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[park]

I have a 2012 Oct Mac Mini with Win7 installed in Bootcamp. Totally clean install, with MC the only software I have installed on it. The Denon reciever it goes through is a 24bit 7 channel capable, hdmi connected reciever. The computer outputs a 1280x720 res desktop but I use the Intel Display software to scale the image down to compensate for the underscan on my TV so that I can see the Start button. I scale down to 60h and 55w. Occiasionally in the action center it tells me that this resolution isnt "optimal" but I can't think of anything else to do. I am having the following problems:

1. Since build 181 any movie file with multichannel audio wont play. Worse, it crashes MC immediately. The files are h.264 mkvs with passthrough dts or ac3 audio. I have bitstreaming turned on in options, but turned off for dts-hd audio because my Denon reciever can't deal with it.

Build 180 with WASAPI output and bitsreaming turned on works fine.


2. When I start the computer up and it starts in Theater View mode all the icons bunch up in the top left of the screen. If I try to escape out, I get taken to a random View in Theater view but can't navigate up to the rollers. Also, from that point on I am unable to escape of of Theater View or do anything at all except navigate the current list. If I start a movie in the list the screen wont go to Display view. The movie audio plays in the background.

3. A similar problem happens when going from Display View to Playing now then back to Display View. The interface freezes trying to go back to Display View and I can't escape out or do anything except ALT f4 to close the whole interface.

[InflatableMouse]

I have a 2012 Oct Mac Mini with Win7 installed in Bootcamp. Totally clean install, with MC the only software I have installed on it. The Denon reciever it goes through is a 24bit 7 channel capable, hdmi connected reciever. The computer outputs a 1280x720 res desktop but I use the Intel Display software to scale the image down to compensate for the underscan on my TV so that I can see the Start button. I scale down to 60h and 55w. Occiasionally in the action center it tells me that this resolution isnt "optimal" but I can't think of anything else to do.

I had to search for it but I thought I read about this elsewhere as well:
Find the option "Quantization" and set it to Default or Full.

[park]

It would appear that that Quantization option isnt in the latest intel drivers. As I read it, that only affects the rgb range being sent out anyway. I wonder if that would be enough to mess with MC's full screen mode.

Generally the first time I launch Theater View I see all the icons bunch up in the top left and overlap. If I then ALT f4 out and then launch it again Theater view becomes perfectly fine and usable from that point on.

[glynor]

The best choice is to fix the underscan/overscan on your TV Set.  Any other method makes the resolution actually non-optimal (it has to scale it, which makes hardware pixels no longer map to points in the OS, which seriously degrades quality).

What kind of TV do you have?

[park]

Sony Bravia kdl-32v2500

Haven't seen any settings anywhere in its menus for underscan.

Perhaps I could try a few days of letting the screen crop a little, and using the unscaled 720 resolution of the graphics software, just to see if the scaling really is the root cause of MC's weirdness regarding Theater View.

[glynor]

If setting it to 16:9 mode doesn't fix it, then you may need to set it to Smart or Zoom mode and then tweak the vertical size using the Screen menu.

From the manual:

* You can adjust the position of the picture when selecting Smart (50 Hz), Zoom or 14:9. Press Up/Down to move up or down (e.g., to read subtitles).
* Some characters and/or letters at the top and the bottom of the picture may not be visible in Smart mode. In such a case, you can select “Vertical Size” using the “Screen”
menu and adjust vertical size to make it visible.
* Select “Smart” or “Zoom” to adjust for 720p or 1080i source pictures with edge portions cut off.

You probably have to turn Auto-Format off under the Screen menu as well.

I've only ever encountered one HDTV in my time where you couldn't get it to stop doing Overscan correction (an old Visio).  I've used a bunch of Sonys (though never a 50Hz EU model) and they keep changing how it works, but every one I've used there is a way (usually pretty unintuitive).

[park]

Thanks for the advice Glynor. I looked at my tv settings and though I could change to Zoom mode, it wouldnt let me actually change horizontal and vertical size. They were greyed out with (not supported for this input mode). So it would seem that HDMI is a no-go for correcting overscan.

The next option I could consider is going out of the receiver through d-sub and seeing what the TV will let me do then.

I am wondering if there is any other software I can test to see if the problem is only in MC or not. Something that changes screen mode when it plays something fullscreen?

If I start MC in standard view and then switch to Theater View I never have the problem with all the items bunching up in the corner. This is a reasonable workaround for me. However, the one persistent problem that I can't workaround is when playing a movie from Theater view the first time. It plays the sound but the screen stays frozen in Theater View mode. I have to ctrl+alt+del and then esc to get to Display View. After that point I can navigate around Theater View freely and switch to Display view to watch movies without a hitch. It's just that first time.

[6233638]

I don’t think the old Sony sets did allow you to eliminate overscan—the option arrived with the W2000, and it was only since 1080p became commonplace that they added the option.

You will have to use 1360x768 over VGA, which is limited to 60Hz and forces the set into wide gamut mode if I remember correctly.

Edit: Just had a look through the manual—no "disable overscan" option on that model for the HDMI input.
It has the "display area" setting, but lacks the "+1" option which disables overscan on current models.
I am fairly certain that there is no option in the service menu to change it either, just white balance options.

[park]

Yes, thanks. That confirms what I saw.

So, currently I am continuing with my original solution which is to have 720 60i resolution desktop with the custom scaling set to 65% in the Intel Graphics driver app. Windows, and the desktop work fine, and the display still looks reasonably crisp and easy to work with. The problem for me is just switching to Display mode from Theater View.

I suppose the next thing I could test is connecting a 1080 res monitor to the mac miniso that I could see if the problems persist even with the intel drivers doing no scaling. I'd like to hear from other users using a mac mini with Windows to see if they have any problems. Perhaps this thread could be moved to the MC18 or Other devices forum.

[park]

By the way, after a few more builds of MC it seems that all my display problems went away. Now I can boot into windows theater view with no problems. I guess it was a problem with MC after all.