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[English]
PDREADME.TXT MATROX GRAPHICS INC. 2001.02.22
Matrox PowerDesk for Windows 2000
Revision 5.51.005
Contents
========
- Description of this release
- Installation
- More information
- Notes, problems, and limitations
Description of this release
===========================
Matrox PowerDesk software includes a display driver and display
utilities. With this software, you can take full advantage of your
Matrox graphics hardware and you can access additional Matrox
display-related features.
Installation
============
To install Matrox PowerDesk, start the "setup" program included
with it, then follow the on-screen instructions.
The setup program will only install software if a Matrox graphics
card model supported by the setup program is installed in your
computer.
More information
================
For more information on Matrox PowerDesk, see the help file
included with it. For information specific to your Matrox
graphics card, see your Matrox or system manual.
Notes, problems, and limitations
================================
- DirectDraw, Direct3D and DirectVideo support
The DirectDraw driver we provide is compatible with DirectX 2
(or 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installed, even for programs originally made for DirectX 1.
Also, if a recent version of DirectX isn't installed, some Matrox
PowerDesk features may not be available.
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 (Direct3D/OpenGL) 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.
- 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
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.
- OpenGL support
Note the following limitations related to the OpenGL driver
included with Matrox PowerDesk:
- If you have a newer Matrox product or your Matrox software
was provided by the manufacturer of your computer, full
OpenGL support may be disabled with your Matrox display
driver. For a Matrox display driver with full OpenGL support
enabled, see the Matrox Web site (www.matrox.com/mga). (If
your Matrox product was provided by the manufacturer of your
computer, check the Web site of that manufacturer for a
display driver. A display driver provided by the manufacturer
of your computer is more likely to be tested with your
computer model.)
- Using 3D Studio MAX 2.0, you may experience problems with the
viewports being improperly redrawn. If this happens, simply
click in a viewport to properly update their display. This
problem isn't present with version 2.5 (or later) of 3D
Studio MAX.
- DualHead Multi-Display mode under Windows 2000
If you have a DualHead-supporting graphics card and you apply
"DualHead Multi-Display" mode under Windows 2000, this version of
Windows treats the main and secondary displays of a DualHead-
supporting graphics card as a single display (which the Matrox
display driver divides between two monitors). As a result, these
displays always use the same resolution and color palette
settings. Also, in your Windows desktop, the virtual positions of
these displays are always aligned next to each other.
While in DualHead Multi-Display mode with a computer monitor as
your secondary display, you can't adjust your secondary monitor
with the Windows "Monitor" or the Matrox PowerDesk "Monitor
Settings" property sheets. If your secondary monitor supports
Plug-and-Play (DDC), PowerDesk automatically uses the correct
maximum display resolution and refresh rate. If your secondary
monitor doesn't support Plug-and-Play, make sure that the correct
settings are selected under "Max. secondary resolution" on the
Matrox PowerDesk "DualHead" property sheet.
- Video playback with DualHead modes
If you have a a DualHead supporting graphics card and you're
using DualHead Multi-Display, Clone, or Zoom mode, digital video
may appear as a solid color on your secondary display. This can
happen if video is played using the hardware-overlay feature of
your Matrox graphics card. Video played using the overlay feature
is generally of higher quality but it can be viewed only on your
main display.
Because only one program at a time can use the overlay feature,
any other program started while the overlay feature is used won't
be able to use the feature. The overlay feature will be available
to the first program to start after the program currently using
the overlay is closed.
For video that normally uses the hardware-overlay feature, you
may be able to view the digital video on your secondary display
by running another instance of the video player. For example, if
you're viewing a file using the overlay feature with Microsoft
Media Player, double-clicking on the file again starts another
instance of the Media Player. This instance properly plays video
on your secondary display. Then, you could close the first
instance of the Media Player and still be able to view video on
your secondary display.
- DualHead DVDMax with a TV
While viewing video with a TV using the "DualHead DVDMax"
feature, you may notice occasionnal jerky video playback (dropped
frames) after playing a video for a few minutes. If you view
video playback with your computer monitor, this problem shouldn't
occur.
- 15-bit color palette support for Windows 2000
For advanced users: By default, the 15-bit color palette is
unavailable for Windows 2000. If you need to use this color
palette, you can make it available by adding the
"User.Enable15Bpp" value to your Windows registry and then
setting this value to "1". If you're adding this value, add it
under "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" > "SYSTEM" > "CurrentControlSet" >
"Services" > "mgau" or "g200" or "g400" > "Device0". The value
type is "REG_DWORD".