Possible Hardware Problem with ATI Graphics Card

[NoLifeKing]

I've been having this problem with my ATI Radeon X1600 lately.

When I play a video file, no matter what codec or container it is, it will pixelate horribly as I resize the output.

I play it any other size than the original, smaller, bigger or fullscreen, it gets pixelated, which is most notable if any writing or subtiles are on the screen.

Now I tried to remedy this by installing different drivers, newer and older versions. I also reinstalled my video codecs and directx. Did not change a thing.

After messing around with the different tweaking options, filters and other features of the VLC Player, Media Player Classic and FFDshow without achieving anything, I removed the card from my primary PC and installed it in a secondary PC that I keep around for troubleshooting issues. That Computer had a freshly installed operating system with only the bare minimums installed, such as VLC.

Here the same problem presented itself to me, which leads me to conclude that I may have a hardware problem.

Does anyone know of a way to salvage my graphics card? Would flashing the card's bios help? Or do I have to send the card back to the manufactor? Has anyone ever encountered the same or a similiar problem?

I have googled the vasts of the internet forums for such a topic and found the problem several times on big hardware and support oriented forums, only to be disappointed each time by the fact that a useful and working solution has not once been posted.

Even though I realize that this place here at 3drealms may not be the most appropriate forums to post this, I must confess that I simply feel more comfortable looking for help here, than at those hardware forums that I don't really harbour any trust for.

Please forgive my ramblings.
Awaiting your solutions anxiously. (if there truly are any)

[Bludd]

Do you have a CRT monitor?

[NoLifeKing]

Yes, I believe so, although I'm not familiar with the terminology. It is a Samsung SyncMaster 1100p Plus. It is connected to my graphics card via a BNC to VGA cable.

[Bludd]

Does this show up in screenshots? Can you post some that show the problem?

[NutWrench]

How does the card work otherwise? Does the desktop look ok?
Do 3D games work properly?

[Bludd]

In Media Player Classic, what video renderer have you tried, NoLifeKing? Please try the VMR9 renderless one and see if it helps at all. Use VMR9 mixer and render to texture.

Experimen with these settings. They are found in Media Player Classic options - Playback - Output.

[NoLifeKing]

@Bludd:

As I stated in my initial post, I already exhausted the options in media player classic. I specifically tried what you mentioned just now, but it did not change anything.


@Nutwrench:

Desktop looks fine, no problem with resizing single images. Thankfully all 3D applications seem to run without problem as well. Benchmark shows the same speed as ever and completes the tests without a hitch.


Screenshot from one of my Anime DVDs attached. You can see the pixelation fairly clearly in this shot.

[Duoae]

That screenshot looks fine to me? I mean, i don't have many anime DVD's but the quality of the subbing looks about normal to what i have...

[Bludd]

Please post a screenshot of a video with natural images.

Also, usually hardware problems (memory or core) with videocards usually result in different artifacts. Like spots in a totally wrong colour, weird, but sometimes very regular, patters over almost all of the screen.

Can you try this in WMP (10 or 11, can't remember if this exists in 9):
(this is for 11, it may be slightly different for 10) Tools - options - performance - video acceleration - advanced: check (or uncheck) high quality mode.

Edit: come to think of it, I also would like to see how the filter graph looks like when you play a video file. Download my attachment, run graphedit and drag&drop a video file on it. Take a screenshot and post it, please.

[NoLifeKing]

@ Douae:

Believe me, this screenshot means nothing good. Thats as bad as the quality of a Hong Kong DVD (the dubious kind). The lines are way clearer in the unresized original format.

@ Bludd:

Tried messing around with the options presented to me in WMP. Sadly it did not achieve anything. I have not found any of the artifacts you described, at least none other than the usual encoding artifacts, but i noticed that the video is tearing from time to time as if my hardware were too slow. However there is no particular increase on the processor load.

Posting some screenshots from a small documentary a friend of mine shot on a HD-DV Cam. First the original sized output window, then a resized window, aspect ratio stays the same.
It's harder to see the difference with natural images but it is still visible especially around the edges of the pans.

[NutWrench]

Those images look fine to me. Maybe the problem is happening somewhere between your video card and the monitor? Do you have a different monitor cable or monitor that you could try? Maybe a different output setting on your video card drivers? Try a different refresh rate in the Control Center or make sure you don't have a secondary monitor enabled?

[Duoae]

Okay, now i can see a difference. It looks like you have some kind of Anti Aliasing problem. Is there a setting in the ATI control panel that forces AA on or off?

[NoLifeKing]

The secondary PC I tested the card in has a different monitor. Had the same problem there. I also tried using the card's DVI OUT rather than the VGA port. Didn't do me any good.

I really did try everything that could be connected to this video problem and is accessable via the driver's configuration utilities. I did tweak around with other features as well, such as the 3d settings (Anitaliasing and Anisotropic filtering) and overclocking (I slowed the card down to see if it has any other effect than loss of speed. It didn't.) just to make sure I've covered every base. No results, I'm afraid.

I tried the official ATI Catalyst Drivers as well as the Omega Radeon Drivers. Newer and older versions than the one that was shipped with the card.

I know this is beginning to sound kinda paranoid...but do you really see NO difference between the pictures I posted? The lower left edge of the pan on the right of the middle of the screen where the light reflects shows clearly the definite drop in image quality. It's like the resolution of the video went down even though I resized it to a smaller output. Pixels should be HARDER to see on a smaller output, not easier. And I assure you, this artifact-like pixelation is not because of the JPEG encoding.

I don't mean to sound reproachful, since I am the one asking for help here, but I must stress the fact that I already tried most of the methods available without diving into the more complicated matters of programming(which I don't know Jack about) or bios manipulation (which I wouldn't dare think about) before I posted here.

Nevertheless I want to thank you people for your interest and assistance. If you got any more Ideas, keep em coming.

EDIT: Sorry about that rant, didn't see Douae's post as I was writing this and was feeling a bit like "Am I the only one seeing this THING? I'm going insane! WAAAH!!!". Hope nobody harbours any ill will against me now. ^_^

[Duoae]

It really looks like some kind of post-processing thing is going on - but if you say you've tried changing all the AA and AF options within the control panel i'm not sure what else you can do.

IMO the original image you posted didn't really have anything wrong with it, but looking at the sliver pans in both pictures you see a problem with curved surfaces which is why i suggested the AA feature.

So i may as well go over the options i can think of even if you've tried them. I've only got an nvidia card but i assume that most of the options are similar :)

1. AA and AF set to application controlled or off
2. Colour quality highest
3. V-sync application controlled
4. Force Mipmaps
5. Trilinear filtering

:)

[Bludd]

Okay, your filter graph seems fine, nothing weird shows up there. Antialiasing shouldn't have an impact in VLC because I think it uses overlays only for compatibility reasons (correct me if I am wrong).

Could you make a DXDiag log for us post it zipped/rared?

Edit: Come to think of it, could you show me a screenshot of the Output screen in your ffdshow video decoder config?

[Morry]

Have you tried turning down the Hardware Acceleration?

Display Properties > Settings > Advanced > Troubleshoot > Hardware Acceleration

[NoLifeKing]

@ Douae & Morry:

Thanks, but I tried that already.

@ Bludd:

Just fired up DXDIAG and was shocked to find that directdraw acceleration was disabled. HOW it was disabled I cannot fathom, especially since I reinstalled that sucker and it should be enabled by default.

Thankfully, that had been the sore tooth and I ripped it out. Everything is working beautifully again. Just have to figure out why it was ALSO disabled on my Secondary PC which I had just formatted and outfitted with a freshly installed windows, before testing the card on him.

I spent hours trying to find the fault with graphics card and drivers so I overlooked that one and thought a mere reinstall would cover that field. My bad.

Maybe I am deluded by the fact that Directdraw is not enabled by default? O_O
Would be nice if anyone could clarify.

Anyway...HOW can and WHY does something like that turn itself off, without notice and without me doing anything that could have caused it?

Oh well...

Thx for the help, all of you!
I really appreciate it.

[Bludd]

Nice to hear you've fixed it. I have no idea how that can turn itself off.

[Duoae]

Cool, glad it was sorted. I knew you'd get it in the end :)