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DisplayConfigX.dmg

Welcome to DisplayConfigX

Your monitor flickers, stressing your eyes? The usual resolutions aren't enough? Then this program is probably what you need.

Mac OS X provides only rather few resolutions and often only at refresh rates below 100Hz. With this program you can adjust your Mac to optimally match your monitor. You get arbitrary resolutions at as high refresh rates as your monitor supports. Without registration only low to mid size resolutions are supported.


 Requirements   Installation   Uninstall   Registration   History   Download   FAQ   HDTV   Timing table   Disclaimer   Contact 

Requirements

System: Graphics card: Monitor:
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Installation

  1. You need to be administrator on your Mac.
  2. The latest version of this program is DisplayConfigX.dmg. Move the application to your hard disc, preferably to the "Applications" folder or to your desktop.
  3. Start the program and compare the data shown with the details given in your monitor manual.

    monitor tab


  4. If your monitor supports true auto-configuration, most of these values are not changeable and you don't have to do anything here (in that case the program does not allow you to change the values). Otherwise, adjust the frequencies to the specification you should find in your monitor manual:
    • Refresh rate: this is the range of supported refresh rates, also known as vertical scan rate or vertical frequency. Usually given in hertz (Hz). If you can not find this information for your monitor, the default guess should work. It should be safe to set the upper limit to whatever highest refresh rate is you have successfully used it with and the lower limit to 75Hz.
    • Horizontal frequency: this is the range of supported horizontal scan rates. Usually given in kilohertz (KHz). This range MUST match your monitor! If you can not find this information for your monitor, the default guess may or may not work. Good luck in that case and check after rebooting monitor stays blank before you try.
    • Pixel frequency: this is the bandwidth limit of your monitor, also known as dot clock. Usually given in megahertz (MHz). If your monitor manual does not specify this value, typical hardware should handle at least 250 MHz, good quality hardware 350MHz or even more. There is only an upper limit, and many monitors accept more than what the manual says. Setting this too low yields low vertical frequencies (flicker). Setting this value way too high might yield somewhat unfocused pixels.
    • The aspect ratio of most monitors is 4:3. Widescreen monitors usually use 16:10 or 16:9. If you can't find this VALUE, calculate the ratio as follows: height of visible screen divided by its width and multiplied by 64. The resulting ration is 64:VALUE. For digital displays this value is replaced by the native resolution setting, which specifies how many pixels your display actually has. For analog displays using DVI connection, set this to whatever is the maximum usable resolution.
    • The default refresh rate is used by all automatic resolutions (unless it conflicts with the monitor specification).
  5. You can now check the resulting resolutions in the "Resolutions" tab. Here you can disable resolutions or add new ones. Using the edit button, you can modify refresh rates (they will be checked against your monitors capabilities) or specify completely arbitrary timings. If you have a resolution selected and hit the "+" button, you create a copy of that resolution which you can then modify.

    resolutions tab


  6. If you only have one monitor and do not know how to use the single user mode, now would be a good time to check the FAQ section about what to do if things fail. Since you might end up with a blank screen, you might want to print that section.
  7. Use the "Install" button in the "Install" tab to save the configuration in your system.
  8. Restart your Mac. If the monitor is still dark after about 25 seconds or starts to produce funny noises, SWITCH IT OFF and see the section about what to do if things fail.
  9. The new resolutions should now show up in the system preferences "Displays", whereas resolutions not adequate for your monitor should be gone.
  10. Should you like the program, register it and reinstall the resolutions (since the registered version supports more).

In cases of emergency (screen stays blank) see after rebooting monitor stays blank. Should the program not work on your system, check the Requirements or whether there is an update available. If that doesn't help, drop me an email (please be detailed) at dcxsupport@delphin.all.de.

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Uninstall

In order to uninstall simply use the menu item "Uninstall for All Monitors", reboot as indicated and then delete the program.

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Register

Please test the program before registering. To get rid of the restrictions in the unregistered version you need to buy a serial number. Please use the "Buy" button in the registration window. It is accessible via the "Register" menu entry and will send you to an online order page at www.kagi.com. After completing the order you should receive a serial number within the next few days (often within hours). Please reinstall your monitor configuration after registering, since the unregistered version doesn't support all resolutions.

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FAQ


 Are Intel Macs supported? 
 After rebooting monitor stays blank 
 After changing the resolution my monitor goes blank 
 The new resolution are not centered on my monitor, I can't see all of the image and there are black bars 
 The resolution list does not contain some resolutions mentioned in the monitor manual 
 There is a resolution missing, that was available before installing DisplayConfigX 
 How can I tweak the refresh rates? 
 How can I specify the resolution timing details myself? 
 How can I optimize the image quality on my multi-sync monitor? 
 Do high refresh rates ware out monitors faster? 
 Are HDTV monitors supported? 
 How to get rid of overscan? 
 What are those syncs and porches, anyways? 
 Are digital projectors supported? 
 Are LCD monitors supported? 
 Are fixed frequency monitors supported? 
 Are old NDRV cards supported? 
 I have a notebook and use different monitors at home and at work. Is that supported? 
 Are eMacs supported? 
 How do I prevent other users of my machine from changing the settings? 
 What resolutions and refresh rates are supported? 
 How can I enter X11 modelines? 
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Universal binary

While the application is not a universal binary, it should nevertheless work fine on the new Intel Macs (using Rosetta). I still haven't tested it myself, but got positive reports with no Intel specific problems.
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After rebooting monitor stays blank

For some reason your monitor does not accept the installed frequency. SWITCH IT OFF! To remove the installed settings, connect some other monitor to your machine and use the menu command "Uninstall for all monitors" to get rid of the faulty configuration.
For some configurations you can boot with the shift key pressed to ignore the new settings. Swapping cables, BNC instead of VGA or vice versa, usually helps, too. Sometimes it helps to boot with the monitor switched off.
As a last resort, if you are experienced with single user mode, you can boot into that (enter "mount -uw /" to make the harddisk writable), navigate to the application and call "DisplayConfigX.app/Contents/Resources/Install --removeall" and reboot.
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After changing the resolution my monitor goes blank

Similar to after rebooting monitor stays blank. But given that some other resolutions do work, it should be worth retrying with lower frequencies (use the resolution tables context menu or edit the frequency setting manually). To prevent this in general, disable any timings and resolutions in the resolutions tab that don't match your display.
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The new resolution are not centered on my monitor, I can't see all of the image and there are black bars

This is normal if you use new timings on a device. For most monitors you can adjust the geometry using the monitor´s controls. For certain Apple monitors you can use the systems "Displays" control panel. As most devices memorize this setting, this usually needs to be done only once per resolution. Only for devices where neither of these methods works (no controls available), you would have to adjust the timing manually, see the Overscan section.
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The resolution list does not contain some resolutions mentioned in the monitor manual

The DDC information only has rudimentary information about the monitor's specifics. Therefore the generated frequencies and resolutions may not exactly match the monitor's specification. However you usually get more and higher resolutions. Of course, if the manufacturer provides precise timings you can use those.
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There is a resolution missing, that was available before installing DisplayConfigX

Simply use the "+" button in the resolutions tab, change the type to "Resolution" or "Manual" and specify the missing resolution. After using the "Install" button and a reboot the resolution should be back. This way you also can introduce near arbitrary new resolutions.
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How can I tweak the refresh rates?

In the "Resolutions" tab, double click a resolution. Then change the type to "Manual" which allows you to change the refresh rate. The program will limit your changes to what it thinks is safe to use. If in doubt, check with your monitor manual.
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How can I specify the resolution timing details myself?

Add a resolution using the "+" button in the resolution tab. Change the type to "Timing" and set the values to whatever you need. There are some implicit limits, which the program will automatically check and correct. If the "Enable" check mark is switched off, that means that the timing violates the specification you entered in the monitor tab. Keep in mind that MacOSX will drop resolutions which are redundant, as in they have the same size and approximately the same refresh rate.
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How can I optimize the image quality on my multi-sync monitor?

Usually the default method works quite well. Sometimes you can get still better results by manually tweaking the timing, though. Reasons would be:
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Do high refresh rates ware out monitors faster?

As long as you respect the specification of the monitor (in particular the upper limit on the horizontal frequency) using high frequencies should not affect the monitor. In general they die by age (usually 7 - 12 years, high quality equipment may last longer) mostly because the condensers degrade and some other parts vary over long periods of time. Which may affect the usable frequency range. I have seen a lot monitors aging and some dying. Using high frequencies never seemed to have any significant effect as long as the monitor specification is not violated.
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Are HDTV monitors supported?

Basically yes. Of course you have to get an adapter first (unless you are lucky and your TV has DVI or VGA input). I don't have much experience with HDTV myself, but many people have tried and had success tweaking the timings for adequate display. Before you start you should have a look at after rebooting monitor stays blank in case you fool things up or the device does not understand the timing for whatever reason.

A timing to start with would be some flavor of 480p (720*480@60Hz) or if your device is fast enough 720p (1280*720@60Hz). See the timing list for the necessary details. There are dedicated timing types for 480p and 720p which will limit your changes to a timing to what complies with the limits for that type of device. The default should work on most HDTV devices.

Some general limits for HDTV resolutions are (horizontal scan rate and vertical total must match):

Some tweaking is usually required to have the borders of the image match the TV tube.
See the overscan section .
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How to get rid of overscan?

The following rules might help to reduce over scan (some part of the image is not visible) or under scan (a black border around the image):

Here is the somwhat simplified precedure to get rid of overscan, assuming you start with a valid timing: Good luck:-)
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What are those syncs and porches, anyways?

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Are digital projectors supported?

Yes. I don't have much experience with those, but some people have tried and had success tweaking the timings for adequate display. Apart from native timings you can also add scaled resolutions (resolution scaled by graphics card) for varying needs;-)
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Are LCD monitors supported?

Yes. But it doesn't make much sense to use anything but the native resolution for these. However you can use it to fix the timing, if your system doesn't detect it automatically, to get specific frame rates (e.g. 50Hz or 48Hz for DVD playback).
For example, for an Sceptre X7SV-Naga (1280*768) which came up in 1024*768 using the digital connection (the DDC info was faulty and doesn't even mention the native resolution), the following timing fixed the Sceptre to use native display:

In the monitor tab set the native Resolution to 1280 * 768.
In the resolution tab, double click the timing and enter:
X7SV-Naga timing

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Are fixed frequency monitors supported?

While this is in principle possible, you can not change sync type to composite or sync on green and you need to know rather precise timing details. If you have the required timing details and the monitor supports separate sync (e.g. 5 wire BNC), it should work. I'd recommend to use a spearate multi-sync monitor without DDC to test the timing and then disable all but the usable timing.
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Are old NDRV cards supported?

No. The graphic card needs to have proper support for MacOSX. DisplayConfigX is not a graphic card driver. For those cards, you might want to read www.macosxhints.com: 10.3: Possibly make older video cards functional again. But even if that works, chances that those old cards are compatible with this application are practically zero.
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I have a notebook and use different monitors at home and at work. Is that supported?

Yes. It uses the normal MacOSX technique of keeping different monitor settings for different monitor types. If you adjust one monitor type, others should not be affected. This is what I'm using all the time:-) One catch is that this only works if at most one monitor has no DDC.
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Are iBooks supported?

Usually the iBook is limited to using external monitors in mirror mode. What renders this tool rather useless, since in mirrored mode the usable resolution is limited by the smallest of the involved screens.
However there is a tool to enable non-mirrored mode on iBooks. It doesn't work on all iBooks and can put unsupported iBooks into fairly unfunny modes. Handle with care! Further descriptions and the download are at macparts.de
If (and only if) that works for you, then DisplayConfigX should work, too.
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Are eMacs supported?

Yes, but the build-in monitor is fairly slow (maximum 72KHz). So among others, you'd get:
    1152*864@79.4Hz, 1184*888@77.3Hz, 1216*912@75.4Hz, 1248*936@73.5Hz, 1280*960@71.8Hz
    
The external connector for secondary displays can be used but is by default forced to mirrored mode. See iBooks for whether you can fix that. Back to FAQ

How do I prevent other users of my machine from changing the settings?

Either set the applications group ownership to admin and remove all access rights for other users or simply delete the program after using it (to later change the configuration simply reinstall the app). If you disable all but the desired resolution you can make sure that no one sets the display into suboptimal modes.
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What resolutions and refresh rates are supported?

Apart from standard resolutions there is quite a list of others. They range from 640*480 (only usable for games) to 1984*1488 (for ultra high end tubes). They come in many flavors for aspect ratios of 4:3, 16:10 or 16:9 or others. My personal favorite is 1408*1056 (on a decent 21" tube).
This is limited by your hardware and difficult to predict. You can check what you'd get yourself before registering. Some of the resolutions might be more than what your graphic card can handle and will be dropped. Also you can change any resolution into a in manual mode and get near arbitrary combinations.
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How can I enter X11 modelines?

To use X11 modelines, you calculate the timing parameters and create a new timing in DisplayConfigX. A simple X11 modeline reads:
        "1024x768@100" 126.64 1024 1056 1536 1568 768 781 794 807
    
which is
        "activeX x activeY @ verticalFrequency" 
            pixelFrequency 
            hActive (hActive+hFrontPorch) (hActive+hFrontPorch+hSync) (hTotal) 
            vActive (vActive+vFrontPorch) (vActive+vFrontPorch+vSync) (vTotal) 
    
So in the example the settings would be:
    pixel frequency: 126.64 MHz
    horizontal: active      =             1024 pixels
                front porch = 1056-1024 =   32 pixels
                sync        = 1536-1056 =  480 pixels
                back porch  = 1568-1536 =   32 pixels
                total       =             1568 pixels
    vertical:   active      =              768 lines
                front porch = 781-768   =   13 lines
                sync        = 794-781   =   13 lines
                back porch  = 807-794   =   13 lines
                total       =              807 lines
    horizontal frequency: (pixel frequency) / (horizontal total)
                            = 126.64 / 1568 * 1000 = 80.76 KHz
    vertical frequency: (horizontal frequency) / (vertical total)
                            = 80.76 / 807 * 1000 = 100.08 Hz
    
For an "Interlace" mode, enable the "Interlaced" toggle. The vertical timings are specified as the sum of the two frames. I'm not sure how those work in X11. Extra keywords in the modeline (+hsync, -hsync, +vsync, -vsync) can usually be ignored. "Doublescan" modes are currently not supported.
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Download

Read at least Requirements and Disclaimer before downloading. Without registering, you can test the programs ability to detect your monitor, check what resolutions/frequencies would be available and install some of the lower resolutions.

Latest version:   DisplayConfigX.dmg

Archived versions. Use these if you suspect a new version contains a new bug.
Version 1.09:   DisplayConfigX109.dmg
Version 1.05:   DisplayConfigX105.dmg
Version 1.03:   DisplayConfigX103.dmg
Version 0.96:   DisplayConfigX096.dmg

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Version history

1.09:
    • Optionally keeps default resolutions.
1.07:
    • Support for interlaced timings (needs 10.3.8 or better and a driver that supports it).
    • Simplified tuning of 480i, 960i and 1080i timings.
    • Fixed problems for NVIDIA cards when using a DVI to video adapter.
    • Fixes the 15 line front porch problem (the fix only works for 10.4.x or better).
1.05:
    • Verified compatibility with Mac mini.
    • Allows to use the test screen feature without administrator password (to check displays in a shop).
    • Allows to import the currently active timing (and shows its details).
    • Added a hint about how to manually remove the settings.
    • Rewrote japanese documentation.
    • Minor changes in the user interace.
1.03:
    • Fixed the menu entry resolutions->"Default resolutions".
1.02:
    • Fixed various GUI glitches.
1.01:
    • Much easier timing specification, including simplified setup of HDTV timings.
    • Supports multiple frequencies per resolution.
    • Fixed a bug related to certain NVIDIA drivers.
    • Supports measuring true frequencies.
    • Many changes in the user interface.
0.96:
    • Allows disabling automatic speed detection (to fix faulty DDC data).
    • Allows ignoring bandwidth limitations.
    • Allows custom scaled resolutions for digital displays.
    • Fixes a glitch that would sometimes prevent manual timings from being accepted by the system.
    • Minor user interface changes.
0.93:
    • Added support for digital connections (can be used for digital projectors or fixing LCD displays with wrong native resolution).
    • Improved handling of non default color specifications.
    • Made editing custom timings a bit more easy and safe.
    • Changed calculation of frequency limits (generally less safety margin).
0.89:
    • French localization and documentation finished.
0.88:
    • Added support for arbitrary resolutions.
    • Added support for full custom timings (can be used to connect to HDTV).
0.87:
    • French localization (no French documentation).
0.85:
    • Added test screen facility.
    • Fixed a bug which prevented the app from starting on MacOSX 10.2.6 and earlier (bug introduced in 0.84).
0.84:
    • Japanese localization + help page.
    • German help page.
    • Various GUI improvements.
    • Minor code cleanup.
0.83:
    • German localization.
0.82:
    • A compatibility issue with SwitchRes (even after SwitchRes had been uninstalled prior to using DisplayConfigX) is now fixed.
0.81:
    • Fixed a compatibility issue with NVIDA drivers.
    • Fixed a compatibility issue with some full screen games not finding valid resolutions.
0.77:
    • Added support for BNC style cables and monitors without DDC.
    • Now distributed using an image file (.dmg) to fix application launch problems caused by a quirk in StuffIt 8.x.
    • Fixed a bug where the application was confused by certain apple displays and ADC adapters. In those scenarios the application had no effect whatsoever.
    • Generates slightly more defensive frequencies.
    • You can still use some of the lower resolutions without registering (or paying).
0.75:
    • You can now use some of the lower resolutions without registering (or paying).
    • The default refresh rate is now 120Hz.
0.74:
    • Fixed a bug seen in MacOSX 10.3 (Panther) where the OS tried to install additional resolutions. Which confused the "Displays" control panel, since there you can only change either the resolution or the frequency at a time. So in effect the bug blocked access to some resolutions that would have worked otherwise.
    • Added still more resolutions. Some people can't get enough:-)
    • Made the default refresh rate a preference option.
    • Minor GUI refinements.
0.72:      Initial public release. Minor GUI refinements.
0.66:      Tested on Panther, better support of some pre EDID 1.2 monitors
0.65:      Major changes to GUI.
0.48:      Changed timing details and allowed higher pixel rates.
0.43:      Improved error handling (more informative messages).
0.40:      First official beta.
0.31:      First version with user interface. (11 feb 2003)
0.21:      First version with auto configuration.
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Disclaimer

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY STATED IN AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND ME, ALL CONTENT, SERVICES, PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE PROVIDED ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. ME AND MY SUPPLIERS AND LICENSORS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE SOFTWARE AND SERVICES OFFERED BY ME FOR YOUR INTENDED APPLICATION AND USE. I DO NOT WARRANT THAT THIS SOFTWARE MEETS YOUR REQUIREMENTS. SUBJECT TO THE TERMS OF ANY AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND ME, ME, MY SUPPLIERS AND LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, EVEN IF ME, MY SUPPLIERS OR LICENSORS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. CERTAIN STATE LAWS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES. IF THESE LAWS APPLY TO YOU, SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE DISCLAIMERS, EXCLUSIONS, OR LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU, AND YOU MIGHT HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS.

In other words: if your monitor burns or your data goes to nirvana, go have a nice evening with friends or something, but leave me alone...

Please make sure that the timings match your hardware, or you risk damaging your monitor. You have been warned.

Harald Schweder
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Contact

Author:
Harald Schweder
Beratung, Entwicklung, Einzelhandel von Hard- und Software

E-Mail:
dcxsupport@delphin.all.de

Snail Mail:
Harald Schweder
Meyerstrasse 190
28201 Bremen
Germany

PGP: (use if should ever need to email private stuff like serials, credit card stuff and the like)
daran.gpgkey
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