Plugging NP9380 into 240Hz TV...

But it won't even give me an option to use 120Hz.

Every time I plug the laptop into the TV, which is capable of at least 120Hz only gives the option to use 60Hz. I tried different resolutions, and even custom resolutions where you can put in the refresh rate, but there's no apply button when I do, just Test and Cancel

 

Firstly what model is your tv? Can it actually do 1080p 120hz or is it a refresh rate that is just "faked".

Secondly what machine do you have? What connector are you using?

You've asked us to solve the isssue blind.

 

The TV is a 47" LG LCD TV. Model 47LD360 according to the back of the set. Been googling the model since I posted this and everything I've read seems to indicate that it's capable of 240Hz. Don't know about the faked bit though. Surprisingly, the manual doesn't say anything about the refresh rates of any of the models it covers.

The connector I'm using is HDMI to HDMI, going through a home theater system which is Sony, model HT-SF360. The laptop in question is an NP9380-S with GTX780's in SLI and using svl7's vBios for them.

 

Don't know much about that receiver, are you sure it supports 240hz pass through. Try connecting directly to the TV to see if that works.

 

Try directly, you could also look into using a displayport cable, but the TV is quite old now which makes me a bit suspicious if it can accept greater than a 60hz signal and if the refresh rate is just internal electronics guessing at the gaps in the frames.

 

The Sager 9380sm comes with HDMI 1.4a You need hdmi 1.4b in order to use 3D 120hz on a tv.

Specs here: custom gaming laptops - Welcome to Sager Notebooks Hit Specifications.

Hdmi information here: HDMI - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Scroll down to hdmi 1.4b and you can see where they added 120hz capability.

I had asked Mythologic if it was possible to get hdmi 1.4b for my 9380sm3 laptop but they said they couldn't change it since 1.4a came with the motherboard or something?

I think you have to use a thunderbolt to hdmi or something to get 120hz capability.

 

Ahh, guess that solves that then. Won't be getting 120hz when I plug this thing into the TV for a while. No biggie, thanks for the replies guys.

 

Not sure how much that is right. While I do see it on the wiki page linked, I know for sure notebook computers have been using HDMI 1.4a to output 120hz and 3D for at least the last two generations.

 

I don't have my laptop yet, so I can't test it out. But some people are saying that hdmi 1.4a supports 720p 120hz not 1080p 120hz. Also I would need to test my tv to see it if really supports 120hz or as stated in this AVS thread: "If your TV reports it's connection to be 120Hz on its screen it only means that it's receiving 120Hz. It's still completely possible to be doing "frame discarding" or "frame dropping" in output. You need to run Mark's online utility, or one of the other utility applications, to tell for sure."

This is a good thread about it on AVS Forum: ANY way to receive 120hz content over HDMI?

Also a article about setting up PC to TV 120hz: http://www.blurbusters.com/faq/120hz-pc-to-tv/

 

I'm wondering though. If a TV isn't able to accept 120Hz input, then how the heck is it going to get 120Hz or 240Hz content for that matter?

Oh, and plugging the notebook directly to the TV didn't work either. Also my TV isn't 3D capable. Unfortunately, my home theater system doesn't support 3D content.

 

Don't really know. I don't have my laptop yet to test on my tv so all I can go on is what people have stated in that thread I linked. They do state that:

"You have to have a "3D" TV to allow for 720p120 input via HDMI. 120Hz LCDs don't won't accept a 720p120."

 

Like most, I don't know if your TV will accept this spec input - but I can shed some light on the laptop's output and other info that people might find helpful.

As maguss said you can't output 120Hz through the HDMI outputs on the current Gen chassis. But you can output at 1080 120Hz through the DisplayPort - the same should be possible in the P370SM through Thunderbolt. The problem comes with the connectivity to the external display/TV. You can use an active DisplayPort to HDMI or DVI-D convertor for this and with a 3D monitor you shouldn't experience issue. But to connect to a TV (for 3D support for example) you need to use Nvidia 3DTV Play, which only provides support through HDMI outputs on the laptop/PC - which isn't available.

I might be wrong but I don't think any of the Thunderbolt to HDMI convertors currently support 1920x1080 120Hz, so you would need to use a Thunderbolt to DVI-D Active convertor to support this bandwidth. This doesn't help in the OPs case unfortunately, but you would need to use this convertor configuration on the P370 in order to be able to output 120Hz.

 

Thanks for the info. I plan on trying to get 120hz from my sager 9380sm3 laptop to tv when I get it. This is useful information. Pretty sure I will need thunderbolt to dvi-d active as stated by mysn and this thread:

7970M 120Hz Issue - Replace GPU - AnandTech Forums

Sad that its kind of an expensive adapter that takes up a USB slot. Wish sager or some re seller/builder would have 1.4b hdmi seeing as it came out 2 years ago on October 11, 2011 and hdmi 2.0 is already out as well. Though I don't know how hard it is to do.

 

The HDMI limitation will be due to the graphics card being used.

 

The refresh rate of the tv panel have nothing to do with what input it can take.

 

Someone told me it was due to the motherboard.

Can you explain a bit more.

 

You can take in a 60hz input signal and refresh the screen at 240hz to do whatever fancy motion blur removal you want to do to justify the price point.

 

Will that Thunderbolt to HDMI also carry the audio or is it just video?

 

Via HDMI, I was able to connect to my QUMI at 120Hz (I have a P150EM with a 7970m) . However, I could only do so with a 1024x768 resolution. Have you tried lower resolutions, ensuring that the bandwidth used is significantly less? Should work...

 

I believe the active DP to HDMI adapters will do sound, some mention it specifically.

 

Went and got this should arrive some time this week. Hopefully it will work. Will let you guys know how it goes.

 

That adapter will not work at beyond 1080p 60hz since it's passive.

 

Yup, trying it right now and it's only 1080p 60Hz,

What the hell? This is a HUGE jump in price. Is it just because this is active? I'm not sure I'm willing to shell out that amount of cash for this. I think I can be content with the laptop's own display, or even the TV using 60Hz.

 

The thing is you should confirm if the TV really does take anything more than 60hz.

 

You could try a custom resolution say 1366x768 and set it to 120hz (this stays under single link bandwidth) and see if the display takes it.

Custom Resolution Utility (CRU)

 

I will be buying an active adapter when I get my laptop. The way I think of it is, I will have this laptop for a while so I might as well buy a good adapter. That $30 adapter you linked is going to potentially last you however long you decide to keep your laptop. People will spend $30 in a week to eat out at fast food and restaurants but won't spend $30 for something that will potentially last them 3-4 years or more.

 

I did and it does.

I tried lower resolutions and even 720p, still no go. Also I don't know why but some of the resolutions had an asterisk beside them and some same value resolutions don't. The ones that don't only give up to 30Hz as opposed to the 60Hz for the ones that do.

I agree that it would last me as long as I keep the laptop, and I intend to do so until it stops working or it becomes completely obsolete. However, I'm starting to think of how often I'll be plugging it into the TV to play games. I also play consoles and watch Netflix and Hulu on there. Not to mention living with my sister so I can't hog the TV 100% of the time (despite it being mine).

I may buy the adapter some time later next year, but as of right now, I'm in no hurry.

 

From the looks of it then the TV only accepts up to 60hz input signals.

 

Hey guys so I got the adapter and tried some quick testing on it and I couldn't seem to get 120hz. I thought maybe it was because I have a cheap hdmi cord or something(most likely not) but I went ahead and ordered a high speed hdmi cable just to make that was not the problem. I will have to do some more testing. If anyone has gotten their laptop to get 120hz on a tv feel free to comment.

 

Whoa there Bikuro... Please don't buy anymore gadgets!

Your tv set only supports 60hz from the signal input. It will never support anything above that, like almost all other tv sets. Doesnt matter how many gadgets you throw in the mix

The 240hz that is stamped on the box and the label on your set is the internal motion interpolation feature in the TV set. What it does when this feature is enabled is that it creates artificial frames when viewing content, which in theory makes the image appear as 240hz. However the signal input will still be 60hz no matter what. You cannot in any way compare your tv set to a real 120hz monitor which supports 120hz native from the signal input.

The downside from activating the 240hz feature on the set when linked to a computer will be highly increased input lag and might give the dreaded "soap-opera" effect, if you ever heard of that.

By the way LG calls their motion interpolation feature TruMotion. Samsung calls theirs Motion Plus. Sony named theirs Motionflow etc. etc.

So in short: Don't compare your 60hz tv-set with an motion interpolation feature to a real 120hz monitor

Hope this helps.

 

Yup basically this.

No true 240Hz TV exists. It's all really just a gimmick. Monitors only go up to 144Hz now and those are expensive ones.

When a TV says refresh rate it's basically talking the display panel itself, not the inputs and everything else like a computer monitor can do.

So basically any display that is a TV, not a computer monitor, is 60Hz no matter what it says and you won't get higher.

It's sad how they make it all seem one way when it's really not. Too many times I see people buying a 120 or 240Hz TV and think they got a good deal because it was cheap and are using it for a computer monitor.

Beyond just the refresh rate always being a max of 60Hz the pitch and quality of a TV will generally ALWAYS be below a true computer monitor. This is one reason why size for size a TV will always be cheaper in most cases.