Puzzling Preview Quality on Secondary Monitor at DVinfo.net

Steven Reid · November 12th, 2009, 01:21 PM

I just installed a secondary monitor on my rig (23"; 2048 x 1152) to complement my main 30" monitor. I configured Vegas 8.0c to display the preview on the secondary monitor. It does when I click the monitor icon in the preview pane, but even at best/full, no matter what I have (un)checked in the preview options tab, the image looks somewhat degraded and slightly pixellated (1440 x 1080 material on the timeline in 1440 x 1080p project).

In contrast, if I simply undock the preview pane, drag it to my secondary monitor, and maximize the pane to fill the screen, the image looks wonderfully sharp and lacking any of the slight pixellation (for lack of a better adjective).

If it matters for display purposes, I have a whopping GPU with both monitors connected via dual link DVI.

So, why the difference? I don't mind undocking the preview pane, but I can't figure out why one preview method looks so noticeably poorer than the other. Ideas? Have I missed something basic here?

Steve

Seth Bloombaum · November 12th, 2009, 04:50 PM

This may have something to do with scaling on the new monitor. Does your external preview actually come close to filling the screen? If so, it is probaly being scaled up beyond native resolution.

Best results will come at native resolution of your project/media, check your preview preferences...

Chris Harding · November 12th, 2009, 04:56 PM

Hi Steven

Somehow I think that you are doing everything correctly!! I have spend hours of my free time with preview settings and without a doubt the Preview window always looks better than the 2nd monitor!!!

Undock the window and drag it over??? Brilliant!!! I never thought of that!!! I'll definately try that...it's just as easy as clicking the "External preview" icon!!!!

Trust me I have tried from 15" monitors to 27" monitors for external preview in both Analogue and DVI mode and it's always the same!! Lower quality on the external preview!!

Hopefully I have missed something simple as well but it sounds like dragging the window across is the answer....Maybe give your current preview properties in a post and then other experts might spot where we are going wrong?????

Chris

Steven Reid · November 12th, 2009, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seth Bloombaum

This may have something to do with scaling on the new monitor. Does your external preview actually come close to filling the screen? If so, it is probaly being scaled up beyond native resolution.

Best results will come at native resolution of your project/media, check your preview preferences...

Those were my very first thoughts, too, and why I tried many combinations of check boxes, resolutions, etc. I'm rendering right now, so I'll have to try other possibilities when the render is finished.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

Hi Steven

Somehow I think that you are doing everything correctly!! I have spend hours of my free time with preview settings and without a doubt the Preview window always looks better than the 2nd monitor!!!

Undock the window and drag it over??? Brilliant!!! I never thought of that!!! I'll definately try that...it's just as easy as clicking the "External preview" icon!!!!

Trust me I have tried from 15" monitors to 27" monitors for external preview in both Analogue and DVI mode and it's always the same!! Lower quality on the external preview!!

Hopefully I have missed something simple as well but it sounds like dragging the window across is the answer....Maybe give your current preview properties in a post and then other experts might spot where we are going wrong?????

Chris

Well, the undocking is a nice workaround. I wish I could take credit, but years ago I watched a wedding videographer do this very thing for his secondary monitor. At the time, knowing nothing about Vegas, I thought it looked a little cheesy, surmising that there must be an easier way to display. Of course, there is, but if I can't figure out what I'm doing 'wrong,' the undocking will be my only good looking solution.

Steve

Chris Harding · November 12th, 2009, 10:04 PM

Hey Steve

I'm not even that sure that it's a scaling issue. I have only a 19" LCD on the second display and setting the display 1440 x 900 (which is default) gives the same problem as you have using 1440x1080 footage or even 720x576 PAL WIDESCREEN footage!!!. Even setting the monitor resolution to standard PAL widescreen gives a similar result. You can see the resolution difference between the second display and the preview window (and it's a marked difference!!) My monitor also has various display "profiles" and the best seems to be the "movie" one but the quality is still nowhere near the preview screen!!

As I do weddings, all my work ends up on DVD in SD format and I tried an AVCHD to SD render as well as an AVCHD to AVI then rendered to MPEG2 and watched them on an HD 42" TV and both are stunning. The raw footage in AVCHD in Vegas still looks poor on the second monitor and there is no difference when I display transcoded AVCHD-SD AVI on the monitor also.

Let us know if you find a solution???? I'll do the same

Chris

Chris Harding · November 13th, 2009, 07:07 AM

A quick extra bit of info!!

I actually have a wedding to edit so I dragged the preview window to the 2nd monitor and GOSH!! the quality is superb!!!!!

I just resized the Window and then when I had a break I just closed Vegas without thinking and shut down the machine for dinner (it's that time here!!) When I returned I started up and Vegas "remembered" that the window had been dragged over and resized so there is no effort now!! Just undock and drag to the size you want and it's there waiting on the next startup!!

The only "tiny" issue is that the display doesn't de-interlace like you can select for the external preview but the quality sure makes up for a few interlacing lines!!!!

Chris

November 12th, 2009, 01:21 PM	#1
Steven Reid Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Salem, Oregon Posts: 435	Puzzling Preview Quality on Secondary Monitor I just installed a secondary monitor on my rig (23"; 2048 x 1152) to complement my main 30" monitor. I configured Vegas 8.0c to display the preview on the secondary monitor. It does when I click the monitor icon in the preview pane, but even at best/full, no matter what I have (un)checked in the preview options tab, the image looks somewhat degraded and slightly pixellated (1440 x 1080 material on the timeline in 1440 x 1080p project). In contrast, if I simply undock the preview pane, drag it to my secondary monitor, and maximize the pane to fill the screen, the image looks wonderfully sharp and lacking any of the slight pixellation (for lack of a better adjective). If it matters for display purposes, I have a whopping GPU with both monitors connected via dual link DVI. So, why the difference? I don't mind undocking the preview pane, but I can't figure out why one preview method looks so noticeably poorer than the other. Ideas? Have I missed something basic here? Steve

November 12th, 2009, 04:50 PM	#2
Seth Bloombaum Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,420	This may have something to do with scaling on the new monitor. Does your external preview actually come close to filling the screen? If so, it is probaly being scaled up beyond native resolution. Best results will come at native resolution of your project/media, check your preview preferences... __________________ 30 years of pro media production. Vegas user since 1.0. Webcaster since 1997. Freelancer since 2000. College instructor since 2001.

November 12th, 2009, 04:56 PM	#3
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Hi Steven Somehow I think that you are doing everything correctly!! I have spend hours of my free time with preview settings and without a doubt the Preview window always looks better than the 2nd monitor!!! Undock the window and drag it over??? Brilliant!!! I never thought of that!!! I'll definately try that...it's just as easy as clicking the "External preview" icon!!!! Trust me I have tried from 15" monitors to 27" monitors for external preview in both Analogue and DVI mode and it's always the same!! Lower quality on the external preview!! Hopefully I have missed something simple as well but it sounds like dragging the window across is the answer....Maybe give your current preview properties in a post and then other experts might spot where we are going wrong????? Chris

November 12th, 2009, 10:04 PM	#5
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Hey Steve I'm not even that sure that it's a scaling issue. I have only a 19" LCD on the second display and setting the display 1440 x 900 (which is default) gives the same problem as you have using 1440x1080 footage or even 720x576 PAL WIDESCREEN footage!!!. Even setting the monitor resolution to standard PAL widescreen gives a similar result. You can see the resolution difference between the second display and the preview window (and it's a marked difference!!) My monitor also has various display "profiles" and the best seems to be the "movie" one but the quality is still nowhere near the preview screen!! As I do weddings, all my work ends up on DVD in SD format and I tried an AVCHD to SD render as well as an AVCHD to AVI then rendered to MPEG2 and watched them on an HD 42" TV and both are stunning. The raw footage in AVCHD in Vegas still looks poor on the second monitor and there is no difference when I display transcoded AVCHD-SD AVI on the monitor also. Let us know if you find a solution???? I'll do the same Chris

November 13th, 2009, 07:07 AM	#6
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	A quick extra bit of info!! I actually have a wedding to edit so I dragged the preview window to the 2nd monitor and GOSH!! the quality is superb!!!!! I just resized the Window and then when I had a break I just closed Vegas without thinking and shut down the machine for dinner (it's that time here!!) When I returned I started up and Vegas "remembered" that the window had been dragged over and resized so there is no effort now!! Just undock and drag to the size you want and it's there waiting on the next startup!! The only "tiny" issue is that the display doesn't de-interlace like you can select for the external preview but the quality sure makes up for a few interlacing lines!!!! Chris