Problem with Display after running graphical games for the 1st time

[crzyice]

Hi, I recently tried to install Universe At War: Earth's Assault on my computer and everything went well. Except when I was finished the game, I closed it and I noticed that my display on my desktop(like on AIM chat box, AIM buddylist, Firefox text) looked weird. The text seemed to be color distorted alittle (like a black font with a fade blue behind the letters) and the text were alot blurrier and the screen seems to be brighter. I system restored my computer and the settings was back to normal.

But then I bought GTA 4 and I tried the game and the text outside of the game was blurred again. So I compared the settings I had on ATI Catalyst Control Center and I realized the Pixel Format was changed from RGB 4:4:4 PC Standard (Full RGB) to YCbCr 4:2:2. So I changed it back to RGB and the text was restored to normal. I thought I solved the problem so I reinstalled Universe At War and the blur happened again because the Pixel Format was changed again. So I just did what I did with GTA 4. But this time, the text was still blurred even though I changed the Pixel Format, so I realized that can't be the problem. But when I changed the Universe At War display settings to 1920 x 1080 60 Hz, the text on my desktop seems to be fixed again.

So now, I am kind of lost on whats causing my display texts to change after opening the games. (The settings only changes after I open the game the 1st time, after I fixed the settings, when I open the game again everything was fine. - so I'm guessing the game's default settings after it was just installed changed something in my display). Does anyone know what is being changed in my display that makes text blurry and weird like that? When I first installed Warcraft 3, Combat Arms, Command and Conquer 3, I did not had these problems so it is probably the higher graphical games.

I checked all my settings at ATI CCC and it doesnt seem like anything changed except the Pixel Format.
Also after I had the text thing fixed, I tried playing around with the Pixel Format changes, and I realized they all look the same for texts. So that can't be the problem.

Computer Specs:

ASUS Deluxe P6T x58 LGA 1366

OCZ Gold Ram 3 x 2 GB DDR3 1600MHz Tri Channel

Vista Home Premium 64 bit

Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 512mb GDDR5

Seagate Barracuda 1.5 TB HDD

Core i7 920 2.66 GHz

Corsair 850w Power supply

running on 1920 x 1080 on HDMI, ATI CCC version 9.3

edit: After googling different types of keywords, I found this
but those games I installed that gave me the problems arent microsoft games. (They just use windows live for online)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263039

I think I'm pretty sure the Texture colors are distorted. and Textures are blurred. are the symptoms I had.



But I already updated my driver to ATI CCC Suite 9.3, are they referring to their own video card drivers? When I went to the Windows Update I see

ATI Technologies Inc. - Display - ATI Radeon HD 4870 Series

Its optional and If I install that, wont it overrides the driver from ATI CCC?

 

[moorcro]

Hi - don't know if this might help but I had a similar thing on a 42" LG LCDTV. I found the solution more by trial and error and not sure/why how it works but it may be of use to you.

My LG TV Screen MENU (nothing to do with the PC) has some options in the screen? or picture? menu such as 'dynamic', 'mild' 'user1', 'user 2' etc (sorry to be vague, i don't have it with me!).

For watching TV, DVD etc, I had it on 'dynamic' i think which gives nice bright colours and contrast - ie ideal for watching films tv - but when i linked my pc to the screen and matched exactly the 1920 x 1080 resolution i was dissappointed to find that i could hardly read the desktop or menu texts.

After some trial and error / accidentally, i tried on 'mild' setting, which gave a much more subdued colour to the screen (i find it more realistic for gaming). With this 'mild' setting, the desktop is crystal clear!

I think the mild setting maybe turns off most of the TVs picture enhancment which on a desktop shows up as like double vision or shadowy outlines etc.

I maybe totally wrong in your case but I just hope it helps as I appreciate your frustration.

I think all the technology is getting so clever now they seem to mess each other up now.