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if 32-bit color is, in fact, 24-bit then why does w2k have an option for 24-bit color?



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 26th 05, 08:38 PM
Doug
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Default if 32-bit color is, in fact, 24-bit then why does w2k have an option for 24-bit color?

My Mom's system has an old Matrox Mystique 4MB video card. At 1280x1024 she
can't get 32-bit color only 24-bit color (the color quality selection in
Display Properties). But if 32-bit color is actually 24-bit color then there
should be no difference?

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  #2  
Old July 26th 05, 09:16 PM
stevem
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"Doug" wrote in message
m...
My Mom's system has an old Matrox Mystique 4MB video card. At 1280x1024
she can't get 32-bit color only 24-bit color (the color quality selection
in Display Properties). But if 32-bit color is actually 24-bit color then
there should be no difference?

--
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There will be no difference in the colour rendition, but 24-bit is slower
than 32 bit. This is because a memory 'fetch' is done in word (i.e. 32-bit)
chunks. When you've fetched the first 32-bit word, if you're running in
32-bit mode, then that's that; the required 24-bit value is there,
right-aligned in the word (i.e. the first 8 bits are zero). Subsequent
word-fetches bring in the next values, etc. In the case of 24-bit colour,
the fetch is still 32-bit, but the 24-bit value you want is left-aligned in
the word, so the logic has to shift the value right, dropping off the bottom
eight bits. Instant problem; those eight bits you've just 'dumped' are in
fact the first 8 bits of the NEXT 24-bit value, so you've got to store them
somewhere! Then, you bring in the next 32-bit word; the first 16 bits are
the right-most 16 bits of the next pixel (plus the 8 bits you just stored
earlier), and the next 16 bits are the first 16 bits of the third pixel, and
so on. That's why 32-bit is far preferable to 24-bit.
Regards,
Steve.


  #3  
Old July 27th 05, 03:23 AM
First of One
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Often it's just a matter of semantics with the drivers. With my Radeon
9800Pro driver, the 24-bit option does not exist, only 16- and 32-bit.

--
"War is the continuation of politics by other means.
It can therefore be said that politics is war without
bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed."


"Doug" wrote in message
m...
My Mom's system has an old Matrox Mystique 4MB video card. At 1280x1024
she can't get 32-bit color only 24-bit color (the color quality selection
in Display Properties). But if 32-bit color is actually 24-bit color then
there should be no difference?



  #4  
Old July 27th 05, 08:21 PM
Doug
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If it's just a matter of semantics why does the documentation for the Matrox
Mystique state certain high resolutions are only available in 24-bit color
while all lower resolutions are available at 32-bit color? If there's no
difference whatsoever then why would they bother stating this? I've got
another PCI card that has the same limitations in its technical
documentation (i.e. that it can't get 32-bit color in high resolutions).

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"First of One" wrote in message
...
Often it's just a matter of semantics with the drivers. With my Radeon
9800Pro driver, the 24-bit option does not exist, only 16- and 32-bit.

--
"War is the continuation of politics by other means.
It can therefore be said that politics is war without
bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed."


"Doug" wrote in message
m...
My Mom's system has an old Matrox Mystique 4MB video card. At 1280x1024
she can't get 32-bit color only 24-bit color (the color quality selection
in Display Properties). But if 32-bit color is actually 24-bit color then
there should be no difference?





  #5  
Old July 27th 05, 09:19 PM
Kevin Steele
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Doug thought about it a bit, then said...
If it's just a matter of semantics why does the documentation for the Matrox
Mystique state certain high resolutions are only available in 24-bit color
while all lower resolutions are available at 32-bit color? If there's no
difference whatsoever then why would they bother stating this? I've got
another PCI card that has the same limitations in its technical
documentation (i.e. that it can't get 32-bit color in high resolutions).


There is a difference, but it's not normally used: the extra 8-bits in
32-bit color are used for transparency effects (or gamma, I can't recall
exactly).

In other words, 32-bit color is basically 24-bit color with the extra 8-
bits used for special effects. At least in that regard it is different
from 24-bit color.

--
Kevin Steele
RetroBlast! Retrogaming News and Reviews
www.retroblast.com
  #6  
Old July 28th 05, 05:23 AM
Robert Hancock
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Doug wrote:
My Mom's system has an old Matrox Mystique 4MB video card. At 1280x1024 she
can't get 32-bit color only 24-bit color (the color quality selection in
Display Properties). But if 32-bit color is actually 24-bit color then there
should be no difference?


24-bit color does use less RAM than 32-bit, there may not be enough
video RAM for the card to do 1280x1024 in 32-bit color.

--
Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from
Home Page:
http://www.roberthancock.com/
  #7  
Old July 28th 05, 08:55 PM
Doug
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That's what I assumed, but I've been reading on this very newsgroup that
32-bit color is 24-bit color and there's no difference between them but
there MUST be otherwise why would these video card manufacturers bother
stating that certain resolutions can't be had in 32-bit color.

--
there is no .sig
"Robert Hancock" wrote in message
news:O4ZFe.58948$%K2.55475@pd7tw1no...
Doug wrote:
My Mom's system has an old Matrox Mystique 4MB video card. At 1280x1024
she can't get 32-bit color only 24-bit color (the color quality selection
in Display Properties). But if 32-bit color is actually 24-bit color then
there should be no difference?


24-bit color does use less RAM than 32-bit, there may not be enough video
RAM for the card to do 1280x1024 in 32-bit color.

--
Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from
Home Page:
http://www.roberthancock.com/



  #8  
Old July 28th 05, 09:07 PM
stevem
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Default


"Doug" wrote in message
m...
That's what I assumed, but I've been reading on this very newsgroup that
32-bit color is 24-bit color and there's no difference between them but
there MUST be otherwise why would these video card manufacturers bother
stating that certain resolutions can't be had in 32-bit color.

--
there is no .sig
"Robert Hancock" wrote in message
news:O4ZFe.58948$%K2.55475@pd7tw1no...
Doug wrote:
My Mom's system has an old Matrox Mystique 4MB video card. At 1280x1024
she can't get 32-bit color only 24-bit color (the color quality
selection in Display Properties). But if 32-bit color is actually 24-bit
color then there should be no difference?


24-bit color does use less RAM than 32-bit, there may not be enough video
RAM for the card to do 1280x1024 in 32-bit color.

--
Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from
Home Page:
http://www.roberthancock.com/



Doug,
As I said before, there is no difference in what is displayed on the screen;
but 1280x1024x3 (24 bits=3 bytes) = 3,932,160 bytes, so it will fit on the
4MB card. 1280x1024x4 (32 bits=4 bytes) = 5,242,880 bytes, which will NOT
fit; that's why the card does not allow this resolution.
Regards,
Steve.


  #9  
Old July 30th 05, 08:02 AM
Robert Hancock
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Posts: n/a
Default

Doug wrote:
That's what I assumed, but I've been reading on this very newsgroup that
32-bit color is 24-bit color and there's no difference between them but
there MUST be otherwise why would these video card manufacturers bother
stating that certain resolutions can't be had in 32-bit color.


The difference is that 32-bit trades off more video RAM usage for more
performance. The display quality is identical.

--
Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from
Home Page:
http://www.roberthancock.com/
  #10  
Old July 31st 05, 03:45 AM
Doug
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Default

I remember color pallettes for Photoshop allowed for a larger selection
w/32-bit color. I'm beginning to NOT beleive everyone who says 24-bit color
is the same as 32-bit color. If that were the case then what would be the
POINT of having a 24-bit color mode for various video cards? Unless someone
here has the technical background/experience or proof to back up their
statement that 24-bit color is the same as 32-bit color I'm just going to
assume it's unsubstantiated bull****.

--
there is no .sig
"Robert Hancock" wrote in message
news:KBFGe.69202$s54.5394@pd7tw2no...
Doug wrote:
That's what I assumed, but I've been reading on this very newsgroup that
32-bit color is 24-bit color and there's no difference between them but
there MUST be otherwise why would these video card manufacturers bother
stating that certain resolutions can't be had in 32-bit color.


The difference is that 32-bit trades off more video RAM usage for more
performance. The display quality is identical.

--
Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from
Home Page:
http://www.roberthancock.com/



 




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