[kalellGp]

Today I updated my graphics card driver to Catalyst 12.1. I use a Samsung HDTV as my display and an XFX Radeon HD 6970 as my graphics card. Usually I use a custom resolution of 1840 x 1032 so I can fill as much of my screen as possible without cropping the edges of the image (PCs don't display properly on HDTVs). Unfortunately after updating to the 12.1 driver when I try to switch to my custom resolution the screen becomes jumbled and extremely pixelated. I also tried using the scaling option in CCC to get the image to fit properly, but this isn't an option because it creates horrible horizontal scan lines across the entire screen while I'm playing games.

It seems that they've changed the way their driver deals with custom resolutions on HDTVs. Before 12.1 no matter what resolution I chose my PC would still keep the native res of my TV. Now it tries to force the res I set like it would with a monitor, which obviously my TV doesn't actually support. There was nothing wrong with the way their drivers worked with HDTVs before so I have no idea why they changed it, but it's causing problems for me. I've switched back to the 11.12 driver which fixed the problem, but if they don't fix this I won't be able to use their driver updates for newer games.

[LiveBrianD]

Have you checked the overscan setting? For regular PC monitors you want that set to 0%, but for TVs you may need to mess with that. Also, I think samsung TVs have an hdmi port labeled "HDMI1 /DVI" or something like that - use it for the PC.

[kalellGp]

LiveBrianD, on 26 January 2012 - 07:51 PM, said:

Have you checked the overscan setting? For regular PC monitors you want that set to 0%, but for TVs you may need to mess with that. Also, I think samsung TVs have an hdmi port labeled "HDMI1 /DVI" or something like that - use it for the PC.

The overscan is set to 0 right now, but I can make the image fit my screen by using it. The problem is that it looks absolutely awful when I do. It causes highly visible horizontal scan lines that run across the entire screen about every inch (60" TV).

I have my PC hooked up to the HDMI/DVI input. I also have a VGA input, but my card doesn't have a VGA output and I don't have an adapter. Anything connected through VGA to the TV looks blurry anyways, so I don't really want to use it if I don't have to.

[LiveBrianD]

Is there a setting to call that input "PC" or something like that? Sometimes, that sets the PC to expect overscan of 0, like a PC monitor expects.

[kalellGp]

Yeah, there is a PC setting, but it makes the image look washed out and blurry like it does when I hook something up through the VGA input. If I have to I can use the PC setting, but it makes it nearly impossible to read small text.

[LiveBrianD]

At the native resolution? That's strange...

[SuperSamuraiBlades]

Hmm... It is odd that they could release an update that can cause more problems. You should wait until the next update, and perhaps they will fix the issue from that previous update. I don't think that they would stick to an update that would not let anyone keep their resolution of choice, Kalell.

[kalellGp]

Yeah, the difference in picture quality between the PC setting and the non PC settings doesn't make sense, but it does make it fit the screen properly.

How much of a performance impact do you think it would have on games if I just kept using the 11.12 driver? That's probably the worst case scenario.

I sent an email to AMD earlier today so hopefully they'll fix it in a future driver update.

[kalellGp]

SuperSamuraiBlades, on 26 January 2012 - 09:09 PM, said:

Hmm... It is odd that they could release an update that can cause more problems. You should wait until the next update, and perhaps they will fix the issue from that previous update. I don't think that they would stick to an update that would not let anyone keep their resolution of choice, Kalell.

Actually with AMD it's not uncommon for them to release a driver update that breaks more stuff than it fixes. I really wish I had went with an Nvidia card.

[SuperSamuraiBlades]

That is a wise idea. I don't think that you are the only one that has this issue so informing them is smart.

[SuperSamuraiBlades]

kalellGp, on 26 January 2012 - 09:13 PM, said:

SuperSamuraiBlades, on 26 January 2012 - 09:09 PM, said:

Hmm... It is odd that they could release an update that can cause more problems. You should wait until the next update, and perhaps they will fix the issue from that previous update. I don't think that they would stick to an update that would not let anyone keep their resolution of choice, Kalell.

Actually with AMD it's not uncommon for them to release a driver update that breaks more stuff than it fixes. I really wish I had went with an Nvidia card.

Wait and see if they fix that issue first, I think switching to Nvidia should be a last resort.

[kalellGp]

SuperSamuraiBlades, on 26 January 2012 - 09:17 PM, said:

kalellGp, on 26 January 2012 - 09:13 PM, said:

SuperSamuraiBlades, on 26 January 2012 - 09:09 PM, said:

Hmm... It is odd that they could release an update that can cause more problems. You should wait until the next update, and perhaps they will fix the issue from that previous update. I don't think that they would stick to an update that would not let anyone keep their resolution of choice, Kalell.

Actually with AMD it's not uncommon for them to release a driver update that breaks more stuff than it fixes. I really wish I had went with an Nvidia card.

Wait and see if they fix that issue first, I think switching to Nvidia should be a last resort.

Oh, I'm not switching. I spent close to $340 on this card so getting a new one isn't an option. lol

I'll just have to make due with what I have and go to consoles when the next gen starts in a few years.

Btw, it's funny that the specs that are rumored for the next Xbox which won't come out for two years are less powerful than the PC I already have. I'm a little disappointed by that.

[SuperSamuraiBlades]

kalellGp, on 26 January 2012 - 09:25 PM, said:

SuperSamuraiBlades, on 26 January 2012 - 09:17 PM, said:

kalellGp, on 26 January 2012 - 09:13 PM, said:

SuperSamuraiBlades, on 26 January 2012 - 09:09 PM, said:

Hmm... It is odd that they could release an update that can cause more problems. You should wait until the next update, and perhaps they will fix the issue from that previous update. I don't think that they would stick to an update that would not let anyone keep their resolution of choice, Kalell.

Actually with AMD it's not uncommon for them to release a driver update that breaks more stuff than it fixes. I really wish I had went with an Nvidia card.

Wait and see if they fix that issue first, I think switching to Nvidia should be a last resort.

Oh, I'm not switching. I spent close to $340 on this card so getting a new one isn't an option. lol

I'll just have to make due with what I have and go to consoles when the next gen starts in a few years.

Btw, it's funny that the specs that are rumored for the next Xbox which won't come out for two years are less powerful than the PC I already have. I'm a little disappointed by that.

Console specs are slightly different than PC specs. I don't know but I actually go by what I see, hear and experience personally by myself. I really hope that it isn't a disappointment, I've got some big bucks nested for some big time consoles in the future.

[kalellGp]

Yeah, games are better optimized for consoles than for PCs, so the games will most likely be on par with games on my PC. I was just hoping they would be even better than games on my PC. Compared to the current gen consoles the next consoles should be a huge leap. Anyone that's been playing consoles and hasn't played games on a decent PC should be pretty impressed.

[SuperSamuraiBlades]

kalellGp, on 26 January 2012 - 10:15 PM, said:

Yeah, games are better optimized for consoles than for PCs, so the games will most likely be on par with games on my PC. I was just hoping they would be even better than games on my PC. Compared to the current gen consoles the next consoles should be a huge leap. Anyone that's been playing consoles and hasn't played games on a decent PC should be pretty impressed.

I am one of those people who play only on consoles. I don't play on my PC very much, because my rig is practically at a bare minimum. I must say that PC gaming has come a long way. There are some PC games that really are so impressive that no current console could run them. I would invest my time in a gaming PC if I could, but I'm just one of those who stick to consoles.

[SuperSamuraiBlades]

And thank you Kalell...

[kalellGp]

I got an email back from AMD today. They said there had been a lot of issues reported with the 12.1 driver but there were no specific reports related to my issue (I guess there aren't a lot of people using HDTVs as monitors lol). They recommended that I try the 12.2 preview driver and see if that fixed the issue. I doubt it will but I'm gonna try it and see. I really hate messing around with my drivers, I always feel like I'm going to break something.

[kalellGp]

I was right to be weary about updating to the 12.2 driver. Half way through the install the screen got jumbled and pixelated like it did when I tried to switch to my custom res with the 12.1 driver. This time however, it didn't switch back. I waited about an hour hoping it would switch back after the install finished, but it never did. I ended up having to unplug my PC, start it in safe mode, and do a system restore. HDTV support is really broken in their new drivers.

[SuperSamuraiBlades]

kalellGp, on 27 January 2012 - 09:26 PM, said:

I was right to be weary about updating to the 12.2 driver. Half way through the install the screen got jumbled and pixelated like it did when I tried to switch to my custom res with the 12.1 driver. This time however, it didn't switch back. I waited about an hour hoping it would switch back after the install finished, but it never did. I ended up having to unplug my PC, start it in safe mode, and do a system restore. HDTV support is really broken in their new drivers.

Oh sorry to hear that. Their preview driver didn't work. Looks like you should give that Nvidia card a try, AMD seems to be doing terribly with HDTV support.