User manual ATI RADEON X800 PCIE

RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series User's Guide P/N 137-40680-10 ATI ii Copyright © 2004, ATI Technologies Inc. All rights reserved. ATI and ATI product and product feature names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ATI Technologies Inc. All other company and/or product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Features, performance and specifications are subject to change without notice. Product may not be exactly as shown in diagrams. Reproduction of this manual, or parts thereof, in any form, without the express written permission of ATI Technologies Inc. is strictly prohibited. iii Disclaimer While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document, ATI Technologies Inc. assumes no liability with respect to the operation or use of ATI hardware, software or other products and documentation described herein, for any act or omission of ATI concerning such products or this documentation, for any interruption of service, loss or interruption of business, loss of anticipatory profits, or for punitive, incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of the ATI hardware, software, or other products and documentation provided herein. ATI Technologies Inc. reserves the right to make changes without further notice to a product or system described herein to improve reliability, function or design. With respect to ATI products which this document relates, ATI disclaims all express or implied warranties regarding such products, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement. Macrovision Apparatus Claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 4,631,603, 4,577,216, 4,819,098, and 4,907,093 licensed for limited viewing uses only. This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by method claims of certain U.S. patents and other intellectual property rights owned by Macrovision Corporation and other rights owners. Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision Corporation, and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise authorized by Macrovision Corporation. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited. iv IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS · Read Instructions - All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated. · Retain Instructions - The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. · Heed Warnings - All warnings on the product and the operating instructions should be adhered to. · Compatibility - This option card is for use only with IBM AT or compatible UL Listed personal computers that have Installation Instructions detailing user installation of card cage accessories. · Grounding - For continued protection against risk of electric shock and fire, this accessory should be installed only in products equipped with a three-wire grounding plug, a plug having a third (grounding) pin. This plug will only fit into a grounding-type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact your electrician to replace the obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the grounding-type plug. · Secure Attachment - All card securement pins shall be completely tightened as to provide continuous bonding between the option card and the PC chassis. · Lightning - For added protection for this product during a lightning storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet, and disconnect the antenna or cable system. This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power-line surges. · Power Lines - An outside antenna system should not be located in the vicinity of overhead power lines or other light or power circuits, or where it can fall into such power lines or circuits. · Antenna Installation - When installing an outside antenna system, extreme care should be taken to keep from touching such power lines or circuits, as contact with them may be fatal. v Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 System Requirements External Connections 1 1 Using Multiple Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Connecting Your Monitors Display Configurations 3 5 ATI's CATALYSTTM Software Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Multiple Displays and 3D Gaming HYDRAVISIONTM Accessing the CATALYSTTM Software Suite ATI Displays Tab Dynamic Display Reassignment ATI Color Tab Hotkeys Color Hotkeys Settings ATI Options Tab ATI Rotation Tab Rotation HotKeys ATI Overlay Tab Video Overlay Clone Mode Settings ATI 3D Tab Custom Properties Dialog Direct 3D® Compatibility Settings OpenGL® Compatibility Settings ATI VPU Recover Tab 9 9 9 10 12 13 17 18 20 22 24 24 24 26 27 30 33 34 35 Using TV Display and Capture Features . . . . . . . 37 Using TV Out Viewing Your PC's Display on a TV Connecting to a TV or VCR Starting Windows® with TV Display Enabled Using and Adjusting TV Display Features TV Display Hardware Restrictions Using a Monitor vs. Using TV Display Adjusting Monitor Display 37 37 37 39 39 39 40 40 vi Viewing Text on a TV 40 Reducing Edge Distortion 40 Using TV Display Alone 41 Using Games and Applications 42 Introduction 42 Using Your ATI HDTV Video Cable 44 Capturing Video 45 Connecting your media device for video capture 46 Setting the Windows® Volume Control 46 NTSC/PAL Support for the RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series47 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Uninstalling Old Graphics Card Software Windows® New Hardware Found Installing the CATALYSTTM Software Suite Solution Selector 49 49 50 51 Compliance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 FCC Compliance Information Industry Canada Compliance Statement CE Compliance Information L'Information de conformité de la CE CE-befolgungInformationen 55 55 56 56 56 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 1 CHAPTER 1: Introduction Congratulations on the purchase of your ATI RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series card. We hope that you will enjoy countless hours of trouble-free computing. System Requirements Hardware · Intel® Pentium® 4/III; Celeron IITM. · 128 MB of system memory; 256 MB or more for best performance. · Motherboard with free PCI ExpressTM slot and correct PCIe chipset driver. · CD-ROM drive (for installation software). · PCI ExpressTM compatible system with a specialized 12v graphics card power connector. 350 watt or greater power supply recommended. Consult your computer system manual to ensure the power supply is designed to accommodate a high-end graphics card with a peak dissipation above 75 watts. · Windows® XP (Home or Pro) · Windows® 2000 · High-resolution MultiSync or multi-frequency monitors or any other type of VGA monitor. · Digital flat-panel (DFP) displays or digital CRT display. Operating System Monitor External Connections · 15-pin D-shell (female) VGA output. · DVI-I output. · S-Video output. · Video In/Video Out (VIVO) connection. 2 3 CHAPTER 2: Using Multiple Displays This chapter describes how to attach multiple monitors to your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series card, as well as the allowable multi-display configurations. Connecting Your Monitors Your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series provides hardware support for one DVI-I monitor or two VGA monitors using the supplied DVI-I-to-VGA adapter. A TV can also be used to expand your desktop by using the S-Video out. 4 Connections and Adapters for the RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series Card Standard VGA Monitor Connector. To connect a VGA monitor to the DVI-I connector, plug the supplied DVI-I-to-VGA adapter into the DVI-I connector, then plug your monitor cable into the adapter. DVI-I-to-VGA Adapter. DVI-I Backplate Connection. To connect a flat panel, plug the monitors DVI-I connector into the DVI-I connection. Note: If you use multiple monitors, the RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series card must be the primary graphics card. Normally, the system BIOS determines which graphics card will be the primary. To connect your monitors 1 2 3 Turn off your computer and monitors. Plug the monitor cables into their appropriate connectors. Turn on your monitors first, and then restart your computer so that Windows® can detect the new hardware settings. Display Configurations 5 4 When the New Hardware Found Wizard appears, at the appropriate prompt insert the ATI Installation CD to load the drivers for your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series card. To set up a multi-monitor display 1 From the Start menu click Control Panel, then Display. Click the Settings tab to access the basic multi-monitor configuration settings. Note: ATI software provides many additional configuration features that can be accessed by clicking the Advanced button from the Display Properties > Settings tab. 2 3 4 Select the Monitor icon identified by the number 2. Click Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor. Set the Screen Resolution and Color Quality as appropriate for the second monitor. Click Apply or OK to apply these new values. · Refer to your Windows online help and documentation for further information on using the Settings tab. Note: When you use multiple monitors with your card, one monitor will always be Primary. Any additional monitors will be designated as Secondary. Display Configurations Your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series graphics card provides dual display functionality and TV Out. The following table lists the different ways you can connect displays to your card. Display Configuration Single CRT display Connector(s) Used VGA connector OR DVI-I connector with DVI-I-to-VGA adapter DVI-I connector Comments CRT- cathode ray tube analog display. Single DFP display Single TV DFP - digital flat panel display. S-Video Out The S-Video out can also support a composite connection via the SVideo-to-Composite adapter. 6 Display Configurations Display Configuration Single HDTV display Connector(s) Used S-Video Out to HDTV (YPrPb) cable VGA connector + S-Video Out Comments HDTV - High Definition Television CRT display + TV UNSUPPORTED CONFIGURATION if the CRT display is attached to the DVI-I connector via the DVI-I-to-VGA adapter. CRT display + HDTV VGA connector + S-Video Out to HDTV (YPrPb) cable DVI-I connector + S-Video out DVI-I connector + S-Video Out to HDTV (YPrPb) cable VGA connector + DVI-I connector VGA connector + DVI-I connector with DVI-I-to-VGA adapter VGA connector + DVI-I connector + S-Video Out VGA connector + DVI-I connector + S-Video Out to HDTV (YPrPb) cable VGA connector + DVI-I connector with DVI-I-to-VGA adapter + S-Video Out UNSUPPORTED CONFIGURATION The DVI-I connector can support a CRT display using the DVI-I-to-VGA adapter DFP display + TV DFP display + HDTV CRT display + DFP display CRT display + CRT display CRT display + DFP display + TV CRT display + DFP display + HDTV The TV display will "clone" the image of one of the other two displays CRT display + CRT display + TV Display Configurations 7 Display Configuration CRT display + CRT display + HDTV Connector(s) Used VGA connector + DVI-I connector with DVI-I-to-VGA adapter + S-Video Out to HDTV (YPrPb) cable Comments UNSUPPORTED CONFIGURATION 8 Display Configurations 9 CHAPTER 3: ATI's CATALYSTTM Software Suite This chapter describes how to use the advanced display, multiple-monitor, and 3D graphics features in ATI's CATALYSTTM Software Suite. Multiple Displays and 3D Gaming ATI's CATALYSTTM Software Suite provides multiple-display functionality, and its advanced graphic features, such as SMARTSHADERTM HD, provide the ultimate 3D gaming experience. The CATALYSTTM Software Suite also supports the latest versions of Direct 3D® and OpenGL®. Many 3D game titles will virtually come to life through the advanced Direct 3D® or OpenGL® features. Gamers can finetune these settings for the ultimate experience in 3D image quality or 3D gaming performance. HYDRAVISIONTM In addition to the multiple display functionality available with ATI's CATALYSTTM Software Suite, you can also use HYDRAVISIONTM for advanced multi-monitor management. For more information on HYDRAVISIONTM , please refer to the HYDRAVISIONTM User's Guide PDF located on your ATI Installation CD. Accessing the CATALYSTTM Software Suite For help installing the CATALYSTTM Software Suite, refer to the Getting Started Guide. The CATALYSTTM Software Suite installs the ATI display tabs into the Windows® Display Properties dialog. They are accessed through the Advanced button located on the Settings tab. To access the Display Properties dialog, right-click on the desktop or navigate through Windows® Control Panel, which is located in the Start menu. 10 ATI Displays Tab Windows® Display Properties Settings Tab ATI Displays Tab The ATI Displays tab provides control over multiple-monitor features. Here you can enable/disable display devices and swap the assignment of Primary and Secondary displays. ATI Displays Tab 11 . ATI Displays Tab ATI Displays Tab Scheme Displays the drop-down list of available display-device configurations that have previously been created. New configurations can be entered here and then saved using the Save button. Associates a hotkey with a scheme. To input the hotkey, highlight the field and press the appropriate key combination on your keyboard. Saves display-device configuration schemes. Deletes display-device configuration schemes. Enables or disables a display device; they also indicate whether a device is enabled or disabled. Hotkey Save button Delete button Display buttons 12 ATI Displays Tab ATI Displays Tab Troubleshoot button Opens a Troubleshoot dialog to assist with possible display problems. To enable or disable a display If the enable/disable button is green, it indicates the device is enabled. If it is red, it indicates the device is disabled. If the button is greyed out, the device is not an option. For example, if there is only one monitor connected, all buttons will be grey. 1 2 Click the enable/disable button want to enable/disable. for the display device you Click OK or Apply to save the changes. Note: Due to power restrictions, you can normally only have two devices active at the same time; for example, two monitors or a monitor and a TV. To save a display-device scheme Display-device selections can be saved as a scheme for quick recall. 1 2 3 Click the enable/disable button want to have active. for the display devices you Type a name into the Scheme drop-down list field. Click Save to save the scheme. Dynamic Display Reassignment You can change the assignment of your Primary and Secondary display on the fly, without rebooting. Note: Before you can change the assignment of the Primary display, at least one Secondary display and the Extended Desktop mode must be enabled. Extended Desktop mode is enabled through the Windows® Display Property dialog, under Settings. For more information, consult your Windows® documentation. To assign your Primary monitor 1 Click the buttons to assign the Primary monitor: ATI Color Tab 13 For Windows® XP · The ATI Displays tab shows you the display(s) that are active. The Primary display has the button depressed. To change the button or display assignment, click the Primary display's click the button of the other display device. For Windows® 2000 · Clicking the button will reassign the Primary and Secondary button creates a clone or mirror monitors. Clicking the Clicking the image of the Primary display onto the Secondary display. button extends your desktop to a Secondary display located to the right of the Primary display. Clicking the button extends your desktop to a Secondary display located below the Primary display. 2 Click OK or Apply to save the changes. ATI Color Tab The ATI Color tab allows you to configure Gamma, Brightness, and Contrast color settings for both your desktop and full screen 3D environments. You can also save settings to a color profile for easy recall. In addition, you can assign unique hotkey combinations that allow you to adjust Gamma, Brightness, and Contrast color settings within your full screen 3D applications. 14 ATI Color Tab ATI Color Tab: Desktop Settings ATI Color Tab 15 ATI Color Tab: Full Screen 3D Settings ATI Color Tab Desktop radio button Full Screen 3D radio button Select Desktop to configure your desktop color settings. Select Full Screen 3D to configure the color settings for your 3D application. Note that the configured settings will only be apparent within a full screen 3D application environment. Indicates whether the profiles in the drop-down list are for your Desktop or a Full Screen 3D environment. Lists all of the Desktop or Full Screen 3D profiles that you have saved. Selecting a profile from the list loads those custom color settings for the relevant environment. To create a new profile, simply type in a name and click Save. Profiles for Profiles dropdown list 16 ATI Color Tab ATI Color Tab Save button Saves your current color settings to a Desktop or Full Screen 3D profile, using the name you specified in the list box. To restore these settings later, simply select the Profile name from the list and click Apply or OK. Deletes the profile that is selected in the Profiles list box. Adjusts the Gamma, Brightness or Contrast for Red, Green, and Blue simultaneously. Note that any individual color settings in effect are lost if All Colors is selected; the color settings revert back to the last-known All Colors settings. Selects the active color component (Red, Green, or Blue) whose values will be adjusted by the Gamma, Brightness, and Contrast sliders. Note that any individual color settings made are lost if you subsequently select All Colors. Increases or decreases the gamma correction of your Desktop or full screen 3D application. Changing the gamma alters the curvature of the color curve. Increases or decreases the color brightness of your Desktop or full screen 3D application. Changing the brightness adjusts the vertical position of the color curve. Increases or decreases the color contrast of your Desktop or full screen 3D application. Changing the contrast adjusts the slope of the color curve. Restores an individual slider setting to its default value. Click Apply or OK to save. The color image indicates visually how the Gamma, Brightness and Contrast sliders affect the final color settings of your display device. In Desktop mode, clicking on this with your mouse pointer will change the image. Opens the Color Hotkeys Settings dialog. There you can assign hotkeys for adjusting your color settings within a full screen 3D application environment. To activate this button, you must select the Full Screen 3D radio button. Restores all of the color settings to the default values. Click Apply or OK to save. Delete button All Colors checkbox Red, Green, and Blue radio buttons Gamma slider Brightness slider Contrast slide Reset buttons Color preview box Hotkeys button Defaults button To create a Desktop or Full Screen 3D profile 1 Choose either the Desktop or Full Screen 3D radio button, as desired. ATI Color Tab 17 2 3 4 Adjust the Gamma, Brightness, and Contrast sliders to the desired settings, either individually or using the All Colors checkbox. Type a profile name in the Profile list box. Click Save. To apply the settings for a specific Desktop profile 1 2 3 Choose the Desktop radio button. Select the profile name from the drop-down list box. Click Apply or OK. To apply the settings for a Full Screen 3D profile 1 2 3 4 Choose the Full Screen 3D radio button. Select the profile name from the drop-down list box. Click Apply or OK. Start your 3D application in full-screen mode. Hotkeys Some 3D applications automatically load their own color settings rather than those set through the ATI Color tab. To use custom settings, you can preconfigure hotkey combinations to either adjust the individual color properties or apply profiles you have created, once the 3D application is running. To access the Color Hotkeys Settings dialog 1 2 Select the Full Screen 3D radio button. Click the Hotkeys button to access the Color Hotkeys Settings dialog. The easiest way to apply your own color settings from within a full screen 3D application is to create a Full Screen 3D profile and save it, assign hotkeys for the "Load Current Profile" action through the Hotkeys dialog, make sure that the profile you prefer is selected from the drop-down list box, and click OK. Once inside the 3D application, use the hotkeys to trigger the profile. 18 ATI Color Tab Some 3D applications allow you to switch easily between full-screen mode and windowed mode, and do not load their own color settings. In windowed mode, you can make slider adjustments or select a different profile on the Color tab, then switch back to full-screen mode to see the effects immediately. Color Hotkeys Settings Some full screen 3D applications automatically load their own color settings rather than those set through the ATI Color tab. If you want to force the application to use your custom settings, you can preconfigure hotkey combinations to either adjust the individual color properties or apply profiles you have created from within the 3D application. This control is accomplished through the Color Hotkeys Settings dialog of the Color properties tab. Color Hotkeys Settings Dialog Color Hotkey Settings Modifier key In combination with the Hotkey, specifies the hotkey combination that triggers an action. The Modifier key can be any combination of Alt, Ctrl, or Shift. Note that the Shift key is never used alone. ATI Color Tab 19 Color Hotkey Settings Hotkey In combination with the Modifier key, specifies the hotkey combination that triggers an action. Hotkey can be any key listed. To avoid conflicts, be aware of any hotkeys or keyboard controls that may already be assigned to your applications and 3D games. Specifies the action that the assigned hotkey combinations will control within a full screen 3D application environment. You can only assign one hotkey combination to each action. Lists the assigned hotkey combinations and the actions that each one controls. Adds a hotkey combination to the assigned list. Removes a hotkey combination from the assigned list. Disables all hotkeys. To disable a single hotkey combination, remove it from the assigned list. Hotkey action Assigned hotkeys Add button Remove button Disable hotkeys checkbox To assign color settings hotkeys for full screen 3D applications 1 2 3 4 Select a modifier key from the Modifier Key list. Select a hotkey from the Hotkey list. Select the action you want from the Hotkey Action list. Click Add to create the hotkey combination. This combination will appear in the Assigned Hotkeys text box. Only one hotkey combination can be assigned to each action; if you assign a new combination for an action, it will overwrite an existing one. Note: When assigning hotkeys, be careful that the key combinations you choose do not conflict with those of other applications in which you might want to use them. The ATI Color properties page only checks for duplications within the Color page itself, insofar as it allows a hotkey combination to be assigned only once. To remove assigned hotkeys 1 2 Select a hotkey combination from the Assigned Hotkey text box. Click Remove. Note: Assigning a new combination to an action with an existing combination will overwrite the existing one. 20 ATI Options Tab To disable hotkeys (so that you do not accidentally activate them, for example), click the Disable Hotkeys checkbox. If you plan to use hotkeys, make sure this box is unchecked. The easiest way to apply your own color settings from within a full screen 3D application is to create a Full Screen 3D profile and save it, assign hotkeys for the "Load Current Profile" action through the Hotkeys dialog, make sure that the profile you prefer is selected from the drop-down list box, and click OK. Once inside the 3D application, use the hotkeys to trigger the profile. ATI Options Tab The ATI Options tab provides detailed driver information and access to your graphics card's versioning and specifications. You can also enable or disable the ATI taskbar icon from this dialog. ATI Options Tab ATI Rotation Tab 21 ATI Options Tab Version Information Details button Shows the Catalyst version number, 2D version number, and the driver build information. Gives access to the Details tab, which lists the card's hardware details and driver information. Reactivates any disabled graphics warning messages. Reactivate all warning messages Enable ATI taskbar icon application Show ATI icon on taskbar Disable quick resolution feature Enables/disables the ATI taskbar applications and removes the ATI icon from your system tray. Removes/replaces the ATI icon from the system tray without disabling the ATI icon applications. The quick resolution feature is accessible by left-clicking the ATI icon in the system tray. Checking this option disables this feature. Resolves display corruption or no image at high resolutions (for example 1280x1024 @75Hz) using a digital DVI display. This setting has no effect when using a DVI-I-to-VGA adapter. Use this option if you are experiencing display corruption on your DVI flat panel. Reduce DVI frequency on high-resolution Alternate DVI operational mode ATI Rotation Tab Use the Rotation tab to rotate the image on your display up to 180 degrees. This feature is useful when using a flat panel display that can be physically rotated to different positions. 22 ATI Rotation Tab ATI Rotation Tab ATI Rotation Tab Rotation buttons Configure Hotkeys dropdown list Hotkey field Rotates the display by the preset amount. Lists the rotation actions with which you can associate a hotkey. Associates a hotkey with a rotation. To input the hotkey, click on the field and press the appropriate key combination on your keyboard. Saves a hotkey setting. Restores the default hotkey settings. When selected, rotates the mouse pointer to match the display image settings. When deselected, the mouse pointer will move relative to the Standard Landscape view regardless of display rotation. Save button Defaults Mouse tracks rotation checkbox ATI Rotation Tab 23 To rotate a single display 1 2 3 Select one of the four rotation settings by clicking the appropriate button. Optionally, check the Mouse Track Rotation checkbox to have the mouse pointer match the display image. Click OK or Apply. To rotate multiple displays 1 2 3 4 5 6 Select the Settings tab in the Windows® Display Properties dialog. Select the display to which you want to apply the rotation. Click the Advanced button and select the Rotation tab. Select one of the four rotation settings by clicking the appropriate button. Optionally, check the Mouse Track Rotation checkbox to have the mouse pointer match the display image. Click OK or Apply. Rotation HotKeys Hotkeys can be assigned to quickly rotate the image on your display without having to access the Windows® Display Properties dialog. To assign rotation hotkeys 1 2 3 Choose the required rotation setting from the Configure HotKeys drop-down list. Click on the HotKey field and press the appropriate key combination on your keyboard. Click Save. Note: When assigning hotkeys, be careful that the key combinations you choose do not conflict with those of other applications in which you might want to use them. The ATI Rotation page only checks for duplications within the Rotation page itself, insofar as it allows a hotkey combination to be assigned only once. 24 ATI Overlay Tab ATI Overlay Tab The ATI Overlay tab allows you to configure the brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, and gamma properties of your video overlay. Video Overlay Video overlay allows for the viewing of streaming video on your PC. However, there is only one video overlay, which is only available on the Primary display. The video overlay controls are automatically activated during playback of any video file type that supports overlay adjustments. Move the sliders to the right to increase the values of the various options, and to the left to decrease them. Click the Defaults button to reset the values to their default settings. ATI Overlay Tab ATI Overlay Tab 25 ATI Overlay Tab Brightness Contrast Saturation Adjusts the brightness of the video image. Adjusts the contrast in the video image. Adjusts the vividness of the color. Sliding it all the way to the left removes all color and produces a black and white picture. Adjusts the pureness or tint of the red, green, and blue components of the color. Adjusts the overall intensity of the video image. Accesses Clone Mode overlay settings.These settings only apply to video content when viewed in dual-controller Clone mode. For more information, see the Clone Mode Settings section. Resets the Overlay settings to default values. Displays video playback in full screen on a secondary monitor, if available and enabled. Hue Gamma Clone mode options Defaults button Theater Mode Clone Mode Settings Clone Mode Options are available under the following conditions: · Your ATI graphics accelerator has dual controllers to support Primary and Secondary (Clone) displays. · Your ATI video adapter has dual display functionality by providing a standard VGA connector and a digital flat panel connector such as the DVI-I connector. In either of these cases, you can access Clone Mode Options if more than one display is connected. Note: These settings apply to video content viewed when you are in dual-controller Clone mode, and not single-display or extended desktop configurations. 26 ATI Overlay Tab Clone Mode Options tab Clone Mode Options Standard Theater Mode Video content is displayed on your Primary display only. Video content is displayed on your Primary and Secondary displays. Video content is displayed on your Secondary display(s) is always in full screen mode. Note: your computer must be set for 16-bit color depth or higher to use this mode. Video content is displayed on your Primary and Secondary display in exactly the same manner. For example, all displays will show video output in full screen mode. These settings are available when Theater Mode is selected. The aspect ratio of the source video is maintained for full screen display. Note: that this option may result in black bars on either the horizontal or vertical sides of the video display. Same on all Theater Mode Settings Same as source video ATI 3D Tab 27 Clone Mode Options Full Screen Video The source video is scaled so that your display is showing full screen. Note: if the source video contains horizontal black bars, as do some DVD movies, the full screen video will also contain black bars. Select this option if the aspect ratio of the display device showing full screen video has the standard 4:3 aspect ratio (standard TVs and monitors). Select this option if the aspect ratio of the display device is showing full screen video has a 16:9 aspect ratio (widescreen HDTVs). 4:3 (Standard TV) 16:9 (Widescreen) ATI 3D Tab This tab allows you to fine-tune settings for both Direct 3D® and OpenGL® applications. It displays existing settings and allows you to create unique application profiles. ATI 3D Tab 28 ATI 3D Tab ATI 3D Tab 3D Settings for radio buttons Performance/Quality slider Selects either Direct 3D® or OpenGL® as the format to be altered in the workspace. Controls the overall performance/image quality of your graphic application. Moving the slider to the left will maximize application performance, while moving the slider to the right will maximize image quality. When Use Custom Settings is checked, the Performance/Quality slider is disabled and the Custom button is enabled. Using custom settings is recommended for advanced users only. Opens the Custom Properties dialog. Using custom settings is recommended for advanced users only. For more information, refer to the Custom Properties Dialog section. Shows the current settings for either Direct 3D® or OpenGL®, whichever is selected. Allows you to save a unique profile of the custom settings you have selected. Once you have completed making your custom settings, click OK in the Custom Properties dialog. Enter a name in Current Profile and click the Save button. Saved profiles are selected from the Current Profile drop-down window. To delete a profile, select it from the Current Profile drop-down window and press the Delete button. Accesses advanced settings that may solve compatibility issues for a few specific Direct 3D® or OpenGL® applications, whichever is selected. For more information, refer to the Compatibility Dialog section. Resets to the dialog's default values. Use Custom Settings checkbox Custom button Current Settings Profiles for Compatibility Settings button Defaults ATI 3D Tab 29 Custom Properties Dialog Custom Properties Dialog Custom Properties Dialog: OpenGL® or Direct 3D® SMOOTHVISIONTM HD Anti-Aliasing slider SMOOTHVISIONTM (Anti-Aliasing) improves image quality by removing jagged edges from 3D images, resulting in smoother, more natural-looking objects. AntiAliasing can be applied using different sample patterns and sample points such as 2X or 4X. Moving this slider to the right increases sampling to provide the most realistic 3D image. Select the Application Preference checkbox for highquality images, with a negligible reduction in the application's performance. Deselect the Application Preference checkbox to customize the anti-aliasing. 30 ATI 3D Tab Custom Properties Dialog: OpenGL® or Direct 3D® SMOOTHVISIONTM HD Anisotropic Filtering slider Anisotropic filtering uses a texture filtering technique that blends multiple texture samples together. The number of samples taken when anisotropic filtering is performed can vary. By moving this slider to the right, as the number of samples taken increases, the quality of the final image increases significantly. 16X provides extremely detailed, crisp-looking images as a result of the largest number of texture samples possible. Selecting the Application Preference checkbox will result in high-quality images, with a negligible reduction in the application's performance. Select the Application Preference checkbox for highquality images, with a negligible reduction in the application's performance. Deselect the Application Preference checkbox to customize the anisotropic filtering. Texture Preference slider Choose between high quality or high performance textures for your application. Moving the slider to the right delivers the highest quality experience. Moving the slider to the left emphasizes a high-performance solution while still providing good visuals. Choose the texture quality of the mipmaps the application will use. Mipmaps are a collection of different sized textures of the same image. As the user moves closer to a 3D object the image quality should increase, requiring a higher quality texture of the same image. The base mipmap is the highest quality texture, and all subsequent mipmaps are smaller sized textures of the same image. Moving the slider to the right selects a higher quality base mipmap, delivering the highest quality application experience. Moving the slider to the left selects a lower quality mipmap, delivering the highest application performance. Controls whether the Vertical sync is always on, always off, or controlled by the application. TRUFORMTM is a technology developed by ATI that enables higher-order surface rendering through traditional triangle rendering APIs. It improves the sillouhettes and lighting of objects. Mipmap Detail Level slider Wait for Vertical sync slider TRUFORMTM slider ATI 3D Tab 31 Custom Properties Dialog: SMARTSHADERTM Effects SMARTSHADERTM Effects drop-down list Defaults button SMARTSHADERTM applies preset pixel effects on OpenGL® or Direct 3D® applications. Choose the desired effect and click OK. Restores the default settings. 32 ATI 3D Tab Direct 3D® Compatibility Settings Direct 3D® Compatibility Settings Dialog Direct 3D® Compatibility Settings Support DXT texture formats There are a few applications that can only support a limited number of texture formats. By selecting Disabled, the driver will not support DXT texture formats, thus reducing the number of texture formats supported. May eliminate problems with some Direct 3D® games which display vertical and horizontal lines around textures, or text that appears incorrect. However, this setting should only be used if you are experiencing the symptoms mentioned, as it may cause problems with other games. Resets to the dialog's default values. Alternate pixel center Defaults button ATI 3D Tab 33 OpenGL® Compatibility Settings OpenGL® Compatibility Settings Dialog OpenGL® Compatibility Settings Force Z-buffer depth Triple Buffering Explicitly set the Z-Buffer depth. Most applications will work best when Disabled is selected Improves the frame rate of games when Wait for Vertical Sync is enabled in Custom Settings. Enabling Triple Buffering may decrease application performance as there will be less frame-buffer memory available. If there is insufficient memory available to support this feature it will be automatically disabled. It is recommended that this feature remain disabled. Resets to the dialog's default values. This feature should only be disabled if you are experiencing serious rendering problems. Disabling this feature will significantly decrease OpenGL® performance. Defaults button OpenGL® hardware acceleration 34 ATI VPU Recover Tab ATI VPU Recover Tab Hardware crashes may occur when a hardware device and the corresponding software device driver are no longer able to communicate with each other. VPU Recover enables the ATI display driver to detect when the graphics card is no longer able to respond to display driver commands. When this situation arises, the display driver will reset the graphics card. Depending on the current state of the system when VPU Recover is activated, applications that are running may be able to fully recover from this reset. In other cases, running applications may be closed, and the user will be returned to the Windows® desktop. ATI VPU Recover Tab ATI VPU Recover Tab Enable VPU Recover checkbox Enables VPU Recover. ATI VPU Recover Tab 35 ATI VPU Recover Tab Prepare an Error Report checkbox When VPU Recover is activated a dialog will prompt you to submit an automatically generated error report to ATI. This error report will help ATI to determine the cause of the problem and help create more stable drivers. To disable this feature, deselect the Prepare an Error Report checkbox. 36 ATI VPU Recover Tab Using TV Out 37 CHAPTER 4: Using TV Display and Capture Features This chapter describes how to use the TV display and video capture features of your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series card. Using TV Out Your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series has TV Out capability. Viewing Your PC's Display on a TV You can attach your graphics card to a TV and monitor at the same time. You can also connect it to your VCR and record your monitor's display. IMPORTANT INFORMATION for European Customers Some PC monitors in Europe cannot be used simultaneously with TV display. When you enable TV display in Europe, the refresh rate for the monitor and TV is set to 50 Hz. Some monitors may not support this refresh rate and could be damaged. · Please check the documentation supplied with your monitor to see if your monitor supports a refresh rate of 50 Hz. · If your monitor does not support 50 Hz (or if you are not sure), turn off your monitor before turning on your PC when using your TV as a display. TV display is ideal for giving presentations and watching movies, or playing games on a screen larger than a typical monitor. The following tips will help you get the most out of your TV Out feature. Connecting to a TV or VCR To connect your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series card to a TV or VCR, use an S-Video cable. Many TVs (and VCRs) have a Composite video input, in which case you can use the supplied S-Video-to-Composite video adapter. If your TV has cable input only, you can connect your graphics card to your TV through your VCR or an RF modulator that is available from most electronics stores. 38 Using TV Out To connect S-Video Out 1 2 3 Power off your computer and your TV (or VCR). Determine if your TV (or VCR) supports either a S-Video or Composite video connection. Looking at the back of your PC, locate your S-Video Out. Using an SVideo cable or the supplied adapter cable, attach one end of the cable to your graphics card and the other to your TV (or VCR). Refer to the illustration. Power on your TV (or VCR) first, then your computer. 4 Connecting Your S-Video Out to a TV or VCR S-Video Connection on graphics card TV or VCR Using TV Out 39 Connecting Your S-Video Out to a TV or VCR S-Video Cable (with or without S-Video-to-Composite Adapter) Computer Starting Windows® with TV Display Enabled The TV screen may become scrambled during the initial Windows® logo display. This distortion is only a temporary effect, and your screen will be restored within a few seconds. During start up, your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series will go through a sequence of mode settings, during which your TV display will remain blank. This process takes only a few seconds and programs the TV display. To enable or disable the TV display 1 2 3 4 5 Access the Windows® Control Panel. Double-click Display. Click the Settings tab and then the Advanced button. Click the ATI Displays tab. Click the TV button. Click the enable button or disable button accordingly. Click OK or Apply to save the changes. Using and Adjusting TV Display Features For information about how to adjust TV display features, right-click the ATI taskbar icon, point to Help, then point to ATI Television Display. TV Display Hardware Restrictions A TV cannot be left connected to the graphics card if two analog monitors are connected to your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series card, even if the TV is off and not enabled in the software. Similarly, an analog monitor connected to the DVI-I connector should not be left connected to your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series card when TV Out is enabled. In both cases, your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series will become overloaded, resulting in a dim image on all devices. 40 Using TV Out Using a Monitor vs. Using TV Display Using your TV for your computer's display can be useful, however, the display on your monitor may change or looked squashed. This distortion occurs because the display adjusts to fit the dimensions of your TV. To correct the monitor's display, use the monitor's control buttons to adjust its display size and position. Some single-frequency monitors may not work with TV display enabled. If you experience problems when TV display is enabled, disable TV display to restore your monitor's display. Adjusting Monitor Display The size of the display on your monitor may become smaller and not perfectly centered when you have TV display enabled. These effects are caused by the changes required to provide a proper display on the TV. Use the controls available on the Adjustments tab on the Monitor Properties page (accessible by clicking on the Monitor button on the ATI Displays tab) to adjust the display on your monitor only. Click the TV button to adjust the TV display only. Viewing Text on a TV A TV is designed primarily to show moving images. The large dot pitch of a TV will yield poor quality static images. The small text sizes commonly used for PC desktops can appear blurred or unclear on a TV. You can compensate for this degradation by using larger fonts. Switching to a larger display font 1 2 3 4 Access the Display Properties dialog by right-clicking on the desktop or navigating through Windows® Control Panel. Click the Settings tab, the Advanced button, and then the General tab. In the Display section, select Large (120 DPI) from the Font Size (or DPI Setting) drop-down list. Click Apply. If prompted, click Yes to restart your Computer. Reducing Edge Distortion When using a TV for your computer's display, you may see some edge distortion on the left and right side of your TV screen. This effect depends on your TV and the computer application you are running. Using TV Out 41 You can reduce edge distortion by increasing the TV display's horizontal size or contrast. Increasing the horizontal size of a TV display 1 2 3 4 5 6 Access the Display Properties dialog by right-clicking on the desktop or navigating through Windows® Control Panel. Click on the Settings tab and then the Advanced button. Click on the ATI Displays tab. Click on the TV button. Click the Adjustments tab. In the Screen Size section, click on the plus (+) button beside the horizontal arrowheads display. to increase the horizontal size of the TV 7 Click OK or Apply to save the changes you have made. You can also reduce edge distortion by increasing the TV's contrast. Increasing the contrast of a TV display 1 2 3 4 5 6 Access the Display Properties dialog by right-clicking on the desktop or navigating through Windows® Control Panel. Click on the Settings tab and then the Advanced button. Click on the ATI Displays tab. Click on the TV button. Drag the Contrast slider to the right to increase the contrast. Click OK or Apply to save the changes you have made. Using TV Display Alone If you plan to move your computer to a place where you are using TV display only, make sure that you have the TV display feature enabled prior to removing the monitor. The maximum display resolution for TV is 1024x768. Choosing a resolution higher than this will cause the TV display to disappear if it is the only display device. 42 Introduction Using Games and Applications Some older games and applications may program your RADEONTM X800 PCIe Series directly to run under a specific display mode. This may cause your TV display to turn off automatically or become scrambled (the PC monitor will not be affected). Your TV display will be restored once you exit the game or if you restart your computer. Introduction View computer output directly on your High Definition Television (HDTV) or other component input device. Provide a big-screen experience for your computer that is ideal for playing games, giving presentations, watching movies, and browsing the Internet. HDTV uses YPbPr connectors to receive input. YPbPr stands for the following: · Y = Green · Pb = Blue · Pr = Red The HDTV Component Video Adapter can be used in place of the standard A/V Output cable to connect to an HDTV or other component input device, using component video cables. You must have a monitor attached to your computer before installing the ATI HDTV. For proper operation of your ATI Component Video Adapter, ATI display drivers must be correctly installed. Introduction 43 ATI HDTV Cable ATI HDTV Video Output Cable Backplate of the ATI Graphics Card Male RCA Patch Cables ­ available from consumer electronics dealer Typical HDTV Video Input Connections Note: Input and output cables lengths should not exceed 50 feet (15m). Installing your ATI HDTV video cable 1 Turn on your component input device, and set it to YPbPr input. Note: See your HDTV or component input device manual for configuration information specific to your device. 2 Turn on your computer. Note: Your TV will not display anything until Windows starts. This can take several minutes. 44 Introduction Using Your ATI HDTV Video Cable Use the HDTV Video Cable to watch DVD movies and play video games on your High Definition Television. Copy-protected DVDs restrict playback to 480i and 480p modes. For maximum performance when you watch DVD movies or play computer games on your HDTV, you should find the mode and screen resolution that provide the best result on your TV, and use those settings exclusively. To change HDTV display settings 1 2 Click the Windows Start button, point at Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click the Display icon, click the Settings tab, and use the Screen Area slider to select the resolution you want. Note: If the resolution you select is not related to a timing, the system will reduce the resolution to the closest supported timing. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Click the Advanced button, then click the Displays tab. Click the YPbPr tab. Click OK. Click the Advanced button. Click the Adapter tab, then click the List All Modes button. Click 640 x 480. Then select either 640 x 480. · 60Hz = Progressive. · 30Hz = Interlaced Note: YPbPr is only available with the 30Hz or 60HZ settings.