Nvidia 3Dvision on passive monitor/TV.

[ALXAndy]

How to run Nvidia's own 3Dvision on a passive TV/monitor.

It is long known that 3Dvision was designed with active 3D in mind for the most part. Because of this Nvidia have not bothered to try very hard to make it work with passive screens and glasses. Only two monitors that are passive work with 3Dvision. One a Zalman, the other an Acer. Both are expensive. But what if you wanted to avoid Tridef and you had a passive screen?

Well, until now it was impossible. Tridef hates SLI so you can't use profiles and must run it in virtual 3d which is rubbish. However, with this method you can use a cheap LG D2342 and have Nvidia 3Dvision working, and here is how you do it.

First go here and download the .inf driver over rides.

http://3dvision-blog.com/7163-make-your-passive-3d-monitor-or-3d-hdtv-work-with-3d-vision/

Then go to My Computer and right click it. Click Properties

Then go to Device Manager.

Find your monitor and right click it and click Update Driver.

You will see this.

Click Browse my computer

You will then see this screen.

Click on Let me pick and then Have disk.

Browse for the folder with the extracted override infs in it and choose either. I used the Zalman one.

You will then get a warning telling you the driver is not certified. Like this.

Click on install this driver any way

Then right click on your desktop and select the Nvidia control panel. Go to the 3D part and set it as follows.

And then simply run the test.

And hey presto, 3dvision on any passive monitor or TV set !

To enable it in a game simply press CTRL and T. Job done.

 

[ALXAndy]

I don't know what hz it operates at but it does work very well.

Tridef does not work properly with SLI so I was suffering.

 

[ALXAndy]

I think most 120hz monitors would just work "out of the box" per se, but I could be wrong.

I know that some 120hz screens are labelled 3dvision so they may well need support at a driver level.

This has been a godsend though. Tridef does not support SLI and never has or will. Infact I am not even sure if it supports Crossfire properly yet because DDD (who make Tridef) were last seen palming it off onto AMD saying they need to support it. Tommy seems to be fine though so it should be in there now.

Problem of course is that Tridef is somewhat sponsored by AMD as their 3d mode of choice so you get no love being on Nvidia.

So that only leaves virtual 3d which is less than desirable. Objects like the melee weapons in Left 4 Dead 2 have a funny haze around the edges that kind of looks like the Alan Wake levels.

 

[ALXAndy]

3dvision supports every type of 3d. I didn't know that. So basically if you have a Nvidia gpu you could run anaglyph 3d with just a pair of those blue/red glasses.

Not sure how it would look mind as it never really worked for me.

 

[ALXAndy]

Hi,
Some good info on this here,its abit more mature so has good info
http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=115&t=13821
Includes lg 3dtv info

Tridef does support sli im using it

What 3d mode are you running though?

If I ran Tridef using profiles the game would stutter like crazy. Literally 5 FPS.

Virtual 3d mode sorted out the sluggishness, but did not look anywhere near as nice as true 3d. Plus I ended up with 1" bars down the left and right side of the monitor as the more you increased the depth the smaller the image became.

3dvision has sorted all of that out though and obviously does support SLI.

 

[ALXAndy]

Yeah I did try that (turning off AA) but the issue doesn't seem to be AA related.

I took a look at DDD this morning and it seems Tridef absolutely does not support SLI. So I guess it comes down to luck really and I didn't have any.

 

[ALXAndy]

Well I run my games at 1080p from the game's menu so I don't know. I heard it halves the height but graphically it looks as good as ever.

 

[ALXAndy]

I don't really understand why you'd want to monkey around with .inf files from a zalman... I have an LG passive TV and it works with the standard Nvidia drivers...

My monitor is not supported. However, the way it works is identical to the Zalman which is supported.

It's just Nvidia protecting what is theirs. If they sat down and coded in support for every passive TV and monitor less people would bother with their over priced 3Dvision kits.

Their speciality is active as it is what they have invested into so they can sell their very expensive kits.

Tridef is OK on a single GPU but I had terrible problems with it on the 480s in SLI. I may make a video later to show what it was doing.

So basically I had little choice. "Virtual 3D" on Tridef did work but the quality was pretty ghastly. You can tell it's more of a "well if nothing else works try this" sort of feature and the edges of objects were very swirly.

Ask about SLI on DDD's forum (DDD write ignition) and you will basically fall on deaf ears. They don't endorse or support Nvidia as they are in bed with AMD, and vice versa with 3dvision. They're not really interested in putting in the work needed to support 3d modes that don't offer them any profit.

 

[ALXAndy]

From what I heard SLI is not supported and never will be in Tridef. It's driver level stuff, and Nvidia won't help them for the obvious reasons.

I would jump to 3dvision which does support SLI.

 

[ALXAndy]

Hmm.
My passive glasses arrived, but for whatever reason, I can't see in 3D like I can using my anagylph glasses (When I'm using that type of 3D)
Kind of a let down =/.

What do you mean? you can't see passive 3d?

 

[ALXAndy]

What glasses do you need for interlaced 3D?




Irrelevant surely since what I see on my monitor is the same as ALXAndy's image of it working.

Have you made sure it's running at the correct resolution for your monitor?

I reinstalled the other day and when I loaded up games the 3d was happening. However, put on the glasses and nothing happened. Panicking like a mad man I finally realised that the games had set themselves to 1600x900 and thus weren't working.

As for glasses? I think interlaced is what I use. If you stare at it you can see lines going horizontally across the screen. For that type you need polarised glasses that look like sunglasses.

 

[ALXAndy]

Tried putting it into virtual 3d mode?

You may have a lazy eye

That's pretty much why I tell people to go and look at it in a store first to make sure they can see it.

Tell you what, take a Tridef screenshot (it will output to their proprietary file format) and upload it. I have Tridef installed, so will have a look and see if the image is working properly.

 

[ALXAndy]

OK let's start from the beginning.

What passive monitor are you using?

I see you are using a 680 hence why I was confused as IIRC you bought a 7970 or 7950.

Right.

Knowing what monitor you have bought would help. That way I can see exactly what it is.

Did you install the EDID override? as otherwise passive 3D is not an option when you set it up and that would be why it ain't working mate. You are running it in active shutter 3d with the wrong type of glasses.

You need the EDID override on. Once done (I use the Zalman one) you can then set it up Note. The set up screen shows two of those black and white square pictures you use on phones. That is how you will know you are setting up passive 3d.. Nvidia 3D vision ONLY SUPPORTS two passive monitors. One is an Acer, the other a Zalman. They have not coded in support for any others as it's worth nothing to them to do so. They would sell no active kits if they made every passive set work.

 

[ALXAndy]

Then it isn't going to work, mate.

First off your monitor supports ONLY anaglyph. That is because it is not a 3d monitor of any sort at all.

1. Active 3d works with a transmitter and glasses and opens and closes shutters in front of your eyes. But, the screen you are using MUST support 120hz. So you are not running in Active 3d as your monitor does not support it.

2. Passive 3d requires a specifically made passive screen.

It has filters built into it so it can display the passive method correctly. The screen itself is interlaced with two layers. So, that is why you only end up seeing half of the height in resolution for 1080p when you run it.

Look up the LG D2342 which is the cheapest passive screen you can buy right now and comes with the glasses you need (two pairs of). Your glasses are fine, but your monitor is not a passive 3d monitor which is why it isn't working mate. You need a specialist screen to use it.

 

[ALXAndy]

It's displaying the image but the screen you are using is not doing the magic needed to make it work.

A passive screen like mine costs around £140 delivered. Great if you were in the market for a 1080p screen and don't yet have one as it costs little more than a regular screen like your one.

As I say, there is stuff going on at a screen level for that method of 3d to work. If I look closely at my monitor in 2d mode I can see very faint lines going across it horizontally.