Desktop aliasing and poor color through HDMI

[r0llinlacs]

So, I've always used analog outputs on my video cards. Every time I've tried connecting a computer through HDMI (with different TVs, AND computers), I get black borders around the screen, horrible colors, and horrible aliasing on absolutely everything.

I just installed my new R9 290X which has no analog outputs, so I'm using HDMI atm. The newer Catalyst Control Center has more settings for TVs than my old one did, so I was able to fill the screen and get rid of the borders.... but everything is still aliased and the colors are overly bright and saturated. It is basically excruciating trying to read any sort of text now and the screen is just hard to look at, period.

I tried re-adjusting ClearType text but it didn't help with aliasing on text at all. I just want to check here and see if there is some sort of setting I'm missing or what? Any solutions or previous experiences would be greatly appreciated.


If this is all HDMI has to offer, I will be buying a DisplayPort to DVI-I adapter and use the good old trusty VGA input on my TV.

The TV is a 46" Insignia LED 1080p 120hz, and has always worked perfect through VGA.

Windows, Catalyst, and the TV all say 1080p @ 60hz, so I'm not sure what I'm missing here, or why the desktop requires upscaling to fill the screen.

 

[plywrlw]

I too hate HDMI, it can make the screen look fuzzy and bring up artifacts. I did find however that a lot of my issues disappeared when I changed to a better HDMI cable. I also stopped overscanning the GPU as this was making my screen fuzzy.

I'll be interested to see what other things people suggest because like I said, this is an issue that has also affected me!

 

[cowboydude99]

HDMI cables are digital. They will not introduce artifacts. They represent the image in 1s and 0s.

A bad HDMI cable will display the same image and play the same sound quality as a $300 cable.

With that said, overscan is usually the problem.

In the catalyst control center there is a section for overscan, disable overscanning, or move the slider until it fits your screen.

 

[cowboydude99]

One more thing- for Windows 8.1 there is a new DPI setting you can change. This should sharpen the fonts.

 

[r0llinlacs]

I too hate HDMI, it can make the screen look fuzzy and bring up artifacts. I did find however that a lot of my issues disappeared when I changed to a better HDMI cable. I also stopped overscanning the GPU as this was making my screen fuzzy.

I'll be interested to see what other things people suggest because like I said, this is an issue that has also affected me!

HDMI cables are digital. They will not introduce artifacts. They represent the image in 1s and 0s.

A bad HDMI cable will display the same image and play the same sound quality as a $300 cable.



With that said, overscan is usually the problem.

In the catalyst control center there is a section for overscan, disable overscanning, or move the slider until it fits your screen.

I slid the overscan bar all the way to the right (0% overscan) and that got rid of the borders, but it did not change the image quality. Disabling overscan gives borders and text/image quality looks the same.

I notice that in Catalyst, under desktop properties, then under "desktop area" there is "basic" and the maximum resolution under basic says 1680x1050. Then under "desktop area" there is "HDTV" which lists 1080p as the maximum.

What I bet is happening... is windows is only allowing a 1680x1050 desktop and upscaling it to 1080p.

I've gotten this to work before but it's a big pain in the behind... I think I'm going to have to create a custom resolution, even though everything is reporting 1920x1080.

After digging around a bit, and remembering some past experiences, I have a hunch that the EDID isn't reporting the proper maximum resolution to windows. This would have been an easy fix, but the updated Catalyst 14.9 doesn't seem to have the "disable EDID" checkbox!

I believe I can use RivaTuner to create custom resolutions, even though my card isn't Nvidia?

 

[r0llinlacs]

Oh my lord, what a disaster this is turning out to be. So the EDID information for my TV was incorrect, reporting a maximum "standard resolution" of 1680x1050. I made a new EDID, identical to the previous, but with 1920x1080 added to standard resolutions, and installed it. I rebooted my computer... the login screen was a blank gray screen. So I typed my password, hoping the desktop would appear. And it did, and it fixed the problem! Everything is crystal clear now, except the login screen is blank and Aero doesn't work and it appears my graphics drivers have quit working.

I will attempt to reinstall the graphics drivers and post an update, and any input would be greatly appreciated.


Update: Reinstalled the graphics drivers, and I'm right back where I started. Apparently it must have reset the monitor driver because it's back to reporting 1680x1050 as the maximum standard resolution, and the screen looks like crap again.

 

[cowboydude99]

Oh my lord, what a disaster this is turning out to be. So the EDID information for my TV was incorrect, reporting a maximum "standard resolution" of 1680x1050. I made a new EDID, identical to the previous, but with 1920x1080 added to standard resolutions, and installed it. I rebooted my computer... the login screen was a blank gray screen. So I typed my password, hoping the desktop would appear. And it did, and it fixed the problem! Everything is crystal clear now, except the login screen is blank and Aero doesn't work and it appears my graphics drivers have quit working.

I will attempt to reinstall the graphics drivers and post an update, and any input would be greatly appreciated.


Update: Reinstalled the graphics drivers, and I'm right back where I started. Apparently it must have reset the monitor driver because it's back to reporting 1680x1050 as the maximum standard resolution, and the screen looks like crap again.

Just saw these messages.

When you installed the driver- did you do a complete removal first? Does the name of your TV show up in Devices and Printers, or does it say 'standard' or 'generic' tv?

Where are you creating EDID? What program? Maybe you missed a setting?

 

[r0llinlacs]

Oh my lord, what a disaster this is turning out to be. So the EDID information for my TV was incorrect, reporting a maximum "standard resolution" of 1680x1050. I made a new EDID, identical to the previous, but with 1920x1080 added to standard resolutions, and installed it. I rebooted my computer... the login screen was a blank gray screen. So I typed my password, hoping the desktop would appear. And it did, and it fixed the problem! Everything is crystal clear now, except the login screen is blank and Aero doesn't work and it appears my graphics drivers have quit working.

I will attempt to reinstall the graphics drivers and post an update, and any input would be greatly appreciated.


Update: Reinstalled the graphics drivers, and I'm right back where I started. Apparently it must have reset the monitor driver because it's back to reporting 1680x1050 as the maximum standard resolution, and the screen looks like crap again.

Just saw these messages.

When you installed the driver- did you do a complete removal first? Does the name of your TV show up in Devices and Printers, or does it say 'standard' or 'generic' tv?

Where are you creating EDID? What program? Maybe you missed a setting?

Yes, I fully removed the drivers each time. The model number of the TV does not show up, it lists it as Generic PNP Monitor. The model number of the TV is listed in the EDID though.

I made the EDID with Custom Resolution Utility and used Windows driver update to install it. I feel like it may be a lost cause though, as 64-bit Windows does not allow loading of unsigned drivers, which is why I think it causes the graphics drivers to stop responding. I may be wrong though, but I tried again to be sure and pressed F8 during boot, and selected "disable driver signature enforcement", and it still didn't work.

 

[cowboydude99]

Unsigned driver installation:
http://en.kioskea.net/faq/3914-windows-7-how-to-install-unsigned-drivers

 

[r0llinlacs]

Wouldn't that basically be doing the same thing as the F8 boot options? "disable driver signature enforcement"

 

[cowboydude99]

Possibly. I'm not familiar with that setting.

 

[r0llinlacs]

Possibly. I'm not familiar with that setting.

Ahh I see. Well from what I've read it's basically a hit or miss, works for some people and not others. It didn't work for me so I think I'm giving in, and just going to order an active DisplayPort to VGA adapter, and hopefully I can set the resolution without the pesky IDED getting in the way.