Horizons Dark side of Planets not dark when using a HDMI monitor/TV? Check your graphic driver RGB range!

Thacyoon

T
Hello everybody,

Heads up!

Just want to say that the dark side of planets ARE dark. If you use a HDMI monitor/TV then nVidia drivers default to limited RGB output - this means *NOT* dark planets. This is a known problem with HDMI connection. When I finally fixed this, Elite Dangerous (Horizons) looks MUCH better, the sky/universe is BLACK, and the dark side of planets are pitch black (good movie by the way).

Check under nVidia display settings for you monitor and ensure the the RGB range is set to full. For me the 359.xx drivers refuse to set full RGB, so I have to use 358.xx drivers. To be honest, I have played with limited RGB colors for a long long time.

EDIT: Remember also to not set the GAMMA in driver layer (e.g. nVidia controll panel) to high. For ED I recommend to tick the 'Let the program set' these setting (gamma). Sure, you can tweek this, but if you KNOW you are using full RGB and still get grey and not black, then perhaps you can try to lower the gamma on the driver layer.
 
Last edited:

MouseZA

MouseZA
Thacyoon said:
Check under nVidia display settings for you monitor and ensure the the RGB range is set to full. For me the 359.xx drivers refuse to set full RGB, so I have to use 358.xx drivers. To be honest, I have played with limited RGB colors for a long long time.
Click to expand...

Many Thanks for this +1
Under ATI drivers you should find the option in "Pixel Format' under "My Digital Flat Panels"
 

Dielos

Dielos
Can't rep you again as I already did in the other thread. I'm using DisplayPort and RGB is already at "Full" (setting in Nvidia Control Panel under change resolution). I still don't get dark nights.

My nights look like this:
Screenshot_0059.jpg

Apart from the eclipses in Mitterand Hollow (complete darkness during the eclipse), this is about the darkest I have seen yet.
 
Last edited:

Stodgy

Stodgy
It's important that the RGB range is set to match your monitor/TV. Most monitors default to full range and all TVs default to limited but this can sometimes be changed in the settings. On my Samsung TV the setting is called HDMI black level, set it to normal for full range.

The Nvidia drivers assume that HDMI used to connect to a TV and DVI to connect to a monitor so they have set the defaults that way.

I've had no problem setting the 359.xx drivers to full.
 

Deleted member 38366

D
Thacyoon said:
Hello everybody,

Heads up!

Just want to say that the dark side of planets ARE dark. If you use a HDMI monitor/TV then nVidia drivers default to limited RGB output - this means *NOT* dark planets. This is a known problem with HDMI connection. When I finally fixed this, Elite Dangerous (Horizons) looks MUCH better, the sky/universe is BLACK, and the dark side of planets are pitch black (good movie by the way).

Check under nVidia display settings for you monitor and ensure the the RGB range is set to full. For me the 359.xx drivers refuse to set full RGB, so I have to use 358.xx drivers. To be honest, I have played with limited RGB colors for a long long time.
Click to expand...

I am running Full RGB - yet the dark sides of Planets are fairly brightly lit.
They start out dark as they should be, then when approaching visibly bright up quite alot. Nothing I could do to fix that (other than adjust Gamma to minimum everytime I intend to land there).

The only thing that can and does prevent it for me is when I land in the shadow of another Planet that blocks the sun. Then - and only then - I get the pitch black I expect.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Stodgy

Stodgy
FalconFly said:
They start out dark as they should be, then when approaching visibly bright up quite alot.
Click to expand...

That's by design, one of the DEVs mentioned that they turn up the brightness when close to or landed on the on the dark side of planets because gameplay reasons. I don't agree with it and I think it makes everything look bad but I can understand why they think they need to do it. But it doesn't happen when you are in the shadow of another planet and that just goes to show how awesome it would be if they didn't do the silly brightness thing.
 
Last edited:

Agrar Therenus

Agrar Therenus
This cannot be right.

The planets dynamically change lighting as you approach them, so it is the game engine doing this, not user gamma or RGB settings.

The fact is the lighting model is flawed, and sometimes planets appear correct with real nights, and other times they look awful with the way, way excessive ambient light compensation.
 

Brujah

Brujah
Dielos said:
Can't rep you again as I already did in the other thread. I'm using DisplayPort and RGB is already at "Full" (setting in Nvidia Control Panel under change resolution). I still don't get dark nights.

My nights look like this:
View attachment 88676

Apart from the eclipses in Mitterand Hollow (complete darkness during the eclipse), this is about the darkest I have seen yet.
Click to expand...

Dunno if it's my monitor at work, but that looks pretty dark to me.
 

Rowander

Rowander
FalconFly said:
I am running Full RGB - yet the dark sides of Planets are fairly brightly lit.
They start out dark as they should be, then when approaching visibly bright up quite alot. Nothing I could do to fix that (other than adjust Gamma to minimum everytime I intend to land there).

The only thing that can and does prevent it for me is when I land in the shadow of another Planet that blocks the sun. Then - and only then - I get the pitch black I expect.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what's happening to me. You can see the planet very dark from afar, but as soon as you go into orbit, everything changes and it brightens up. To the point where you can clearly navigate the planet, like a very bright full moon on earth, or even brighter.
 

Darth-Simba

Darth-Simba
Followed the advice and sorted it. Here are the results, before and after (same planet)

The landing was a bit scary, not knowing where the ground is and relying completely on instruments and my scanner.

FDL 2.jpgFDL 3.jpgDark 1.jpgDark 2.jpg
 

Attachments

  • FDL 1.jpg
    FDL 1.jpg
    133.5 KB · Views: 985
Last edited:

Deleted member 38366

D
Rowander said:
That's exactly what's happening to me. You can see the planet very dark from afar, but as soon as you go into orbit, everything changes and it brightens up. To the point where you can clearly navigate the planet, like a very bright full moon on earth, or even brighter.
Click to expand...

I just tested it with the new V2.00.02 and it's either arbitrary - or they toned down that brightening effect.

Looks much better now.

ELITE-SRV_Darkness.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Baleur

B
I even HAVE a .exe utility designed to automatically do the full rgb switch in your registry, but i totally forgot about it!
I have been running with updated nvidia drivers for 3 months forgetting to re-apply that switch.
Thank you!!
 

Thacyoon

T
Baleur said:
I even HAVE a .exe utility designed to automatically do the full rgb switch in your registry, but i totally forgot about it!
I have been running with updated nvidia drivers for 3 months forgetting to re-apply that switch.
Thank you!!
Click to expand...

Yeah, just a quick note. I have tried this full RGB exe, but when I use the 359.xx series of drivers from nVidia, one of my three (HDMI) monitors (using surround @ 5760x1080) still has 'limited RGB' colors. Even in nVidia controll is says 'Full RGB' but it IS limited for the one monitor connected to my second card (using SLI). I have to revert back to 358.xx for now...

Anyway, many (not all oc) users claiming the dark side is not dark are not aware that their gfx utput is 'limited RGB' on DP or HDMI screens. Even I, as a computer geek, have never noticed..... but in Horizons and Elite it makes a BIG difference. DVI users are not affected by this....

Remember also to not set the GAMMA in driver layer (e.g. nVidia controll panel) to high. For ED I recommend to tick the 'Let the program set' these setting (gamma).
 
Last edited:

Oheck

Oheck
Yeah, using DVI so saw no difference. If this is a game change by FD, it is a ridiculous one (magically brightening up the dark side.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom