Control screensize on HDMI output from ATI HD4200

[mila06]

My media center is built with Windows 7 and an onboard ATI HD4200. It works very well, but once in a while I experience a "funny" thing
about screen size. If I switch the media center on first(and wait untill it is up and running), and then afterwards turns on the TV and switches to the correct HDMI channel on the TV, it happens that the Windows desktop switches to the right resolution(i can hear the "connect-a-usb-device-sound") but gbpvr remains in a 4:3 solution.
So I can see some of the Windows desktop right to gbpvr, though I run gbpvr in full screen(?). Gbpvr is the active application and I then have to close gbpvr and open it again to get gbpvr to fill the hole screen.

It is not very good for the WAF!

I have set the desired resolution in the ATI control panel, but it seems that it is first used when it detects a screen(tv) on the HDMI-port.

It's a bit hard to explain. Is it understandable?

[johnsonx42]

When there's no monitor attached to a Windows box, it defaults to a generic 4:3 resolution (either 1024x768 or 800x600 I believe). So GB-PVR loads and initialises at that resolution. Then when you power up your monitor, Windows detects the new display and switches resolutions. To fix this sub would have to program PVRX2 to recognize the resolution change and re-initialize itself; I have no idea whether that would be straight-forward to do or not.

One thing you could try is to get a VNC program such as TightVNC, and install the server side on your GB-PVR box. Then connect to the box while no monitor is attached, and set the resolution there; Windows should then remember the resolution you set next time no monitor is attached. By default there won't be any non-4:3 resolutions available, but you should be able to change your monitor driver to make those available (try one of the Digital Flat Panel drivers under Generic displays). Again, do all of this without your HDMI display powered up... when it is powered up, all it's settings should take over.

I don't know that the above will work, but it should.

[johnsonx42]

Oh, just thought of something I should add:

When you install TightVNC (or any of the VNC flavors) don't install the 'mirror' display driver; that will foul up the whole thing.

Also, in case it's not clear, the reason for using VNC instead of remote desktop is that remote desktop operates in a virtual display session independant of the physical display of the system so any changes you make will have no effect once the remote desktop session is ended. VNC works with the real video adapter and monitor of the system, and any changes to the display settings are retained accordingly.

[pBS]

you might wanna try the 'force tv detection [tho it may only be for analog tv connections]
or 'force'ing the resolution instead of what appears in list..

but usually windows needs hardware to display on, to figure out how big to display it..

or you could use vga out to tv, which keeps set resolutions,tho loses 1080p [can only do 1080i max usually]

[johnsonx42]

Actually now I'm thinking what I suggested won't work. It probably would work if you needed a 4:3 resolution that Windows already offers when there's no monitor attached, but specifying a specific 16:9 monitor driver may fool Windows into believing there are 2 monitors attached once the HDMI display powers on, which is certainly not what you want.
I've never tried this though with Windows 7... for all I know it will offer 16:9 resolutions with no monitor attached at all. So, try what I said with VNC, but don't force a different monitor driver.

[whurlston]

I actually have the same issue. I've currently just been going to the "System" menu in GBPVR and selecting "Restart". Just make sure that you have <SystemRestartIsAppOnly> (or something like that) set to true in config.xml

I'm also working on ATI controls via a plugin (but it's going to take a while).

[mila06]

Thanks for your replys!!
One thought(i know, perhaps it's too much - but we are talking WAF here): I use startpvrx2 to keep PVRx2 ontop and so on, maybe it could be extended to keep track of the resolution and if it changes, it then restarts PVRX2!

It's written in Autoit... I think i will take a look!