AO486, HV+ integer scale and a 1600x1200 monitor

[cursedverses]

Not sure this is the right place but here goes.

I purchased a 12" 1600x1200 monitor on eBay recently (planning to set up something a little more permanent with my MiSTer). Installing Windows 95 and setting the screen mode to 800x600, I'm finding whilst the vertical stretch is pixel accurate and good, the width doesn't fill out the screen, which I assume it would being exactly 2x). Weirdly using V-Scale the stretching isn't uniform?

Anyone have any ideas what I'm missing here?

[thorr]

What is in your Mister.INI file? Also, press Windows F12 and check the core menu for settings there. I am not at home and can't tell you which setting.

[Caldor]

I shared a configuration here that should do that:
viewtopic.php?p=26273#p26273

I use it on a CRT monitor that has a resolution up to 1600x1200, maybe higher and ensures to use the full screen in every resolution both in the Minimig and AO486 core from what I can tell.

[Starships]

I shared a configuration here that should do that:
viewtopic.php?p=26273#p26273

I use it on a CRT monitor that has a resolution up to 1600x1200, maybe higher and ensures to use the full screen in every resolution both in the Minimig and AO486 core from what I can tell.

Seems to me it is better to use the actual 1600x1200 custom modeline. Maybe I am not understanding the point of 800x600 with scandoubler on a 1600x1200 monitor. But especially if you want to use any filters like scanlines or LCD grid with interger scale, it should be at the native resolution to see it properly (if at all). This modeline is for 1600x1200 @ 85hz. The second one is 60hz.

video_mode=1600,64,192,304,1200,1,3,46,229500

video_mode=1600,64,192,304,1200,1,3,46,162000

[FoxbatStargazer]

Scandoubler seems to only affect the analog out, that doubled analog is scaled to fit the same target resolution for scaled output (in this case 800x600). With ao486 lacking a proper analog out I don't think it has any effect there unless you turn on direct_video.

Also mind if you are going to the "native" res whether the monitor can handle it beyond 60hz (in this case 70hz), I have two that cannot, so I'd have to choose between DOS refresh and "native" monitor resolution. Its also kind of crap and gets blurry in the corners at that high a res so I tend to go lower anyway.

[Caldor]

Its not meant to have a filter on it. Why is it you would want something that is lower than 1600x1200 displayed in 1600x1200? That seems to just be upscaling for the sake of upscaling and in such a case you lose out on the benefit of a CRT (if its a CRT and I guess a 12" is not CRT). I have not tried to add video modes above 800x600 since I have not used such modes for Minimig or AO486. My CRT would be able to run in 1600x1200 though, but I try to stress it as little as possible. My CRT monitors have seen better days. Does your 12" monitor not support 800x600? Or does it not do the pixels correctly?

Not sure if I have scanlines added in this configuration, its a mistake if it is there. I have noticed my cores running with a scanline filter or some other filter, and generally just disable it when I notice. On an LCD I would use those though, for Minimig or DOS games at least.

[Starships]

Its not meant to have a filter on it. Why is it you would want something that is lower than 1600x1200 displayed in 1600x1200? That seems to just be upscaling for the sake of upscaling and in such a case you lose out on the benefit of a CRT (if its a CRT and I guess a 12" is not CRT). I have not tried to add video modes above 800x600 since I have not used such modes for Minimig or AO486. My CRT would be able to run in 1600x1200 though, but I try to stress it as little as possible. My CRT monitors have seen better days. Does your 12" monitor not support 800x600? Or does it not do the pixels correctly?

Not sure if I have scanlines added in this configuration, its a mistake if it is there. I have noticed my cores running with a scanline filter or some other filter, and generally just disable it when I notice. On an LCD I would use those though, for Minimig or DOS games at least.

I didn't say your .ini had filter settings. Those are not stored in the .ini. My VGA CRT monitor is 1600x1200 and 19". I have it set to that at 85hz with the modeline I pasted above, and aO486 is full screen running in 85hz. DOS, DOS games, and Windows all look great and fullscreen. As far as filters go, it is all personal preference but what I was saying is that your .ini setting for 800x600 scandoubled is not good for people who "would want" to use a filter. Where as using the modeline above, DOS games look great with a filter such as scanlines or LCD 07. The MiSTer menu was also squished horizontally with your .ini. Anyhow I still do not see any benefit from testing your method compared to using the 1600x1200 modelines. You should try it. Although if the only reason you are using 800x600 is to not stress your dying monitors, that is understandable. I didn't know that would cause any significant stress.

[Caldor]

Its not meant to have a filter on it. Why is it you would want something that is lower than 1600x1200 displayed in 1600x1200? That seems to just be upscaling for the sake of upscaling and in such a case you lose out on the benefit of a CRT (if its a CRT and I guess a 12" is not CRT). I have not tried to add video modes above 800x600 since I have not used such modes for Minimig or AO486. My CRT would be able to run in 1600x1200 though, but I try to stress it as little as possible. My CRT monitors have seen better days. Does your 12" monitor not support 800x600? Or does it not do the pixels correctly?

Not sure if I have scanlines added in this configuration, its a mistake if it is there. I have noticed my cores running with a scanline filter or some other filter, and generally just disable it when I notice. On an LCD I would use those though, for Minimig or DOS games at least.

I didn't say your .ini had filter settings. Those are not stored in the .ini. My VGA CRT monitor is 1600x1200 and 19". I have it set to that at 85hz with the modeline I pasted above, and aO486 is full screen running in 85hz. DOS, DOS games, and Windows all look great and fullscreen. As far as filters go, it is all personal preference but what I was saying is that your .ini setting for 800x600 scandoubled is not good for people who "would want" to use a filter. Where as using the modeline above, DOS games look great with a filter such as scanlines or LCD 07. The MiSTer menu was also squished horizontally with your .ini. Anyhow I still do not see any benefit from testing your method compared to using the 1600x1200 modelines. You should try it. Although if the only reason you are using 800x600 is to not stress your dying monitors, that is understandable. I didn't know that would cause any significant stress.

Its mainly just an assumption that it might, old CRT monitors do something when changing resolution and often when you use the highest resolution and the highest hz possible, I think mine can do 1600x1200 at 100hz, then the pitch noise it makes is a bit higher.

Since they are analog its just a suspicion I have that higher resolutions might do more wear and tear. Another reason is my Amiga C1084S CRT Monitor, when its trying to run a resolution of 800x600, its flickering like crazy, even though its a supported resolution. I think its because its a 15hz monitor, but still always worries me that it does that and it seems pretty much useless. From what I understand that is how it is with all the 1084S monitors, but it is also one of the reasons why I believe higher resolutions and refresh rates might be bad for CRT monitors in the long run.

But I do see your point with LCD monitors where 1600x1200 is going to give filters more to work with.

[Starships]

Its mainly just an assumption that it might, old CRT monitors do something when changing resolution and often when you use the highest resolution and the highest hz possible, I think mine can do 1600x1200 at 100hz, then the pitch noise it makes is a bit higher.

Since they are analog its just a suspicion I have that higher resolutions might do more wear and tear. Another reason is my Amiga C1084S CRT Monitor, when its trying to run a resolution of 800x600, its flickering like crazy, even though its a supported resolution. I think its because its a 15hz monitor, but still always worries me that it does that and it seems pretty much useless. From what I understand that is how it is with all the 1084S monitors, but it is also one of the reasons why I believe higher resolutions and refresh rates might be bad for CRT monitors in the long run.

But I do see your point with LCD monitors where 1600x1200 is going to give filters more to work with.

I would see if you can find someone to restore your monitors, like replacing capacitors, etc. Although might be difficult depending on your location. Some monitors do support higher resolutions than are recommended, though. Like my Sony Trinitron G420s. It supports 1900x1200 or whatever, but it seems pretty useless to use as everything doesn't fit on the screen. The manual recommends 1600x1200 instead. As far as yours supporting 100hz... I don't think that would be too useful in MiSTer. From what I can tell all of the console stuff is locked at 60hz, if someone can correct me if I am wrong on that? I do see that the AO486 core detects my 85hz, though.

[cursedverses]

So I should've mentioned - my screen is an HDMI LCD screen. The modeline for 60Hz 1600x1200 is great on the MiSTer for its 1600x1200 resolution and 800x600 is a perfect fit now on ao486. (not on Minimig though, 800x600 is put into a tiny viewport - I'll have to look at that again)


My minimal, working mister.ini for ao486:

Code: Select all

[MiSTer]
vscale_mode=1
video_mode=1600,64,192,304,1200,1,3,46,162000

bootscreen=0
logo=0

shared_folder=./shared

[FoxbatStargazer]

An HDMI 4:3 Screen? Not DVI? That's quite interesting!

[Caldor]

Its mainly just an assumption that it might, old CRT monitors do something when changing resolution and often when you use the highest resolution and the highest hz possible, I think mine can do 1600x1200 at 100hz, then the pitch noise it makes is a bit higher.

Since they are analog its just a suspicion I have that higher resolutions might do more wear and tear. Another reason is my Amiga C1084S CRT Monitor, when its trying to run a resolution of 800x600, its flickering like crazy, even though its a supported resolution. I think its because its a 15hz monitor, but still always worries me that it does that and it seems pretty much useless. From what I understand that is how it is with all the 1084S monitors, but it is also one of the reasons why I believe higher resolutions and refresh rates might be bad for CRT monitors in the long run.

But I do see your point with LCD monitors where 1600x1200 is going to give filters more to work with.

I would see if you can find someone to restore your monitors, like replacing capacitors, etc. Although might be difficult depending on your location. Some monitors do support higher resolutions than are recommended, though. Like my Sony Trinitron G420s. It supports 1900x1200 or whatever, but it seems pretty useless to use as everything doesn't fit on the screen. The manual recommends 1600x1200 instead. As far as yours supporting 100hz... I don't think that would be too useful in MiSTer. From what I can tell all of the console stuff is locked at 60hz, if someone can correct me if I am wrong on that? I do see that the AO486 core detects my 85hz, though.

Yeah, I have not tried using its 100hz modes. I have thought about connecting my gaming PC to it and see how well that runs just for the fun of it, but... most modern games would dislike trying to run in 4:3

[cursedverses]

An HDMI 4:3 Screen? Not DVI? That's quite interesting!

This bad boy on eBay. Not sure if it's a repurposed tablet screen but it's nice and I think I can perma-mount the mister and my mt32-pi to a stand with it.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203107153712