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README.TXT
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1998-12-18
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[English]
README.TXT MATROX GRAPHICS INC. 1998.12.18
Matrox PowerDesk for Windows 95/98
Revision 4.51.010
Contents
========
- Description of this release
- Installation
- More information
- Registry settings
- Notes, problems, and limitations
- Matrox Diagnostic program
- IRQSET.EXE program
- Matrox TV output
Description of this release
===========================
This product includes a Windows 95/98 display driver AND the Matrox
PowerDesk for Windows 95/98, which allows: virtual desktop, hardware
pan and zoom, DirectDraw/Direct3D driver and more...
Installation
============
To install both Matrox PowerDesk and the Matrox display driver, start the
included "setup" program.
The setup program first asks you which language you want to use, then
to choose between a "Typical" or "Custom" installation. With a
"Typical" installation, the setup program installs all Matrox PowerDesk
utilities in the default "\Program Files\Matrox MGA PowerDesk" folder.
We recommend you use "Typical".
After PowerDesk is installed, the setup program automatically changes
the Windows 95/98 display driver, then prompts you to restart your computer
for all changes to take effect.
You can customize the installation process by editing the "mga.ini"
file. For example, you can change the default installation path, default
driver performance switches, default schemes, and so on. The file is
self-documented. This type of customization is for advanced users only.
More information
================
For more information on settings, refresh rates etc., see the WordPad
file "online.doc". This file is included on the Matrox disk, and installed
in your "\Program Files\Matrox MGA PowerDesk\" folder.
Registry settings
=================
PowerDesk settings are kept in the Windows 95/98 registry, under the keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MATROX\POWERDESK
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MATROX\DESKNAV
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MATROX\COLOR CONTROL
Notes, problems, and limitations
================================
- DirectDraw, Direct3D and DirectVideo support
The DirectDraw driver we provide is compatible with DirectX 2 (and
later) and includes Direct3D support. For our DirectDraw/Direct3D
driver to be called, and benefit from hardware acceleration,
Microsoft DirectX 2 (or later) MUST be installed, even for programs
originally made for DirectX 1.
We provide DirectX on the Matrox CD-ROM. The latest DirectX is
available from the Microsoft Web site, and is included with many
DirectX programs.
IMPORTANT: If the DirectX setup program prompts you to replace the
existing display drivers, click "No". Otherwise, the setup program
installs display drivers which are not as optimized as the Matrox
drivers and which do not support PowerDesk software.
Note that depending on the origin of your Microsoft DirectX software,
it may not include DirectVideo support. For faster playback of Indeo
and Cinepak AVI files, you should install Microsoft DirectVideo
support.
- Matrox bus mastering
This driver supports bus mastering. Bus mastering is a feature that
allows expansion cards to perform tasks at the same time as your
computer's CPU. If you have a fast Pentium computer (faster than
166 MHz), the display performance of most programs is improved when
bus mastering is used.
To use bus mastering with 3D (DirectX) programs, your graphics card
needs an interrupt request (IRQ). Most computers automatically assign
an IRQ to graphics cards, but some do not. If your graphics card hasn't
been assigned an IRQ, programs that use Matrox bus mastering may not
work properly. For more information, see your Matrox or system manual.
The Millennium graphics card doesn't support bus mastering. Also, some
older computers may not support bus mastering at all.
- Adobe Type Manager limitation
With Adobe Type Manager installed, you cannot run the driver if
the "Advanced Graphics Acceleration Settings" is set to none. Note
that ATM is installed as part of Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is an
Adobe problem documented in the Windows 95/98 "display.txt" file.
- Monitors in interlaced mode
Some older monitors such as the NEC 3D and many "SuperVGA" monitors
do not support non-interlaced mode in all resolutions. The Matrox display
driver does not properly handle interlaced mode with the Windows 95/98
monitor selection method. If you have one of these monitors, please
use the Matrox Monitor selection method.
- DirectDraw and Automatic Power Management
As stated in "Microsoft DirectX release Notes", September 30, 1995, a
DirectDraw game may be unable to restore properly if it is suspended
by Automatic Power Management utilities.
- Installation in different language versions of Windows 95/98
If you install software in a language different from the language of
your operating system (for example, English software on a Japanese
system), you may have problems with text and dialog box controls being
cut off. This is because of differences in system fonts.
- Millennium 3D acceleration library
The "Millennium 3D acceleration library" is no longer supported. (For
users of the Millennium graphics card, this option was available in
previous versions of Matrox PowerDesk for Windows 95.) The performance
of a few older 3D programs may be affected. 3D acceleration is
supported for programs that use DirectX.
- VESA modes
DOS programs running in DOS full-screen mode are handled by the
Matrox Video BIOS. The BIOS supports all standard VGA modes, AND many
VESA VBE 1.2 and 2.0 modes:
VESA Graphics Modes
Mode Resolution Colors
100h 640x400 256
101h 640x480 256
110h 640x480 32K
111h 640x480 64K
112h 640x480 16.8M
102h 800x600 16
103h 800x600 256
113h 800x600 32K
114h 800x600 64K
115h 800x600 16.8M
105h 1024x768 256
116h 1024x768 32K
117h 1024x768 64K
118h 1024x768 16.8M(*)
107h 1280x1024 256
119h 1280X1024 32K(*)
11Ah 1280X1024 64K(*)
11Ch 1600X1200 256
11Dh 1600X1200 32K(*)
11Eh 1600X1200 64K(*)
(*) requires 4Mb memory
Text Modes
Mode Columns Rows
108h 80 60
109h 132 25
10Bh 132 50
10Ch 132 60
Matrox Diagnostic program
=========================
Restart your computer and close all other programs before running Matrox
Diagnostic.
The Matrox Diagnostic program tests the bus mastering feature of your
system and if another program is using bus mastering at the same time (a
3D game for example), a system error may occur.
IRQSET.EXE program
==================
If you have a 3D program for Windows 95/98 that doesn't start or stops
running, you may be having a problem with bus mastering. The Matrox card
needs an Interrupt Request (IRQ) number for bus mastering to work
properly and some computers do not automatically give the Matrox card an
IRQ. You can manually assign your Matrox card an IRQ through the
IRQSET.EXE program we provide.
First, check for an IRQ number:
(1) Right-click "My Computer" on the Windows desktop background.
(2) Click the "Properties" menu item.
(3) Click the "Device Manager" tab.
(4) Click the "Properties" button.
(5) Check if the Matrox display driver appears in the IRQ list.
If it does, there is no need to manually assign an IRQ and you
can stop here.
IF NOT, note which IRQ number (10, 11 or 12) is not used and
continue with the instructions below.
To manually assign an IRQ (PCI graphics card only):
(1) Open your "autoexec.bat" file with the Windows 95/98 Notepad program.
Your autoexec.bat file is in the root directory of your boot
drive.
(2) Add a line to your autoexec.bat with the path to "IRQSET",
followed by the IRQ you want to use (the unused number you noted
above). For example, to assign your Matrox card IRQ 10, insert the
following line in your autoexec.bat (INCLUDING the quotation
marks):
C:"\Program Files\Matrox MGA PowerDesk\IRQSET" -i A
(The path you use MIGHT be different if you have a customized
installation of Matrox PowerDesk on your computer.)
The above example is for IRQ 10. To use a different IRQ, replace
"A" with ONE of the following letters (capitalized):
B (for IRQ 11)
C (for IRQ 12)
(3) Save the changes to the autoexec.bat and exit Notepad.
(4) Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Matrox TV output
================
Certain models of Matrox graphics cards support TV output. With TV output
support, you can view or record your computer display with a TV or video
recorder connected to your graphics card.
Notes
-----
When viewing the output of your computer on a TV, your computer monitor
also uses TV settings. TV settings have lower resolutions and refresh rates
than typical computer monitor settings. Lower refresh rates may result in
more noticeable flicker.
Because some computer monitors don't support TV settings, a computer
monitor may become garbled or unusable while TV output mode is used. If
this happens, simply turn off your computer monitor and use your TV to view
your computer display. Your computer monitor will work normally when you
disable TV output mode.
Recommendation
--------------
- While playing games using TV output, we recommend you use a 640 x 480
display resolution. This is because the resolution capabilities of TVs are
lower than most computer monitors. If you use a higher display resolution
(800 x 600 or 1024 x 768), the display on your TV may not look as sharp as
the display of your computer monitor -- that is, some of the extra detail
may be harder to see on your TV.
- Matrox default advanced TV output settings are good for viewing most
computer graphics (for example, computer games or your Windows desktop) on
most TVs. Based on broadcast standards, there are advanced TV output
settings that are better suited for viewing full-screen video (for example,
from a video file). These settings are:
NTSC
Brightness : 180
Contrast : 234
Saturation : 137
Hue : 0
PAL
Brightness : 167
Contrast : 255
Saturation : 138
Hue : 0
To access these settings with PowerDesk for Windows 95/98, click "Start" ->
"Programs" -> "Matrox PowerDesk" -> "Matrox Display Properties" ->
"Settings" -> "Advanced" -> "TV Out". For more information on these
settings, see context-sensitive Help.
Note: For ideal settings, you may also need to adjust the settings on your
TV. The default brightness, contrast, saturation and hue settings on most
consumer video devices are higher than broadcast standards. These settings
are usually OK for viewing video but may not look OK with computer graphics.
(This is why Matrox default TV output settings are lower than what's ideal
for video.) For more information on how to adjust settings on your TV, see
your TV manual.
More information
----------------
For more information on display settings, see your Matrox manual and online
documentation. For information on how to change the display resolution of a
game you're using, see its documentation.
Note: The Matrox zoom and virtual desktop features aren't supported in TV
output mode.