HDMI output showing postage stamped

Howdy -

new SXPS 16 owner (Windows 7). I'm trying to run HDMI out to an external XL2370 Samsung monitor. Works, but the image shows postage stamped (black border on all four sides. So the image is 21" diagonally on my 23" diagonal screen).

If I hook the SXPS to my big TV via HDMI, I get the same result (postage stamp). If I hook up my HD camcorder to either my TV or my new monitor via the HDMI port, the image fills the screen as expected. If I hook up the SXPS to the new monitor via VGA, it fills the screen. So this points to the HDMI output of LT being the problem...

Some background: Early on, I bought a different Samsung monitor that I returned because I couldn't adjust the color tint... but when I hooked that monitor up via hdmi, the screen was filled. After returning that monitor, I had an issue with the battery latch of my XPS, and a tech came over to fix it. Had to take EVERYTHING out of the LT. I mean everything. And then it was all bolted back in. Everything seems to function perfectly... until I discovered this problem. So I never had a chance to hoop up the returned monitor to the laptop after the tech visit. I just know that at least that monitor worked via HDMI.

So the big question: Is there any way to control the HDMI output via software? Or does this sound like some sort of hardware problem that might have been dinged up with the latest tech visit? I can't figure out what could be causing this postage stamp image. The image is great... just not using the full screen that I paid for!

- Darell

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And here is the full solution that worked for me (also posted later in the thread):


1. Download the latest ATI desktop drivers: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx
Win7>Radeon>HD 3600 Series

2. Run the downloaded driver, let it extract into c:/ATI/SUPPORT - but cancel the installation once the driver is extracted and asks to be installed.

3: Run Mobility Modder - browse to the driver in C:ATI/SUPPORT/ - an example of Catalyst 7.4 would be C:\ATI\SUPPORT\7-4_vista32_dd_ccc_enu_44985 - hit modify. Wait until driver is modified.

4: go to C:\ATI\SUPPORT\7-4_vista32_dd_ccc_enu_44985 (Or whatever the driver installation folder was called), and run the SETUP.EXE. Please note you might see a "Driver is not WHQL certified", ignore this, as it is a side effect of the modification.

7: Wait until Install is finished and reboot.

8: L-click desktop and choose Cataylst Control Center

9: Use pull-down at the top left corner to choose "Desktop and Displays"

10: At the bottom it says Please choose a display. L-click on the external display and choose "Configure."

11: Choose "Scaling Options" across top.

12: Move the slider over to zero on the right.

Presto. The screen should be full.

 

yeah, this error is due to some stupid default settings in ati ccc. open ati catalyst control center (right click on desktop for it, if u dont have it, install latest ati drivers, it's recommended anyway). go to desktops & displays, click on your tv with right button, configure, set overscan to 0, this should solve it.

 

Is this a setting that I can actually change?
I went to the Dell site (only place to get drivers, apparently) and installed the latest ATI goodies (October of 2009). No question that the CCC is new, since the interface is a bit different now... but there's no change in my situation.

If this is a problem with CCC, I'm wondering why it worked on my other Samsung monitor last month?

Any more info would be greatly appreciated. Dell TS is about as much help as my lamp.

 

yes, u should be able to change and it was set to have black borders for me too in default.. so u didn't try it yet? or couldn't change that?
btw i rather recommend to get the latest desktop drivers from ati.com then mod it with mobility modder so u'll have the latest drivers, not the 3 month old dell site has.
maybe u updated ur driver sicne last month? i think u should try it with another display now, if it'll have borders too, some settings are definitely messed up, if it will be ok on that than ur tv's settings are messed up.

 

Oh, I've tried. I see no setting that will change this.

ATI site says they will not supply drivers, and they give a link to the Dell official driver site. I'm not up on "modding" drivers with mobility modder, so I wouldn't even know where to start. My LT is only a month old at this point, and I've put in the latest driver that Dell says they have.

I have two displays that will take HDMI input. A 2-year-old HD TV, and my new Samsung monitor. Both show the black borders. Both do NOT have the black borders when hooked up via VGA port.

Here are the options that I have in Catalyst CC:
Information Center (nothing but data)
Desktop and displays (this is a copy of the display personalization of Win7)
Desktop Properties (Destop area - set to 1920x1080, Color quality, Refresh rate and Rotation)
Display options (Display Detection Options)
3D (obviously not relevant)
Aviva Video (same)
Power Play (same)

Where would this mystery setting be hiding?

 

Well if you want to know how to mod the desktop drivers
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/modtool.php It's pretty straightforward and the latest drivers are only a few weeks old versus Dell's stale almost 3 month old drivers.

 

Thanks. I'm desperately trying to accomplish this. The instructions haven't been updated for Win 7 yet, so I'm not sure about the first step, and step two I can't accomplish with the directions offered. I'm not sure how far to go before I give up.... or risk screwing something else up.

 

Step 1 you can skip since you have Win7 you already have that installed.
Step 2 UAC is different in Win7 and you can just allow the modder to do it's thing without disabling it.
Step 3. Download the latest ATI desktop drivers: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx
Win7>Radeon>HD 4600 Series
4: Run the downloaded driver, let it extract into c:/ATI/SUPPORT - but cancel the installation once the driver is extracted.

5: Run Mobility Modder - browse to the driver in C:ATI/SUPPORT/ - an example of Catalyst 7.4 would be C:\ATI\SUPPORT\7-4_vista32_dd_ccc_enu_44985 - hit modify. Wait until driver is modified.

6: In Vista, go to C:\ATI\SUPPORT\7-4_vista32_dd_ccc_enu_44985 (Or whatever the driver installation folder was called), and run the SETUP.EXE. Please note you might see a "Driver is not WHQL certified", ignore this, as it is a side effect of the modification.

7: Wait until Install is finished and reboot.

 

Sweet. Thanks. If you don't hear from me again, I have no driver...

 

win 7 is basically a refined vista so u won't have problems with that, i'm using win7 too. this modding thing is really easy to do.

"Desktop and displays" - as i told this is where it's supposed to be. on the bottom u should see the connected displays, select your tv, right click, configure, overscan tab, set it to 0.. i think even a 3 month old driver should have these options.

 

I don't think Win7 is a refined Vista [-_-] it looks like one though.

 

I've done the modding/installing.

During the driver installation after modding, I got the notice:
"Install package failed." Even though the installation proceeded. My log report shows success on every thing, except three lines at the bottom simply saying again, Install package failed.

I clicked "finish" and up popped the message:
CCC monitoring control center has stopped working.

I figured no problem, and rebooted. Cold boot. Win7 started fine, and while booting said again: CCC monitoring control center ha stopped working. Trying to resolve the issue. Nothing was resolved and message went away.

Now boot is complete, and I L-click on the background and choose CCC. The message I get is:
"Command line interface has stopped working." and I get nothing.

So the result is, things work exactly as they did before, except I now cannot get into the ATI CCC.

Next? any clue what I may have done wrong? Pretty hard to screw up!

 

That's a known issue for some after installing drivers CCC disappears. I got mine to come back by uninstalling it with Revo and removing the folders than reinstalling just CCC.

 

Sorry... don't know what Revo is, or how to just reinstall CCC.

How about all the other errors? Normal? The driver package that I downloaded said "beta" all over it with the normal warnings...

 

What was the date of the driver package? It should've been 12/19... Revo uninstaller is a freeware app that totally removes any trace of programs in the registry, HDD etc...

 

Date from the AMD site is 9/9/2009. If they don't have the latest, who would?

 

You went to mobility radeon. You need to download the Desktop drivers. AMD isn't allowed to make drivers for laptop products...for some bizarre reason.

 

Oh man... missed that step. :sigh:

OK, I'll have another go at it. You say to get the 4600 drivers? Mine is HD 3670... which I don't see listed. Ah... I see the 3600 series. I'll use that I assume.

 

Yeah, my bad I assumed you had a 4670.

 

Yup.... 12/17/09 date. Downloading now.

 

That's great, hopefully it''ll help.

 

OK, I'm back with the good news and the bad news.

The good: Though I had the same "failed package" during install, everything worked properly, and CCC works again, and I have the most current driver.

The bad: I haven nothing more to complain about. I can set the scan back up to zero, and it works! Perfectly! Good lord.

Thanks for hanging with me! I hope this thread can help somebody else in the future. Man.

 

Here are the distilled instructions that worked for me.

1. Download the latest ATI desktop drivers: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx
Win7>Radeon>HD 3600 Series

2. Run the downloaded driver, let it extract into c:/ATI/SUPPORT - but cancel the installation once the driver is extracted and asks to be installed.

3: Run Mobility Modder - browse to the driver in C:ATI/SUPPORT/ - an example of Catalyst 7.4 would be C:\ATI\SUPPORT\7-4_vista32_dd_ccc_enu_44985 - hit modify. Wait until driver is modified.

4: go to C:\ATI\SUPPORT\7-4_vista32_dd_ccc_enu_44985 (Or whatever the driver installation folder was called), and run the SETUP.EXE. Please note you might see a "Driver is not WHQL certified", ignore this, as it is a side effect of the modification.

7: Wait until Install is finished and reboot.

8: L-click desktop and choose Cataylst Control Center

9: Use pull-down at the top left corner to choose "Desktop and Displays"

10: At the bottom it says Please choose a display. L-click on the external display and choose "Configure."

11: Choose "Scaling Options" across top.

12: Move the slider over to zero on the right.

Presto. The screen should be full (And at least in my case, look MUCH better!)

 

Glad to hear it.

 

It is folks like you that make places like this a valuable net resource!

Thanks again for hanging with me!

I'm just LOVING my monitor now. With the scaling off, it was "good enough." Now it is fantastic. As I suspected, I wasn't just missing the full size output - I was missing the quality by a long shot.

 

No problem