DOS support w/ G400

[xortam]

Has anyone experimented with the DOS support (enabled through BIOS) on the G400 DH? I'm experiencing differing anomalies on both the monitor and TV (wavy text, no text but horizontal multi-colored lines, dimming text).

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• ASUS P2B-S, PIII 450MHz, Award ACPI BIOS v1010, 128 MB RAM
• MYLEX FlashPoint RAID+ (BIOS v2.02N) running RAID 0 on two 9 GB IBM DDRS 39130D Disks
• Diamond MX300 sound card, now with MX25 S/PDIF output
• Matrox Millennium G400 Max Dual Head - English
• NEC 5FG monitor
• YAMAHA CRW4416S and NEC Multispin 3x CDs
• 3Com Fast EtherLink XL 10/100Mb TX NIC
• US Robotics 56K Voice FaxModem Pro
• Pioneer DVD-303S SCSI
• Note--All SCSI devices (except disk drives on RAID) are connected to onboard AIC7890 U2W SCSI
• Mainly running Win98 v4.10.1998

[Speedy]

read the posts before you post yours!

[xortam]

Maybe I'm blind but I couldn't find anything that talks about DH display problems in DOS mode. Perhaps you could be a bit more helpful and refer me to the threads.

[xortam]

Well I presume that Speedy realized that he/she misread my initial post. So I'll ask the question again. Has anyone enabled the DOS TV output setting on their G400 BIOS? What has you're experience been in regard to picture quality?

[Snake-Eyes]

I enabled mine a month ago, but unfortunately, since my S-Video cable won't reach, I haven't tried it through the television yet. No probs on the computer display though.

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Ace

[xortam]

That's what I'm doing today ... punching a whole in the wall between my office and living room so I can run a/v and keyboard/mouse lines. I'm going to use the PC to watch DVDs on my home theatre.

So you don't remember seeing any visual degradation on you're PC monitor during POST and DOS bootup? My primary monitor text is very wavy at first, then returns to normal during the bootup (I'll have to identify exactly at what point).

[Snake-Eyes]

I haven't noticed anything like that on mine. I'll take another look when I get home to check again, though, and let you know if I see something.

I already have a separate DVD player (bought well before my Max), so I plan to someday use mine for games. I've been considering purchase of one of those Logitech cordless keyboard / mouse (the 3 button scroller) combos for this, so I can sit back from the television and still play Q3 / UT (and any other FPS I take a hankerin' to).

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Ace

[xortam]

I don't think you'd like a remote keyboard/mouse for FPS games. I've tried a Logitech UHF device and I own the Antec IR device and neither are responsive enough for FPS games (sometimes, no response), especially the keyboard. I can watch DVDs in the home theatre room (and other remote rooms) and remotely control the PC with the IR keyboard/mouse but I'm also allowing for use of a hard-wired setup as well mostly so I can play games.
P.S. Got the first hole cut out and plate mounted, had my lunch, and am ready to cut out the hole on the other side of the wall. No more running cables down the hallway and across the couch.

[xortam]

I thought I'd try the group one last time before I contact Technical Support on this issue.

Again, I'm seeing wavy text on the primary monitor and horizontal multi-colored lines on the TV during POST and DOS bootup. It will then display correctly going into Win98 bootup.



[This message has been edited by xortam (edited 02 November 1999).]

[motub]

xortam: I wonder if this is in fact a "problem". The G400 is acting as a simple VGA card during the POST, afaik... the PD isn't loaded till Windows loads, so neither are the actual G400 drivers.

So during the post, you're essentially asking a VGA card to drive a computer monitor (which operates at one refresh rate) and a TV (which operates at another) at the same time... in DOS.

It sounds reasonable to me that it would take Windows' resources-- including the PD drivers-- to sort all that out. But I can't say I have more substantive information than that, sorry not to be of real help. Just offering another perspective.

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Holly

[xortam]

Zwisch, That is the whole point, to get high quality display in DOS mode (reread early posts).

I'm trying to monitor my system booting up while only using the TV out display.
I was hoping to get confirmation from someone else who was trying this feature.

motub, I agree in that I don't think its an issue but for the following reason: I believe the board isn't displaying correctly until POST initializes the G400 BIOS, which apparently happens late on my system (no Matrox banner displayed, so hard to be sure). I guess its just a brief discomfort.


[This message has been edited by xortam (edited 02 November 1999).]

[Zwisch]

Dos TV out is not the greatest invention... you will get it but since TV is not made to display texts mode, it will indeed be less than satifactory. Dos tv out was not meant to be used this way but more for programs and basic demonstrations at worst.

[Zwisch]

xortam, did you enabled DOS TV out? If so, try disabling it.

[Liquid Snake]

Hey xortam, what's wrong with the cordless Logitech? Im using the Cordless Mouseman Wheel right now. Ever since I got it, I find that I'm kicking more ass in games (my aim is better)

[Rob M.]

I've used TV out only before, and I had the same thing, Until the win98 logo came up, the DOS text was illegible. It's not a big deal to me though, I don't have too many DOS apps kicking around anymore..