Vista Refresh Rate Changer

dgaust · **15th February 2009, 12:24 PM**

Following on from this discussion, I've built a basic MCML application that allows you to change the refresh rate VMC uses. It's not seamless, as it closes ehsell.exe (i.e. VMC) in order to force it into using the right refresh rate, I'm still trying to figure out if it's possible any other way.

At the moment the refresh rates are hardcoded (24hz, 50hz, 59hz & 60hz) and will only work at the current resolution... so if your TV doesn't support that refresh rate at your chosen resolution it won't change. I'm working on making both the rates and resolutions user customisable via a settings file.

I've also added the ability for it to change the ffdshow aspect ratio, as some people like to set that independently.

Anyway, if you want to test, you can download the installer from here (please install in the default directory for now).

If you want to use MC Lock with this, just copy the MC Lock executable into the Refresh Changer's install location.

I have not tested on Win7, and the installer won't let it install on Win7 at the moment. But if you want to test use Orca to drop the custom action for the OS test.

To Do

Allow refresh rates/resolutions to be user changeable via settings.xml.
Hide aspect options if user doesn't want them.
Pretty up the MCML.
Allow installation in directories other than the default.
Look at allowing user to change the default audio device.
Separate the aspect/refresh rate from each other (in the MCML)
Fix the buttons so the text is in the right spot

Also a big thanks to Arne for some helpful hints with the MCML.... it's a hard to get your head around.

audiophile · **19th February 2009, 10:20 AM**

This is good progress in the right direction.

Is there a way that based on application it can do this automatically.

ie if you click playmovie it locks in 24 etc.

GlenR · **19th February 2009, 10:39 AM**

Possibly not something I would require (maybe I'm not that fussy about refresh rates, but mine seems OK for all I do without changing it around) but well done, it's definitely a feature a lot of our members have been looking for.

dgaust · **19th February 2009, 10:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlenR

Possibly not something I would require (maybe I'm not that fussy about refresh rates, but mine seems OK for all I do without changing it around) but well done, it's definitely a feature a lot of our members have been looking for.

Thanks Glen and audiophile,

To be honest, I don't use it myself either, was just interested in having a crack at seeing if I could get around Justin's problem with MC Lock and having a look at MCML.

I'll get around to cleaning up the issues I've listed, and then look at adding some extra functionality like launching changing the refresh rate & PowerDVD at some point.

logifuse · **19th February 2009, 11:04 AM**

Oh that MCML is such a joy to work with.....not!

Just thought of something re the aspect ratio setting in FFDShow - for that to work you need to have set FFDShow's Apsect Ratio option to "manual" as per the attached image. It doesn't matter what value you set - dg's app will overide that.

Justin

psygnosis · **2nd March 2009, 02:04 AM**

I am getting the strangest error it is telling me the app can only be in installed vista home premuim ultimate etc. But I am using windows vista ultimate it came with my pc.

The app installed fine on my laptop

dgaust · **2nd March 2009, 10:54 AM**

There always seems to be a few hiccups with Vista Ultimate (it seems to identify itself differently, especially if it came from technet or MSDN).

Anway, to get around it, just use the Orca tool (from MS, just do a google), open the installer and drop the CA_ErrWrongWindowsVersion row from the installer. Save it, and re-run.

philzgr8 · **2nd March 2009, 02:52 PM**

I only just noticed this thread so I installed it on my system and gave it a try. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working. It drops to the desktop and I see a quick flash of a DOS box. It then returns to the 10' interface but my TV still reports 50Hz. I tried it with 24Hz and 60Hz but no difference and no error message that I could see.

dgaust · **2nd March 2009, 02:54 PM**

Does your monitor support those refresh rates at the resolution you're currently using?

If it was working, you'd see the screen go totally blank (as what happens when you change the refresh rate manually), usually when you don't see it, it's because the refresh rate isn't supported at that resolution.

philzgr8 · **2nd March 2009, 03:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgaust

Does your monitor support those refresh rates at the resolution you're currently using?

If it was working, you'd see the screen go totally blank (as what happens when you change the refresh rate manually), usually when you don't see it, it's because the refresh rate isn't supported at that resolution.

yes it does. Don't forget I've already got this working via other means but I'd like to use your app if possible. What I suspect is that the delays between commands are too short. On my system I had to add a couple of seconds delay between the commands to make sure the settings took hold. When I run your app it doesn't seem to have much if any delay.

logifuse · **2nd March 2009, 03:45 PM**

Maybe the enablerefreshratechange registry key? Needs to be set to 1 & not 0.

Justin

dgaust · **6th March 2009, 12:11 PM**

Well, it's been a little while with no update on this, but I've been talking with Phil via PM instead of clogging up the forum.

In any event, I appear to have solved the issue by adding in an element that changes the RefreshRate registry key. Chaning the enablerefreshratechange didn't appear to work for Phil.

So if you have this problem, you can download the update from here

Just unzip the files in to the install directory (which for Phil appeared to be Application2). You can now add a delay between the commands by editing the settings.xml file. In most instances this can be left at 0.