Language:

en_US

switch to room list switch to menu My folders
Go to page: First ... 6 7 8 9 [10] 11 12 13 14 ... Last
[#] Mon Jan 18 2021 23:52:20 UTC from ParanoidDelusions

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

Games have gotten better about this. I remember the pre-release hype about Ultima IV, Quest for the Avatar, was that you could play good or evil and it would affect your experience in the game.


Yeah, except if you played evil, your experience was that the universe sucked and you couldn't actually finish the game.

That was because Lord British was afraid of the Moral Right and their fixation with D&D and devil worship.

I loved Ultima 3 - because you actually could have flexible moralities and it could be a game advantage. Taking that away - where a tally of theft and other bad deeds was kept by the heavenly CPU and held against you - made the game suck.

 

Mon Jan 18 2021 18:02:16 EST from Nurb432

And really, what is good? What is evil? Who gets to decide?

Mon Jan 18 2021 13:00:34 EST from ParanoidDelusions


[#] Tue Jan 19 2021 05:03:01 UTC from ParanoidDelusions

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

Wanna learn more about FPGA vs. Emulation on ARM vs. genuine hardware and which measures up? 

http://donovancolbert.blogspot.com/2021/01/emulation-vs-fpga.html




[#] Tue Jan 19 2021 16:17:17 UTC from LoanShark

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]


I upgraded from a Dell 1920x1200 UltraSharp IPS factory-calibrated flat panel to a 2560x1440 Samsung gaming monitor which uses VA panel technology.

Mixed feelings about the VA technology. The white balance is noticeably non-uniform across the panel; it shifts from violet to green in 4 or so vertical bands. But that 3000:1 contrast ratio is better than IPS. I do a fair bit of photo tweaking in Lightroom so it would have been nice to have accurate white balance. But I guess I can do that on my OLED TV now, which is very accurate.

There's another minor annoyance. When the monitor is connected via DisplayPort, the UEFI BIOS fails to find any video modes for GOP (Graphics Output Protocol). The system will still boot, but you can't enter the BIOS setup and you can't see any screen output until the OS loads its own driver. This means every time I want to go into my Linux dual boot, I have to get down on my hands and knees and swap the cabling from DisplayPort to a DVI-to-HDMI cable. It's connected to a Geforce 1070 from MSI.

[#] Tue Jan 19 2021 17:51:46 UTC from ParanoidDelusions

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

Those sound like deal breakers to me. You *could* use a KVM switch and have both outputs hooked through the KVM, and then just switch from displayport to DVI-to-HDMI via the KVM. 

 

Tue Jan 19 2021 11:17:17 EST from LoanShark

I upgraded... ...gaming monitor which uses VA panel technology.

 The white balance is noticeably non-uniform across the panel - I do a fair bit of photo tweaking in Lightroom... 

There's another minor annoyance. When the monitor is connected via DisplayPort, the UEFI BIOS fails...  ...every time I want to go into my Linux dual boot, I have to get down on my hands and knees and swap the cabling from DisplayPort to a DVI-to-HDMI cable. It's connected to a Geforce 1070 from MSI.

 



[#] Tue Jan 19 2021 21:28:52 UTC from LoanShark

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

2021-01-19 12:51 from ParanoidDelusions
Those sound like deal breakers to me. You *could* use a KVM switch
and have both outputs hooked through the KVM, and then just switch
from displayport to DVI-to-HDMI via the KVM. 

I tried something similar: hook the computer up to the monitor via two different cables, and switch between them using the monitor's input source menu. It didn't work. It appears that any time a DisplayPort is connected to this monitor, it triggers a BIOS bug and *none* of the computer's video outputs will work with BIOS-based drivers.


I've been going back-and-forth on whether to keep this monitor or return it to the store. Others on forums have noticed the color shifting effect, and it's a classic characteristic of the TN panel technology, from which VA derives, so I'm thinking it's probably not a defective unit, just the nature of the beast, or MAYBE at the noticeable end of normal manufacturing variation. It's not really noticable unless you're viewing a large solid rectangle, such as the white background of a window... looks fine in games. I think I may keep it; the 3000:1 contrast ratio cannot be matched by IPS technology and looks good in HDR games.

[#] Tue Jan 19 2021 21:29:47 UTC from LoanShark

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

source menu. It didn't work. It appears that any time a DisplayPort is

connected to this monitor, it triggers a BIOS bug and *none* of the
computer's video outputs will work with BIOS-based drivers.

If I do upgrade to a Geforce 30 series in a couple months, maybe that will be fixed...

[#] Tue Jan 19 2021 23:48:24 UTC from ParanoidDelusions

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

If it is a DisplayPort to HDMI - you MIGHT try going into an HDMI splitter. 

Evidently HDMI can send voltage back into the HDMI port, putting it in a locked state. I discovered this on a Colecovision FPGA unit, where it would work the first time, but after shutting down and restarting, video wouldn't work. The HDMI was staying live, so it wasn't able to renegotiate the HDMI handshake. It is all way more technical than that - but... you know how I am about *details* on things like this, by now. 

Anyhow, adding an HDMI 3 way splitter, when the HDMI splitter sees the signal from the COLECO die, it kills that port, regardless of the voltage coming back down to it from the display, because it is "auto-switching" and bidirectional... makes sense, right? "At least half this signal is gone, I need to be ready to switch to any other input that is sending signal back up to the display..." 

So, after a reboot, it renegotiates and connects fine. Was cheaper than a new TV. 

https://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Switch-GANA-Splitter-Supports/dp/B06VX1PKQ7/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=hdmi+splitter&qid=1611100068&sr=8-5

I've bought 4 of these now, maybe more. One was dead when I tried it out, months after buying it. Cheap solution tax. 

 

Tue Jan 19 2021 16:28:52 EST from LoanShark
2021-01-19 12:51 from ParanoidDelusions
Those sound like deal breakers to me. You *could* use a KVM switch
and have both outputs hooked through the KVM, and then just switch
from displayport to DVI-to-HDMI via the KVM. 

I tried something similar: hook the computer up to the monitor via two different cables, and switch between them using the monitor's input source menu. It didn't work. It appears that any time a DisplayPort is connected to this monitor, it triggers a BIOS bug and *none* of the computer's video outputs will work with BIOS-based drivers.


I've been going back-and-forth on whether to keep this monitor or return it to the store. Others on forums have noticed the color shifting effect, and it's a classic characteristic of the TN panel technology, from which VA derives, so I'm thinking it's probably not a defective unit, just the nature of the beast, or MAYBE at the noticeable end of normal manufacturing variation. It's not really noticable unless you're viewing a large solid rectangle, such as the white background of a window... looks fine in games. I think I may keep it; the 3000:1 contrast ratio cannot be matched by IPS technology and looks good in HDR games.

 



[#] Wed Jan 20 2021 15:01:03 UTC from LoanShark

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]


Yeah, that might work if it comes to it. My video card is slightly older, so it only has one HDMI port, which I use for the TV rather than this monitor. It also has a DVI port and 3 DisplayPorts. HDMI has to go to the TV and receiver combo because that's where the sound comes from and I sometimes use those for HDR games, as well, and they don't support DP. Which leaves me switching back and forth between the DVI-to-HDMI cable and the DisplayPort cable for this monitor.

A few months from now, when the cards are available, I'll likely be using something newer with two HDMI ports and plenty of DP, so it will become possible to use a native HDMI connection to this monitor, and between that and a newer, non-buggy BIOS I suspect this will all be resolved.

[#] Wed Jan 20 2021 16:34:49 UTC from ParanoidDelusions

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

DVI was a somewhat stillborn video interface, in my opinion. I'm not a huge fan of DisplayPort interfaces either. DVI has a particularly long list of annoyances. I vaguely blame both of these interfaces on Apple. 

 

Wed Jan 20 2021 10:01:03 EST from LoanShark

Yeah, that might work if it comes to it. My video card is slightly older, so it only has one HDMI port, which I use for the TV rather than this monitor. It also has a DVI port and 3 DisplayPorts. HDMI has to go to the TV and receiver combo because that's where the sound comes from and I sometimes use those for HDR games, as well, and they don't support DP. Which leaves me switching back and forth between the DVI-to-HDMI cable and the DisplayPort cable for this monitor.

A few months from now, when the cards are available, I'll likely be using something newer with two HDMI ports and plenty of DP, so it will become possible to use a native HDMI connection to this monitor, and between that and a newer, non-buggy BIOS I suspect this will all be resolved.

 



[#] Wed Jan 20 2021 16:59:06 UTC from LoanShark

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

2021-01-20 11:34 from ParanoidDelusions
DVI was a somewhat stillborn video interface, in my opinion. I'm not
a huge fan of DisplayPort interfaces either. DVI has a particularly
long list of annoyances. I vaguely blame both of these interfaces on
Apple. 

Kinda interesting that it's electrically compatible with HDMI. So the cable I'm using is just passive. I'm pretty sure the computer is transmitting resolution/refresh rate combos that exceed the DVI spec; it's speaking the HDMI protocol over a DVI connector. Unfortunately it still has some of the DVI limitations; it refuses to do 10-bit color.

[#] Sat Jan 23 2021 18:28:29 UTC from IGnatius T Foobar

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

Those sound like deal breakers to me. You *could* use a KVM switch
and have both outputs hooked through the KVM, and then just switch
from displayport to DVI-to-HDMI via the KVM. 

I have yet to find a KVM that works with an ultrawide monitor in both Windows and Linux. This is documented somewhere else on the board (probably in the Hardware room) and every time I thought I had found something that worked, it would jam up and I'd find myself moving plugs around.

I ended up settling for just switching the USB for keyboard, mouse, and camera, and switching video with the monitor itself, which is the only thing that seems to work. I suspect the monitor is constantly telling both computers that it's there, because if I turn it *off* the laptop moves all of my windows around to fit its built-in screen (which is closed).

This doesn't help LS though, with both sources on the *same* computer.

[#] Sun Jan 24 2021 16:24:36 UTC from ParanoidDelusions

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

So, I've got a CHG90 Samsung 49" curved display. I've never tried it with a KVM. The truth is, it can take two different inputs at one time, and split the screen into two 27" 16:9 independent displays. Right now I have it hooked to my main gaming rig and the Vampire V4 I just got (which is ridiculous - but it seems to be the only LCD I have that processes audio over HDMI, although even it doesn't have speakers - it outputs the audio over a 3.4 mic jack so I have to have speakers hooked up to the monitor. The Apollo team made the dubious choice of only having audio out go over HDMI... so you're pretty much limited to a LCD that processes HDMI video). 

In native mode, resizing the Amiga desktop to the full 49", it looks super cool - but games stretched out like this are literally "stoopid". 4:3 also looks ridiculous letterboxed on this display... so right now I'm settling for having it stretch a bit to 16:9 instead of the default 32:9 ratio with the Amiga. 

On the Gaming rig, everything is hunky dory. But - I can imagine feeding a KVM into a monitor already doing this much signal processing itself - would be hit and miss. 

 

Sat Jan 23 2021 13:28:29 EST from IGnatius T Foobar
Those sound like deal breakers to me. You *could* use a KVM switch
and have both outputs hooked through the KVM, and then just switch
from displayport to DVI-to-HDMI via the KVM. 

I have yet to find a KVM that works with an ultrawide monitor in both Windows and Linux. This is documented somewhere else on the board (probably in the Hardware room) and every time I thought I had found something that worked, it would jam up and I'd find myself moving plugs around.

I ended up settling for just switching the USB for keyboard, mouse, and camera, and switching video with the monitor itself, which is the only thing that seems to work. I suspect the monitor is constantly telling both computers that it's there, because if I turn it *off* the laptop moves all of my windows around to fit its built-in screen (which is closed).

This doesn't help LS though, with both sources on the *same* computer.

 



[#] Mon Jan 25 2021 16:59:59 UTC from LoanShark

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

2021-01-24 11:24 from ParanoidDelusions
So, I've got a CHG90 Samsung 49" curved display. I've never tried it

Interesting. The one I just bought is the CHG70. Quite similar on paper: VA panel tech. 144hzz. "Gaming."

If you display a big solid-white window, does the white balance look consistent, left to right?

[#] Tue Jan 26 2021 16:41:13 UTC from ParanoidDelusions

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

I'll check. I think the curved far edges of the ends tend to distort a little, from memory. But I'm not a real stickler for fidelity in audio or video output. Dead pixels don't really bother me - so I am not sure if I have noticed it, or I just imagined it when you put it into my head. 

When I get home I'll have a look. 

 

 

Mon Jan 25 2021 11:59:59 EST from LoanShark
2021-01-24 11:24 from ParanoidDelusions
So, I've got a CHG90 Samsung 49" curved display. I've never tried it

Interesting. The one I just bought is the CHG70. Quite similar on paper: VA panel tech. 144hzz. "Gaming."

If you display a big solid-white window, does the white balance look consistent, left to right?

 



[#] Tue Apr 27 2021 12:10:01 UTC from zooer

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

Old school fun on an old school person's website.

Missile Command.
https://games.aarp.org/games/atari-missile-command



[#] Tue Apr 27 2021 16:37:46 UTC from ParanoidDelusions

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

AARP is trying SO hard to figure out Generation X as we start to hit 55. 

They did a big pro LGBT campaign a while back. "We're hip, we're progressive! This isn't Bold Type Guideposts Magazine!" 

Whatever. I don't think virtue signaling is going to help. 


Tue Apr 27 2021 08:10:01 EDT from zooer

Old school fun on an old school person's website.

Missile Command.
https://games.aarp.org/games/atari-missile-command



 



[#] Thu Apr 29 2021 14:18:04 UTC from IGnatius T Foobar

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

AMAC is a bit more on-point than AARP.

[#] Thu Apr 29 2021 18:42:28 UTC from ParanoidDelusions

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

LOL... this is going to result in a WWF/WWE level showdown! 

https://www.amac-org.com/membership/


Thu Apr 29 2021 10:18:04 EDT from IGnatius T Foobar
AMAC is a bit more on-point than AARP.

 



[#] Fri Apr 30 2021 14:38:28 UTC from IGnatius T Foobar

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

Oh boy. Yeah, not *that* AMAC. https://amac.us/ is the right one.

[#] Fri Apr 30 2021 19:49:25 UTC from ParanoidDelusions

[Reply] [ReplyQuoted] [Headers] [Print]

LOL... Yeah, I hit this one and went... "Well... our side is resorting more and more to virtue signaling instead of just giving up on certain demographics altogether..." 

Then I read a little further and went, "Oh... no... this is just a showdown about to happen." 

 

Fri Apr 30 2021 10:38:28 EDT from IGnatius T Foobar
Oh boy. Yeah, not *that* AMAC. https://amac.us/ is the right one.

 



Go to page: First ... 6 7 8 9 [10] 11 12 13 14 ... Last