' mean low level code that talks to hardware and not a GUI
control panel.

Your second .jpg picture confirms my case. In your case it says 'Laptop
Display'. In my case I says "Analogue Display" and elsewhere the control
panel refers incorrectly to my display as a 'CRT'. CRT means cathode ray
tube or cathode ray terminal. A CRT relies on magnetic deflection coils to
sweep the electron beams (3 for color) across the phosphor screen. A flat
panel display screen does no work that way so there is no reason for the
video signal driving a flat panel display to be the same as what is required
for a CRT. Ask yourself, how does your system know you have a flat panel?
Because of the Microsoft magic of Plug and Play. At boot time or first time
your system is booted the 'smart' flat panel display reports "I'm flat, I'm
a laptop and I'm smart" and the system loads the appropriate 'monitor.inf'
file whose software defines the characteristics of your flat panel display.
Samsung enginers are useless and overpaid and they failed to make the
product PnP and they are so stupid that they claim ignorance when a customer
complains of the lack of appropriate 'monitor.inf' sofware for download.
Stupid Samsung. Stupid me for dropping a couple of grand on a Samsung
HDTV/monitor.

I took the suggestion to upgrade to the latest NVIDIA drivers. I did not
notice a difference in performance.

Because my software thinks the system is connected to a CRT there are
controls to adjust the screen size and position. Such controls make no sense
for a flat panel display. I made an adjustament of one pixel and I was able
to up the maximum resolution to 1280x1024. This is conclusive proof that the
signal being generated is not right.

If there is anyone else who has this same problem with a Samsung
HDTV/monitor, maybe we can collaborate on a class action legal suit against
Samsung and recover damages.

CAN YOU HEAR ME SAMSUNG? AM I LOUD ENOUGH?