Image too small with DVI output

[Cyberpastor]

As with an earlier version of Panorama VESA, ver. 1.03 produces a good 1920x1080 image on my Samsung monitor when it is connected to the DVI output of my motherboard's on-board video (ATI HD4250) -- except for the size: it does not fill the screen. The image fills the screen when I used the VGA output with the version of Panorama VESA included with eCS 2.1GA; I didn't try the VGA connection with ver. 1.03.

Ver. 1.03 does produce a full-size image with the monitor connected to the DVI output of an ATI X800 card.

[ggamba]

Is it like the screenshots you find here:

​http://trac.ecomstation.ru/Panorama/ticket/32

under letter B and C? I think I have your same problem here, with a ATI Radeon HD 4850.

[David Azarewicz]

While this issue is not a Panorama problem or defect, perhaps there is a workaround. First I need more information. Please follow these instructions exactly. Do not change the order or skip any steps.

Make sure you have the current Panorama software installed and 1920x1080 resolution selected. Also select 16 bit (64K) colors.

1. Connect the display with the vga cable.

2. Reboot the system.

3. Navigate to the Panorama installation directory (Usually \Panorama on your boot drive)

4. Run "testlog panorama vga"

5. Attach that log file to this ticket.

6. Connect the display with the dvi cable.

7. Reboot the system.

8. Navigate to the Panorama installation directory (Usually \Panorama on your boot drive)

9. Run "testlog panorama dvi"

10. Attach that log file to this ticket.

[Cyberpastor]

VGA

[Cyberpastor]

DVI

[Cyberpastor]

My two log files are attached, Oops! I attached the VGA one twice, and I can't see how to delete it.

With the VGA connection and the monitor Image Size set to Auto, the image is too narrow. With the Image Size set to Wide, the image is too wide. In both cases, the image is a few pixels too tall, and icons on the extreme left or right of the Desktop are no longer visible.

With the DVI connection, icons at left or right of Desktop are visible, but the whole image is too small. Monitor's Reset and Image Size controls do nothing.

[Cyberpastor]

As you say, this *may* not be a Panorama problem, because SNAP would not generate an image that fills the screen either when using the on-board video (it does with an ATI X1050 or X800). But Linux Mint on the same machine does fill the screen.

[David Azarewicz]

Patching the mode table in the video BIOS is not guaranteed to work in all cases. Panorama uses the video BIOS to control the hardware. In your case the video BIOS is getting in the way and doing what it thinks is correct even though that is not what is desired. This is not a defect in Panorama. Panorama uses the video BIOS and is subject to the way the BIOS works. You would need a custom driver for that specific hardware to make it work.

[Cyberpastor]

So Linux Mint includes a driver specifically for that hardware?

[David Azarewicz]

I haven't looked, but yes, Mint very likely does have a native driver. They only fall back to a VESA mode of operation when a native driver doesn't work. SNAP is a collection of native mode drivers that it selects at startup. But even SNAP falls back to VESA mode when it doesn't have a native mode driver that works on the detected hardware.