1 Topic by pintris

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Topic: Interlaced modes not available when booting with Arcade Monitor attach

Hi,
I followed the setup instructions of installing the crt-emudrivers for Windows 7 64bit.

I attached my PC monitor (lcd) when installing the driver, after installion I connected the arcade monitor and could select the interaced 640x480 (30hz interlaced) and I have a stable picture on my arcade monitor (I'm using a JPAC).

I did go into the display settings AGAIN, like suggested, to set the display settings again a second time to make sure they stick.

However, when I reboot afterwards, directly with my arcade monitor attached, all the "interlaced" modes are gone. I only see "P" modes and therefore can only select for example 640x240 60p or other lower resolutions but not 640x480 interlaced anymore.

When I boot with the LCD again, and reinstall the driver, the interlaced modes are there again, but as soon as I reboot with my arcade monitor attached (even after multiple times selecting the interlaced mode as desktop mode), all these interlaced modes are all gone and it jumps to some weird progressive resolution instead.

Please help
Patrick

2 Reply by Calamity

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Re: Interlaced modes not available when booting with Arcade Monitor attach

Hi pintris,

The problem you're experiencing is due to the video card failing to detect the arcade monitor. This has been recently discussed in the Spanish subforum: http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/v … d=818#p818

(use automatic translation if required)

This other post describes a method for installing the driver in this situation:
http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/v … d=791#p791

While it is possible to use the workarounds described in those posts, my recommendation for a long term solution is to force monitor detection by adding 75 ohm resistors to your cable, which connect each of the three color lines to ground. Hopefully we will soon have a schematic for this.

3 Reply by pintris (edited by pintris 2014-12-15 13:15:51)

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Re: Interlaced modes not available when booting with Arcade Monitor attach

Hi Calamity,

I'm afraid it does not go as you described. Out of google translater you said the following:

Uninstall CRT Emudriver.
- Clicking a computer monitor (CRT or LCD, CRT I used but it should give the same) to the final DVI output.
- Enter Display-> Screen Resolution and select 640x480 (normal 31 kHz). Applies changes.
- Now, you're going to Advanced Setup-> Monitor, uncheck the box "Hide modes that can not be displayed on this monitor" and above in the dropdown called "Refresh screen" select "30 Hertz, intertwined".
- Apply. The monitor will have to stay out of range. Now without touching anything, and quickly because you have only 15 seconds, connect the arcade monitor and click Yes to set the resolution.


Now the issue is, when I uninstall CRT Emudriver, windows installs the ATI drivers within windows instead. When I look in "Advanced setup", in Monitor settings, I don't see the "30Herz interlaced" amongst the options (even after unchecking hide modes that can not be displayed". I only 59hz, 60hz, 73 & 75hz than, but not 30.

Because I have a JPAC however, I was even able to try to install the drivers while the arcade monitor was connected (the 60hz was split up the screen in two halves by JPAC, so I could still see it). But even installing it that way, the screen jumped to a non-interlaced mode... and  640x480 interlaced was still not available :(

Patrick

4 Reply by Calamity

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Re: Interlaced modes not available when booting with Arcade Monitor attach

In my system it also defaults to the Windows shipped ATI driver, and 30 Hz is definitely there... once I uncheck the "Hide modes ..." option. (I haven't tried with an LCD however, only with a PC CRT).

Anyway, once the driver is installed, 640x480@30 Hz should be selectable from Display Properties, list all modes. Make sure to uncheck the "Hide modes ..." option after installing the driver.

5 Reply by pintris

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Re: Interlaced modes not available when booting with Arcade Monitor attach

Hi,
Okay it works now. I looked in the wrong place. It's not in the monitor tab, but on the resolution tab -> when i press the "show all resolutions" I could see the 30hz mode there. After putting it on that resolution I was able to use the arcade monitor to install the drivers and they do stick now.
thanks
Patrick

6 Reply by pintris

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Re: Interlaced modes not available when booting with Arcade Monitor attach

Hi,
So i continue on this thread as Recap suggested for the interlaced issue. I have a stable picture 640 x 480 in windows. The M2 Emulator works in the progressive mode you suggested after I created it. (496X256) but the menu text is unreadble. I would rather have it run in the native resolution like you tested but for that I assume I need interlaced modes. Vm maker marks those as invalid. Any suggestions as to how this can be fixed?
Thank you
Patrick

7 Reply by Recap

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Re: Interlaced modes not available when booting with Arcade Monitor attach

Calamity uses a 24-kHz (and 31-kHz)-able monitor, so he didn't need to pick an interlaced mode. If you don't want to install WIN XP nor follow Calamity's instructions in his first post here, easily the best solution is getting a CRT VGA monitor. You can find even 21'' Trinitron-based ones relatively cheap these days in the second-hand market. They do the job for 384-lines modes thanks to the analog scaling features. The truth is, interlace sucks. More so if no filter is applied to alleviate the flickering. Anyone using this Forum hardly will tolerate interlace, especially when the game was not intended to be displayed that way originally.

8 Reply by Calamity

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Re: Interlaced modes not available when booting with Arcade Monitor attach

Hi pintris,

pintris wrote:

I would rather have it run in the native resolution like you tested but for that I assume I need interlaced modes. Vm maker marks those as invalid. Any suggestions as to how this can be fixed?

VMMaker is not marking your interlaced modes as invalid. Windows 7 does. Windows 7 uses a different driver model than XP (WDDM). WDDM is designed to support monitor hot plug detection. Arcade monitors connected through a JPAC are not detected by Windows 7, so it thinks you have no monitor connected. As a measure of caution, Windows 7 filters out the modes which it considers 'dangerous'. Interlaced modes whatever their frequency is and everything above 1600x1200 get filtered out.

GroovyMAME is clever enough to bypass this situation. Other emulators aren't.

The perfect solution is to force the detection of your arcade monitor, as it was explained a few posts above:

While it is possible to use the workarounds described in those posts, my recommendation for a long term solution is to force monitor detection by adding 75 ohm resistors to your cable, which connect each of the three color lines to ground.

I've contacted someone who has experience building custom devices for arcade use, maybe he will come up with a ready-made dongle we can purchase to get the job done in a clean way.