Dual 24'' Monitor Setup

[InFeXiOn]

Big problem that's beginning to drive me nuts.

Ok, I just recently bought two Westinghouse L2410NM monitors.
All is swell and today I attempted to set them up in dual screen 'cause my two DVI-to-HDMI cables came in the mail. Previously I was using VGA and a single monitor.

Anyways, I plugged them both in and initially the monitor in the menu was showing "HDMI" but upon rebooting it shows "DVI" on one and "HDMI" on the other.

Problem is - one looks amazing and one looks like crap, the HDMI is the one that looks like crap.

Quickly swapping the cords around at the back of my computer in my dual-DVI 8800GT makes the opposite true. One is still DVI and one is still HDMI, but they are now reversed.

WTF IS GOING ON?

>_>

 

[InFeXiOn]

This is weird as shit.

In control panel it says L2410NM (1 of 2) is connected using DVI (which it is... DVI-to-HDMI cable).
It also says L2410NM (2 of 2) is connected using HDMI, not DVI.

That's why I have such shitty quality on 2 of 2.

Any clue how the hell I'd fix this?

 

[InFeXiOn]

Update:

After some swapping + testing it appears that one of the two DVI ports on my video card are recognized in Nvidia's control panel as DVI and the other as HDMI.

Software issue?
Hardware issue?

This headache is beginning to drive me flipping nuts.

 

[InFeXiOn]

Update again:

I'm on the ball today with troubleshooting.

My suspicions of it being nVidia and/or my video card (Galaxy 8800GT) were correct.

Unhooked my entire system and plugged the dual monitor setup into my brothers computer equipped with an ATI Radeon X1650 and it was 100% perfect. Both connected as "DVI" and looked stunning.

Now - any idea how I might go about fixing this am I scraping this for ATI? Le sigh.

 

[InFeXiOn]

No help?

 

[dawza]

What exactly is the problem with the monitor driven by the suspect DVI-out on the 8800GT? Are the colors off, or does the resolution refuse to set, or is there excessive noise?

I don't know why HDMI vs. DVI would make a difference in image quality or performance (for that matter, I also have no idea why one DVI-out is detected as HDMI). Does anything here sound familiar/relevant?

http://evga.com/forums/tm.asp?m=207794

 

[InFeXiOn]

One is being reported as being connected via DVI in nV control panel - looks amazing.
One is being reported as being connected via HDMI in nV control panel - looks like crap.

Both are connected with HDMI-to-DVI cables. Exact same brand, ect.

Swapping the ports on the back of the computers and the monitors and it changes - opposite will be DVI and the other is HDMI.

This is seriously stupid.

 

[Sheninat0r]

What does "crap" look like? It's a very subjective word...

 

[InFeXiOn]

It looks completely different than the one that is connected via DVI according to nV's control panel.

Does it really matter?
They are 100% different and are supposed to be used in dual screen - aka; not happening.

 

[dawza]

We need details as to what exactly is different to proceed. Can you set the resolution? Are colors accurate? Is there fuzziness/noise? Does the color setting default to a lower bit-range?

What does Windows report for the display settings for the "crap" monitor?

Do you have a standard monitor with a DVI-input to test the rear port that is suspect?

Screenshot?

Tried different drivers?

Tried different display-management programs (i.e. UltraMon)?

 

[Peter]

HDMI uses the same kind of signalling as DVI does, only with encryption for copy protected (aka user annoying) HD video contents. On the desktop, if it works correctly, things should look absolutely the same. Your card showing one DVI output as HDMI may be the result of that port supporting said encryption.

 

[chizow]

Define crap? DVI and HDMI are pin compatible, there should be no difference unless you got a defective cable.

If its only the colors that are off it could be as simple as different color profiles. Since one is being detected as DVI and the other as HDMI, check the default color profiles and make sure they're the same. If not, adjust the one for HDMI to default to the DVI.

 

[InFeXiOn]

Read above, dawza.

Plugged both with SAME cables into an X1650 with ATI Catalyst and it worked 100% perfect. Both showed as DVI and looked PERFECT.

Go back and try it with my 8800GT and it doesn't work.
Display settings - refresh rate, resolution, color bit depth, all of them are the exact same.

Tried 3+ different drivers. This includes doing full Driver Cleans with reboots and all. Still no success.

Seems to work fine with my bros X1650 but not with my 8800GT...
And in regards to testing the port, I did that with my bros ATI card and it worked. So it's not the port.

Nvidia's software must be at a fault here. :\

 

[dawza]

1. For the third time, DETAILS as to what is "crap" about the display that is detected as HDMI. Post screenshots.

2. I was referring to the suspect port on the 8800GT, NOT that on the Westinghouse. Is there something funky about that second port on your video card, or is it only an issue when using a DVI-->HDMI cable? The best way to test this would be to plug a monitor that had a DVI input into the suspect port with a normal DVI-DVI cable.

 

[InFeXiOn]

Originally posted by: dawza
1. For the third time, DETAILS as to what is "crap" about the display that is detected as HDMI. Post screenshots.

2. I was referring to the suspect port on the 8800GT, NOT that on the Westinghouse. Is there something funky about that second port on your video card, or is it only an issue when using a DVI-->HDMI cable? The best way to test this would be to plug a monitor that had a DVI input into the suspect port with a normal DVI-DVI cable.

Can you not read?

I plugged both into my brothers X1650 with the EXACT same cables and the EXACT same monitors and the looked incredible and were both being reported by ATI's control center as "DVI" not one as DVI and one as HDMI.

The colors are way off, what else do you need to know?
Telling me to calibrate it isn't going to cut it because I already have, over a dozen times. The monitor displays different properties in the OSD when it's connected as HDMI (as one is being recognized) as opposed to when it's connected as DVI (as the other is being recognized).

I appreciate you trying to help but telling me to do something that is not going to solve my problem is just making me even more frustrated than I already am.

 

[dawza]

You have to be kidding me- reread my posts - the entire thread for that matter. This is the FIRST time you have given us a clue that "crap" = the colors are off.

Regarding ports- I am asking you if you have confirmed that both of the DVI ports on your 8800GT are working OK. From what I have been able to piece together, you have only used both ports simultaneously with DVI-HDMI cables. NOT with two DVI cables. Do you know for sure that BOTH VIDEO CARD ports work with digital connections? Can you at least eliminate the possibility that the card is having trouble with simultaneously putting out two digital connections?

 

[InFeXiOn]

Wow dude, are you serious right now?

DVI-to-HDMI = digital, why would I bother using a straight DVI cable?

I've said 2-3 times now that I tested it on an ATI card with the same cables (aka - digital, DVI-to-HDMI) and they both worked perfectly.

CLEARLY it's nV's software and I'm asking how I can fix it..

 

[alcoholbob]

I have similar experience with nVidia cards (7800GT and 8800GT). When using a VGA-to-S-video converter (to play PC video on a TV), the primary DVI port looks significantly better than the secondary; the secondary port has very bad contrast and everything looks very dark (too dark to play video on). The primary port looks awesome for video playback. Don't know why this is, but fiddling with the contrast/brightness settings in the nvidia control panel doesn't help the significantly poorer color quality. It may be a software issue.

 

[InFeXiOn]

Actually, in hindsight it just could be one of the ports on my video card.

In my confused and angst-filled state I may have overlooked that.

In any case, I'm pissed because I leave to go back to school on Saturday and need to figure this out ASAP.

EDIT: Actually, how could it be one of the ports? It's recognizing it as HDMI in nV's control panel which is also digital. It's just not recognizing it as DVI.

This is seriously annoying. QQ.

 

[InFeXiOn]

Ok, so I reinstalled drivers again and upon hooking it up to one of the ports (the one I was suspicious of) I have learned that ONE port will in the nV panel also it to be displayed as DVI (good one) and one will only allow it to be displayed as HDMI (bad one).

Hardware issue?
Maybe flash the BIOS on the card?

I'm seriously about to simply return the video card and go ATI, since it worked on my brothers fabulously.

 

[jcmuse]

hey i've got the same exact prob with an 8600gt, except both ports are locked on HDMI (picture is crap). i only have 1 westy so if i could just get 1 port working that would be great! argg!

also one thing that happens is the westy's speakers crackle becuase it thinks it is being connected to a real HDMI source (one with audio).