"Video frequency too high"

[Horst Olschewski]

Hi,

whenever I try to set the "display mode timing" of my screen to "fixed
aspect ratio", my screen tells me "video frequency too high".

System:
Geforce 6800
+-- TFT D-Sub 17" (Hyundai) @ 1024x768 (60Hz) (1280x1024 native)
+-- TFT DVI 17" (Eizo) @ 1024x768 (60Hz)

Driver: nVidia 94.24 (newer versions create problems)

The option works with the DVI connected screen but not with the one
connected to D-Sub (which support 60-75Hz). With the latter one, I get the
mesage above. The other timing modes ("auto-detect" etc) work ok.

Where can I set the frequency? Well, I do know where I can, but it is
already set correctly, so I don't know what I should do in this case.

(no, I can not change the connection of the two screens)

Greetings, Horst

 

[Guest]

Try downloading the "Exhibitor" from windows media downloads,the
software is specifically for running 2 or more monitors.

 

[Horst Olschewski]

Thank you, but reading the tool description, I don't see any relation to my
question. I don't want to playback Windows media files. I want to know where
to set the screen refresh rate that is used when I set the screen's aspect
ratio to "fixed aspect ratio".

In the driver's control panel, there is the folder "screen resolution &
refresh rates". There the refresh rate is 60Hz. On the "nView Display
Settings" folder, if I open the "device adjustments" for the screen, then
open the "Display mode timing" folder, I can select "fixed aspect ratio
timing". As soon as I do this, the screen goes black and says "video
frequency too high". I don't know which frequency is used and where I can
set it. The only location is the folder mentioned before but there it is
already set correctly.

Greetings, Horst

 

[RalfG]

Screen refresh rate shouldn't change when you change aspect ratio so why it
should be different when you select something like fixed aspect ratio seems
a bit strange. Is the setting valid on non-DVI connections? The fixed aspect
ratio setting seems to be most often used with wide-screen displays to
correct the aspect ratio for 4:3 aspect games etc.. Might not even be the
vertical sync that is changing, it could be the horizontal sync that is
going out of range with that setting. Corrupt driver install maybe? Possibly
the problem is with that particular monitor. Can you switch the monitor
connections?

In any case this isn't actually a Windows XP issue AFAICS, because it is
Nvidia driver specific. There's no such setting in ATI drivers though the
effect may resemble the "use centered timings" option (which is not user
adjustable).

 

[Horst Olschewski]

Ralf,

see inline

Screen refresh rate shouldn't change when you change aspect ratio so
why it should be different when you select something like fixed
aspect ratio seems a bit strange. Is the setting valid on non-DVI
connections?

The connection in question is the non-DVI (D-Sub/VGA) connection. The
setting can also be made for the DVI connection. There it works.

The fixed aspect ratio setting seems to be most often
used with wide-screen displays to correct the aspect ratio for 4:3
aspect games etc.. Might not even be the vertical sync that is
changing, it could be the horizontal sync that is going out of range
with that setting. Corrupt driver install maybe?

I've always cleanly uninstalled a previous driver version before installing
the new one, as instructed. As I reinstalled the whole system only few month
ago, I'm not going to setup everything again because it always takes me
pretty long to make the system run like before. Anyways, I'm pretty sure it
is not a driver installation problem. By the way, the problem is the same
with the recent driver version.

Possibly the
problem is with that particular monitor. Can you switch the monitor
connections?

No, because the screen currently connected to DVI (the Eizo) is also
connected to another PC by it's analog connector. Because the other PC has
only analog output, I won't be able to permanently use the Eizo's VGA input
for this PC. But I will temporarily try it and post the result here.

In any case this isn't actually a Windows XP issue AFAICS, because
it is Nvidia driver specific. There's no such setting in ATI drivers
though the effect may resemble the "use centered timings" option
(which is not user adjustable).

Yes, but I didn't know where else to ask.

Anyways, thanks, I'll give feedback


Greetings, Horst

 

[Horst Olschewski]

Ok, I've swapped the screens, so: Eizo at VGA and Hyundai at DVI. Now, if I
use the "fixed aspect ratio" mode for the Eizo, the screen does not go
black. It also doesn't show an error. Well, the Hyundai at the same output
showed an error. But, I can also not say that it works with the Eizo because
the aspect ratio is still not fixed. Instead, it is like before (5:4 instead
of 4:3 (still talking about the 1024x786 resolution)). Nothing changed.

If I now open the Eizo's OSD and have the input settings displayed, it says
1024x768@60Hz. Well, that's ok. My conclusion is that this is also the
setting if the Hyundai was connected to the VGA output, but then I don't
understand why this setting makes the Hyundai go black and show an error.
It's still 60Hz and it should still work.

Unfortunatelly, both screens don't have an aspect ratio setting built-in.

But, I'm a liar.... in that way that the newer driver version does not even
have a configuration option for the aspect ratio for the VGA output. It is
only there for the DVI output (where the Hyundai is currently connected),
and this setting worked and works. Maybe the option for the VGA output has
been removed because it didn't work in previous versions - as I have
experienced now. So, not the end of the world, I can live with it.

Thx,

greetings, Horst

 

[RalfG]

I ran a google search for "Nvidia fixed aspect ratio timing" and got a few
hits in forums discussing problems with the setting. The blog below
describes a workaround using Powerstrip to create a custom display profile
for the monitor with the aspect ratio he wanted to use:

http://mentoliptus.blogspot.com/2007/08/analog-fixed-aspect-ratio-howto.html

Just now wondering if you do have monitor drivers (IPO generic MS monitor
profile) installed for both displays. Should in theory allow you to prevent
non-supported display settings from being selectable in the display driver.

Does neither monitor show the horizontal frequency on its OSD? For example
mine shows VF=60.09Hz, HF=64Khz and Pixel clock =108.03 Mhz. I tried a few
different desktop settings, 1280x720, 720x576 etc. but none of the
frequencies reported in OSD changed. Monitor specs should indicate which
frequencies are within range and what the vertical refresh should be at
certain resolutions.

Other discussions about Nvidia "fixed aspect ratio" problems:

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=23064


http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8281&sid=3697eae0b5930e0c3f724b2c85a0efad

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=66608

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/708708.html

http://www.abxzone.com/forums/f10/f...ratio-scaling-problem-102723.html#post1306347