Samsung 32" LCD/TV - "Not supported mode"?

1024x768, my conection is a 15 pin to dvi, Samsung model HDTV LNS3251 dxixaa. I can only switch resolutions by going to another pc.                     Thanks   Ed

BTW I want to use this as a gaming PC.  Thanks Ed

That TV has a native resolution of 1366x768.  Are you using the same connection with the other PCs that work?  I would suggest setting up a custom resolution of 1366x768 to match the TV; PowerStrip will let you do this: http://entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm

So I set up a native resolution with power strip which I (just downloaded, thanks for the link) do on another pc then just boot with the Samsung?                  Ed

Set it up with another LCD monitor, then change to the Samsung when you are ready.

I'll try it now. Thanks  Ed

I tried it and it started with the windows screen then went back to mode not supported. That is closer than I have gotten before. I used the predefined and the user defined. The max resolution on the lcd I'm using is 1280x1024.
Should I save then switch monitors.                   Ed

I just looked in the manual and it says that 1360x768 is the max resolution. Should I try that?   Ed

Yes, I would try 1360 x 768 to get the screen filled (in fact you're likely to need a resolution slightly smaller in each dimension due to the TV's overscan) ... but FIRST get the TV to display something !!

I don't think the issue here is the resolution you're using => For example, 1024 x 768 should work, but just not fill the display.  It's more likely your adapter is using a refresh rate that's too high for the TV display.   Hook your PC up to another monitor and set the refresh rate on the video adapter to 60Hz.   I suspect you're using a higher refresh rate right now.

I';; try it Thanks Ed

The resolutions was at 60. Each time I go back to the working pc & lcd, I get a power strip message that says "powerstrip did not finish initializing the last time it was started,which may indicate a problem with the current settings. Do you want to bypass the normal startup procedure  and take the opportunity to correct the problems?" What am I doing wrong? I see the windows startup screen then it goes to "mode not supported"                    Thanks  Ed

"... I see the windows startup screen then it goes to "mode not supported" ..." ==>  So the display is working at standard settings until the Windows drivers gets control and switches to an unsupported mode.

Boot to Safe Mode (press F8 at the very start of the boot process and choose "Safe Mode") => this should work fine.   Then change the display settings to a 60Hz, very low resolution setting (perhaps 800 x 600) and then reboot to Normal mode (i.e. just reboot).

... by the way, do you have the most current drivers for your video card installed ??

ok I'll try safe mode. No, on the video drivers I'll try that also.  Thanks  ed

> I have tried my pc with other monitors and its cool

Can you give specifics on what monitors worked and what settings you used for them?

Actually I'd be more interested in the settings of that other PC when you "... tried this Samsung monitor on my other pc and it works fine ..." ==>  also, note that this is NOT a "Samsung monitor" ... it's a Samsung television (albeit an HDTV);  so it most likely not communicating the display capabilities via VESA DDC, which is a good bit of the problem here.   I'd update to the latest graphics drivers; and then set the resolution/refresh to the same parameters that were used on your other PC (that worked) ==> and THEN you can try different resolutions via PowerStrip to fill the display.

Getting closer. I couldn't get into safe mode with f8 or tapping the shift key so I used msconfig and forced it in the boot.ini. I got into safe mode that way. I rebooted and it still only showed the windows startup screen. I used a 19" Sceptre lcd on 800x600, 1024x768,1280x1024, those are the only resolutions it supports.On the other pc  I tried these settings 1280x1024 & 1024x768. It has an older Geforce 4600ti. Installed the latest drivers on both pc's.          Thanks  ed

What's the refresh rate on the Geforce 4600ti when you're using the TV ??

1024x768

I also tried a crt Sony 20" E540 which is one of the other monitors I tried during this mess  ;-)

That's the resolution ... what was the refresh rate ??

60

Were you using the same connector to the TV in all cases?

Okay ... but if you set the 7950 to 1024 x 768 at 60Hz it's not working ??   ==> assuming that's the case, be sure you update to the most current video drivers.

no. should I try another one? How come I got it to work in safe mode?

I'll try the 7950 again at those settings. be back soon

If you didn't use the same connection to the TV, it can be the circuit for that port in the TV.  You need to isolate the variables here.

"... no. should I try another one? How come I got it to work in safe mode? " ==>  Does the "No" here refer to Callandor's question about the connection?   If so, that may explain your issue.   Different inputs on HDTV's have different characteristics.   The question isn't really about the physical connector ... but is it the same type and being plugged into the same input on the TV ??

As for "... How come I got it to work in safe mode? " ==>  Simple.  Safe Mode is using the most basic video mode ==> BEFORE the Windows drivers take over.   This does, however, prove that the issue is simply one of getting the driver to work with the monitor => that's why you need to be sure you have the most current driver and are using the most compatible input on your TV.   As you're discovering here, getting HDTV's to work well as computer monitors can be a challenge ... but with the right combination (and a bit of fiddling ... PowerStrip is good for that) it will work :-)

In safe mode I could switch to 1024x768 60 and it looked fine but when i reboot, same thing. I am using a standard 15 pin d-sub monitor cable on the Samsung and dvi dongle on the 7950 end.  I will try some more "fiddling" and keep you informed.

Another thing you could try if the Samsung has a DVI input (or an HDMI input, which you could use with a DVI to HDMI cable) is to use the DVI directly to the TV.   The overscan on the TV will require some slight reduction in the image size to work well; but this often works much better than the VGA inputs on HDTV's.

I just tried this tv/monitor on a different system that has a  6800gt video card,  2gigs ram, and an AMD XP 64 3400+ and it works just fine. I even set the resolution to 1360x768 60mhz and the Samsung worked great. I rebooted to the new pc, same thing. Now if I can get it to work with my new system. ED

carycase, I'll look on the back of the monitor to see what kind of input/outputs it has. Ed

If you connect the PC via DVI/HDMI you simply select that input on the TV => you do NOT use "PC Mode" (which will use the VGA input).   It should work nicely that way ... but the TV's overscan will likely cause part of the display to be "missing," so you'll have to adjust the resolution to slightly lower values in each dimension to compensate for that (PowerStrip is good for that).

... Have you updated to the latest video drivers ??  ... and also the latest BIOS for the motherboard ??   Both of these can have an impact on this issue => especially since both are very new and likely to have notable improvements in the new driver/BIOS versions.

I have the latest video drivers but didn't update the bios. I'll look into the bios. In the manual it says that "Thr hdmi/dvi jacks don not support pc connections." But I've read that people use them anyway. I will have to buy a special cable for that. I don't understand how after I put a supported resolution in the new pc still said mode not supported.
I'll keep trying though.                          Thanks Ed

garycase,Thanks for all you help and time. I'll keep trying until I get it. I want to see what this beast can do. Thanks  Ed