Absolutely desperate for help. I'm at wit's end. Why does it look like this? (Pictures included) RE: 120hz display, choppy img

[Kevin Weinberg]

My TV (Sony Bravia X900E) is a true 120hz display and many have said they have successfully gotten it to work at 120hz, its native refresh rate.

Using a custom resolution, I, too, have gotten it to output at TRUE 120hz (verified using the blur busters test). The problem?

Well, here's what my image quality looks like when running at 1080p 60hz (on a GTX 980 TI, tested with 3 different FUNCTIONING high speed cables)

Now, here is what my image quality looks like when I up it to 1080p @ 120hz (Same GPU, same results regardless of cable used)

I don't even know how to describe what I am seeing other than to say it looks "bad." And if possible, even if you don't know the answer to my question, could anybody please reply with the correct terminology regarding what I am seeing? Is it "artifacting"? Or "discoloration?" I don't even know the word that means whatever has happened above. It's almost like the letters are casting a shadow? I am just baffled here, folks.

It looks like there are fewer pixels? I don't really know. I just don't understand why this is happening. Thanks! I have been struggling to get a fix for this for a while and I've given up and that's why I'm here asking you guys, because after weeks of troubleshooting, I'm at true dead end.

 

[jaslion]

My TV (Sony Bravia X900E) is a true 120hz display and many have said they have successfully gotten it to work at 120hz, its native refresh rate.

Using a custom resolution, I, too, have gotten it to output at TRUE 120hz (verified using the blur busters test). The problem?

Well, here's what my image quality looks like when running at 1080p 60hz (on a GTX 980 TI, tested with 3 different FUNCTIONING high speed cables)

Now, here is what my image quality looks like when I up it to 1080p @ 120hz (Same GPU, same results regardless of cable used)

I don't even know how to describe what I am seeing other than to say it looks "bad." And if possible, even if you don't know the answer to my question, could anybody please reply with the correct terminology regarding what I am seeing? Is it "artifacting"? Or "discoloration?" I don't even know the word that means whatever has happened above. It's almost like the letters are casting a shadow? I am just baffled here, folks.

It looks like there are fewer pixels? I don't really know. I just don't understand why this is happening. Thanks! I have been struggling to get a fix for this for a while and I've given up and that's why I'm here asking you guys, because after weeks of troubleshooting, I'm at true dead end.

When you look closely do you see any pixel shifting going on (pixels rapidly moving from the left to the right). What cable are you using for this tv?

 

[Glenwing]

Most likely some of your TVs settings are changing when you change the refresh rate. Given how much more pixelated the bottom image is, I would guess that there is maybe a "sharpness" setting or something like that on the TV, try messing with that

 

[Kevin Weinberg]

Most likely some of your TVs settings are changing when you change the refresh rate. Given how much more pixelated the bottom image is, I would guess that there is maybe a "sharpness" setting or something like that on the TV, try messing with that

Ahh, is that the term? "Pixelated?" Is that the word that refers to what has happened here? I don't know if this helps at all, but I just want to add that taking a SCREENSHOT doesn't show the problem. I can only show the problem via a real-life camera shot (like the one above)

 

[Glenwing]

Also, I would say switch to "Use NVIDIA Color Settings".

 

[Kevin Weinberg]

When you look closely do you see any pixel shifting going on (pixels rapidly moving from the left to the right). What cable are you using for this tv?

No nothing at all like that. In fact, in certain scenarios (such as watching a movie) it's almost impossible to tell this is happening at all. But when viewing text, it's glaringly obvious.

As far as cables go, I have tested several. Right now, I am using THIS one, which I only just recently bought for the sole purpose of testing yet another cable lol: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BXR1ZFS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Kevin Weinberg]

Also, I would say switch to "Use NVIDIA Color Settings".

I'll try that right now and let you know.

 

[Kevin Weinberg]

Also, I would say switch to "Use NVIDIA Color Settings".

Virtually no difference. Also, I forgot to mention this in my OP. But my last TV was also a 120hz TV (Vizio P series, also true genuine 120hz panel, not fake 120), and it did the exact same thing as this TV is doing. This was with a different GPU and different cable as well (GTX 780, and some Monster cable I don't have anymore)

 

[ko888]

Where, in Sony's specs for the X900 E series, does it say that it supports a 120 Hz video input signal? The only spec that mentions 120 Hz is the Motion Enhancer spec that inserts an interpolated frame to reduce motion blur.

The aliasing, that is quite evident, would indicate that the display is running out of spec.

 

[Kevin Weinberg]

Where, in Sony's specs for the X900 E series, does it say that it supports a 120 Hz video input signal? The only spec that mentions 120 Hz is the Motion Enhancer spec that inserts an interpolated frame to reduce motion blur.

The aliasing, that is quite evident, would indicate that the display is running out of spec.

The display uses a genuine, 120hz panel and has a 120hz refresh rate. I know that a lot of them use fake refresh rates now, so I made absolute, 100% sure that this panel has a true 120hz refresh rate.

https://www.sony.com/electronics/televisions/xbr-x900e-series/specifications

Sony lists it as a native 120hz

 

[J_E_D_70]

The next box below where you’re seeing 120hz native:
VIDEO SIGNAL SUPPORT
1080p (60)/1080i (60)/720p (60)/480p/480i
4096 x 2160p (24, 60 Hz), 3840 x 2160p (24, 30, 60 Hz), 1080p (30, 60 Hz), 1080/24p, 1080i (60 Hz), 720p (30, 60 Hz), 720/24p, 480p, 480i

Nowhere in there does it support 120hz input. Not going to happen

 

[Kevin Weinberg]

The next box below where you’re seeing 120hz native:
VIDEO SIGNAL SUPPORT
1080p (60)/1080i (60)/720p (60)/480p/480i
4096 x 2160p (24, 60 Hz), 3840 x 2160p (24, 30, 60 Hz), 1080p (30, 60 Hz), 1080/24p, 1080i (60 Hz), 720p (30, 60 Hz), 720/24p, 480p, 480i

Nowhere in there does it support 120hz input. Not going to happen

With all due respect, if the display natively supports 120hz, then 120hz can work. If it's "not going to happen" then how is it that so many thousands of people have gotten it to work successfully? Getting 120hz displays to display at 120hz is not only possible, but it's done so often there's actually an entire website devoted to it called blurbusters.

If you don't know the answer to my question, then please just say so.

 

[J_E_D_70]

I just did research it and none of the results came back with a way to do it 100%. Most reported washed out colors or jittering because it’s being run out of spec. Some just get lucky.

I used blurbusters to test my gsync so I am familiar with the site.

Ko888 already told you the same thing, plus you said yourself the last tv in a different setup behaved the same way.

“Have I ever told you the definition of insanity?”

 

[Kevin Weinberg]

Where, in Sony's specs for the X900 E series, does it say that it supports a 120 Hz video input signal? The only spec that mentions 120 Hz is the Motion Enhancer spec that inserts an interpolated frame to reduce motion blur.

The aliasing, that is quite evident, would indicate that the display is running out of spec.

I just did research it and none of the results came back with a way to do it 100%. Most reported washed out colors or jittering because it’s being run out of spec. Some just get lucky.

I used blurbusters to test my gsync so I am familiar with the site.

Ko888 already told you the same thing, plus you said yourself the last tv in a different setup behaved the same way.

“Have I ever told you the definition of insanity?”

This person has the exact same TV as me (and there are TONS of videos showing this exact same thing)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN-eAaKpit4

So, if it works for him, then I don't see why I can't get it to work too

 

[J_E_D_70]

Well, love it when manufacturers don’t update their info. Did you do a firmware update on the TV? That might be the win along with setting HDMI to enhanced on the TV settings:
https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x900e

As stated on that site tho it’s still 1080p on a big screen and jaggies will be visible.

Good luck! Hope it works.

 

[Kevin Weinberg]

Well, love it when manufacturers don’t update their info. Did you do a firmware update on the TV? That might be the win along with setting HDMI to enhanced on the TV settings:
https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x900e

As stated on that site tho it’s still 1080p on a big screen and jaggies will be visible.

Good luck! Hope it works.

Ahhhh so that's what's happening. I've never seen this site before but it explains everything: "Remarkably the TV also displayed a 1080p @ 120 Hz input without showing the vertical line artifacts seen on the X930D. However when displaying this resolution while in game or graphics mode only crude upscaling was done on the 1080p image, so the image looked almost as jagged as it would on a 1080p TV. Some people may prefer this look however because it retains most of the sharpness of the original image."

So all the people who claim to have gotten this working . . . they likely just don't "notice" or don't care? It's just a resolution thing in other words?

I didn't realize that.

 

[J_E_D_70]

Different users definitely see things differently . Some folks dont notice tearing, others dont notice screen door or rainbows (on DLP projectors).

I would still give the firmware a go to see if theres any improvement.

 

[mgallo848]

Make sure you have "gaming mode" enabled in the TV settings. Otherwise the input lag can become terrible at times.

Also look for TV drivers. Usually listed as an ".inf" file. It's very possible that Windows doesn't know what your TV can and can't handle so it may just revert to standard settings. (which may be why you don't see 120 hz as an option in windows settings)

 

[Kevin Weinberg]

Different users definitely see things differently . Some folks dont notice tearing, others dont notice screen door or rainbows (on DLP projectors).

I would still give the firmware a go to see if theres any improvement.

I'm on the latest firmware. But aside from that, I actually DID finally get it to work -- sort of. I read every word of that link you sent me. Apparently, this "problem" only happens when on Game mode or Graphics Mode. I tried switching to another mode and Viola! It works now with no jaggies. The problem? My input lag is so terrible that it constitutes an even bigger problem than before. Blurry text is one thing. This input lag is hideous.

So it looks like I have to make a choice between 120hz and some jaggies or buttery smooth 120hz that lags behind my input.

Oh well. At least I now have a true answer: yes, I can do 120hz on this TV. No, I can't do it without serious tradeoffs.

I don't have to spend any more time troubleshooting, so for that, I am grateful. Thank you for all the help.

 

[J_E_D_70]

Argh. Happy gaming regardless!

 

[Glenwing]

Also, I would say switch to "Use NVIDIA Color Settings".

Virtually no difference. Also, I forgot to mention this in my OP. But my last TV was also a 120hz TV (Vizio P series, also true genuine 120hz panel, not fake 120), and it did the exact same thing as this TV is doing. This was with a different GPU and different cable as well (GTX 780, and some Monster cable I don't have anymore)

I wasn't expecting a difference honestly, was just getting everything on the same settings to start with.

This is most likely a difference in how the TV is performing image processing. Play around with the image options in the TV menu.

EDIT: Ah I see you already did this. As to be expected, there is a latency cost to the extra image processing that smooths the image out. However, in games this is unlikely to be necessary anyway, if you have anti-aliasing turned on.