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Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
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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? -- there is no .sig |
#2
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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? -- there is no .sig 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
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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
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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). -- there is no .sig "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
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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
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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
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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$%K2.55475@pd7tw1no... Doug wrote: My Mom's system has an old Matrox Mystique 4MB video card. At 1280x1024 she can't get 32-bit color only 24-bit color (the color quality selection in Display Properties). But if 32-bit color is actually 24-bit color then there should be no difference? 24-bit color does use less RAM than 32-bit, there may not be enough video RAM for the card to do 1280x1024 in 32-bit color. -- Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada To email, remove "nospam" from Home Page: http://www.roberthancock.com/ |
#8
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"Doug" wrote in message m... That's what I assumed, but I've been reading on this very newsgroup that 32-bit color is 24-bit color and there's no difference between them but there MUST be otherwise why would these video card manufacturers bother stating that certain resolutions can't be had in 32-bit color. -- there is no .sig "Robert Hancock" wrote in message news:O4ZFe.58948$%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
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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
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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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