Vaio Z's HDMI output sucks donkey balls?

Ok, I dunno if I'm missing something here, but after countless hours of digging out for information, trying everything and anything I can't possibly get the output from HDMI from my VPCZ1390S Vaio to show any sort of quality image on my Dell U2410 monitor.

Don't get me wrong, it outputs image just fine, but it's the same quality as the VGA output.

For comparison purposes, my desktop with GeForce 460 card in it, over DVI, outputs stunning picture on U2410 (I mean, there was a reason why I picked up this monitor and it's for its IPS panel and the color reproduction... there's a reason why they cost $500).

HDMI output from Vaio though - donkey balls. All colours are washed out, as in gradients/mouse overs/anything with contrast that shows up great even on Vaio's own display shows all washed out on U2410. Grainier, way more saturated and the colors just blend in with one another, compared to the output from the desktop GeForce or the output on Vaio's screen.

And I've tried all kinds of settings in terms of nVidia control panel output, HDMI settings, this/that... so unless I am missing something, can someone enlighten me as to why this is happening at all?

(note - U2410's resolution is set to 1920/1200 @ 60Khz)

 

Hmm, just to let you know, I have a Z13 and would also like some light on this problem... the HDMI output is really washed out.. it looks so dull. When I fire up my desktop with 580GTX I could instantly see how much cleaner and colourful the output of my monitor really shows..even though I don't have that expensive one as yours.

Oh, and one thing i've also noticed is that when outputting sound over HDMI, I get a high pitched buzz noise if the Laptop is currently powered by DC power. the buzzing instantly stops if I run on battery though. That seems to be some kind of interference somehow. It's much more noticable the higher the sound volume I set. Do you also get this issue?

I'm outputting at 1920x1080 / 60hz.

 

Interesting - and disappointing! FWIW, while I haven't used HDMI to monitor, I have run it on my 46" Sony KDLXBR46 240Hz TV and both sound and video image are excellent.

@Crazy Serb: could there be a problem scaling to 1920 X 1200 from 1920 X1080?

 

I've got my Z docked to the VGP-PRZ10 and have a DVI->HDMI adapter hooked up to my receiver which is then hooked up to my 1080p TV and that works fine (for picture only obviously). I then have the sound coming through a USB sound card because the idiots at Sony didn't put an HDMI connector on the dock.

 

Zero issues when hooked up to my LG 3D tv

 

I had a lot cheaper card a year ago in the desktop (some basic one) and even then it looked way better than it does now from Vaio.

nope, I haven't had those issues. and I'm outputting the video to a sony receiver as well (switching back and forth between the external monitor and receiver/projector).

Nope. I've had it at 1920x1080 as well and it's still garbage. The scaling isn't the issue, it's the washed out colors and everything looking so... dull, as the guy above described it. As in, what's the point of having a dedicated video card on this thing when it can't output proper video signal (meaning, the $500 dell monitor has just been rendered useless).

 

I'm talking about the monitor... I am using DELL ST2410..

Obviously something is wrong with the output of VAIO Z because the same port (on the monitor - HDMI) works flawlessly when output from desktop video card (GeForce 580GTX 1.5GB).... .using the exact same cable as well....

 

The video output is digital, so the only real explanation I may have is colorspace...? I noticed my xbox360 colors were horrid on my display (but looked good when my desktop was connected to it), but after changing the xbox to output in Extended color space, it looked much better.

I know my Vaio SA is good on my calibrated U2711

 

ahh, sorry... 2am here... but yeah, same here - I've tested the HDMI output from my desktop card and it works as well as the DVI from it - amazing color reproduction. Plug that same cable into Vaio = donkey balls.

so I am not the only one with this issue then... pfft... ok. now if only this laptop was still under warranty or something...

 

well, I tried changing that in Color Management section of Nvidia Display settings, and switched the settings from the built-in U2410 profile to sRGB one (for the external display) and no luck... tried a few other profiles - no budge.

 

^^ I meant as colorspace output from the GPU.

 

hmm... how would one change that on this laptop's GPU?

 

looking at my AMD controll panel, it seems like the laptop drivers have... no options

 

I use my Z11 on a Benq GL2440 24 inch monitor with HDMI... Sound and pictures are as brilliant as DVI...

I use latest hacked driver von Andrew! 263, 2281!

 

I've tried that too... no luck. Same result. Washed out colors on the Dell monitor, grainy/saturated picture...

What's really funny, these Sony techs are so clueless it's beyond funny - had one guy suggesting I reinstall Wireless N drivers, and he was so confident that would fix the issue that he swore by it, in a way... I had to entertain him just to prove him wrong (I mean, does that have to do with display drivers at all?)

Onto the next possible solution...

 

What you are experiencing is a full vs. limited RGB range. (16-235 vs. 0-255). What's happening is your VAIO is outputting 16-235 per the HDMI spec and the monitor is expecting 0-255. This causes the washed out images. Go into the catalyst control center and change the HDMI colorspace to full RGB (0-255).

 

Sorry I just realized you have Z1. You'll find the same setting in the Nvidia control panel.

 

I've tried this, but it doesn't do anything.. rebooted too, still nothing =(
what's black on the desktop gpu is grey over hdmi on vaio z =\

 

Yeah, I tried that too, changed it to Full Range, rebooted, still no change in output... as XTACTIC mentioned, still washed out.

 

There are 2 different settings in there. One for video, one for the actual hdmi desktop. Also, is it just video that's washed out or is it the entire desktop/photos/etc? If just video, what application? (there are specific registry adjustments needed for windows media center).

I have a LOT of experience on this specific subject. It's not a sony issue.

 

Actually, this brings me to a stupid idea:

try changing your monitor color settings around? from standard, to sRGB to AdobeRGB?

Or try the DVI input with a HDMI-->DVI adaptor? Just a guess from how we're supposed to get high resolution support from our laptops

I do also believe Sony has a default ICC profile for their monitors, too? Maybe this has an effect?

 

I use my z1 with a Dell U3011 and get crisp output with great colors.
(HDMI to DVI cable, custom driver)

I also frequently use my z1 with a Dell U2412M (HDMI to DVI cable, U2412M doesn't have HDMI input) and the output is fine, though it's not as great/crisp as on the U3011.

 

Here are my Nvidia settings:





and you are correct, I changed the Video dynamic range only... but I don't see/can't find the image/general dynamic range setting there for anything else. Any idea?

And yes, the image is washed out all the time, not just for video...

Tried different color settings - not much difference.

 

wait... just plugged in the HDMI > DVI cable (literally picked it up this morning just to test things out), and guess what... colors/shadows/blacks look better. Not as great as from the desktop video card, but noticeably better than HDMI > HDMI.

weird.

what a...?

 

I don't know about video, but cable selection can make quite a difference in audio (maybe not as big as some claim, but very noticible.) Perhaps cheap cabling is the problem.

 

Well, Dell's HDMI inputs are normally limited in strange ways. On the U2711, they cannot accept 2560x1440@35Hz, even though the DVI-D ports can (on a single link). They do not have Deep Color support (though the usefullness is debateable on H-IPS), despite the HDMI 1.3 spec giving it (though to be fair, the HDMI spec is allowed to be implemented partially). And as far as I can tell, it is attached to a different audio DAC than the DP port is (which makes a difference in analoug audio quality output from the U2711).


Though I'll note, Deep Color support likely has nothing to do with the issue being faced here (as that's something DVI doesn't support, either).

 

Something else I just noticed in my SA3 that was not there in the SA2 and SC2 I've had in the past...

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/8026/colormode.png

 

^ yes, it's not there on my SA2, but it also exists on my sister's Z13. which version of VAIO Control Center are you using?

 

It's the one that comes on the stock SA31FX/SI install (just made recovery media, then recovered to to user installed SSD).


Otherwise, 5.0.0.07070 is the reported version number in Vaio Care for the Vaio CC.

 

Issue is hdmi port on your monitor is incorrectly expecting 0-255 and receving 16-235. When you use the DVI port, your VAIO recognizes that and outputs the full 0-255 it's expecting.

There may actually be a setting for dynamic range in the monitor itself! That's the best place to correct the issue.

 

thanks mine is 4.5.0.03040 and, according to VAIO Update, is the most up-to-date version for SA2.

 

huh... interesting.

Dell's U2410 doesn't have any sort of advanced options like that (dynamic range), but I'm noticing that HDMI-DVI cable does make quite a difference.

Weird, but hey, I'll take it...