Resolved HELP! Dell U2713H not 30-bit?

[namethisfile]

Hey guys,

So, I recently purchased a Dell Ultrasharp U2713H monitor for a very good deal. Literally, half off the price! So, it was, like, a no-brainer, for me, to get on it before it disappears from the rack. And, since I'm coming from an Asus PA238Q 1080P monitor, the extra resolution would be upgrade enough. But, I still want the extra color space that this monitor is supposedly capable of.

So, is there something I am missing to unleash this beast?

About This Mac >System Report >Graphics/Displays reports the monitor as being only 32-bit!

When the monitor is capable of 30-bits, or 1.7 billion colors! Or, what, I think, is known as wide-gamut color space.

The monitor is connected to an RX 460 in my mid-2010 Mac Pro running the latest MacOS Sierra....

I've googled, searched, re-searched about it for half a day now. And, haven't come across a satisfactory answer or solution.

Is it the RX 460? It's not capable of it?

Thanks in advance!

PS--A weird anomaly is that when connected to either miniDP or DP port, MacOS reports the monitor as a television. I didn't care about this with my PA238Q because I just didn't. But, now that I got this supposedly wide-gamut monitor, I kinda, care about MacOS mis-reporting it as a mere "Television."

PSS--I have it on DVI now to avoid said "weird anomaly." But, still doesn't resolve the 30-bit issue...

 

[Synchro3]

Use SwitchRes X to activate billions of colors. Issue of Mac OS X.

 

[namethisfile]

Use SwitchRes X to activate billions of colors. Issue of Mac OS X.

Thanks. Any confirmation that this will activate and unleash 30-bit color space on the U2713H?

I read the documents and stuff on their website. But, no mention of enabling 30-bit color space on 30-bit capable monitors...

Also, not free...

I guess, what I really wanna know is... is RX460 and/or U2713H just not 30-bit compatible under MacOS Sierra?

Or, better, yet, I know Quadro cards and/or workstation cards are the only ones capable of supporting 10-bit color space OOB. So, are there any MacOS Sierra users out there with a Quadro card, who also happens to have a U2713H monitor they're using? And, if, so, is it "30-bit?"

Concurrently, are there any 2016 15" MBP; and/or 27" 2016 iMac; and/or 2013 Mac Pro owners out there who are using a Dell U2713H as their external monitor? If, so, is it 30-bit?

That's really what I wanna know...

 

[Daniel Reed]

Thanks. Any confirmation that this will activate and unleash 30-bit color space on the U2713H?

I guess, what I really wanna know is... is RX460 and/or U2713H just not 30-bit compatible under MacOS Sierra?

If the monitor supports 10-bit, then switchresx will unlock it for any Mac that has a dGPU.

Amazingly stupid of Apple to only allow 10-bit mode on Mac Pro 6,1 & 5K iMac.

It is hard to find a dGPU that doesn't support deep-color/10-bit/30-bit/billions-of-colors.

Typicality only integrated graphics chips are 8-bit/32-bit only

 

[namethisfile]

If the monitor supports 10-bit, then switchresx will unlock it for any Mac that has a dGPU.

Amazingly stupid of Apple to only allow 10-bit mode on Mac Pro 6,1 & 5K iMac.

It is hard to find a dGPU that doesn't support deep-color/10-bit/30-bit/billions-of-colors.

Typicality only integrated graphics chips are 8-bit/32-bit only

So, 10-bit mode is locked, too? It doesn't "magically" work when a 10-bit capable monitor is connected to a 10-bit capable videocard with a 10-bit capable OS?

Doh!

Maybe, I'll look for loose change around the house for that app. Even, though, I'm tentative about whether or not it is a cosmetic thing... you know, the app just changing what it says to 30-bit?... Or, 30-bit mode is actually unlockable. And, for some reason, this is the only app that does it, which is odd in that why isn't this information free? Do you know what I mean? I don't really need the other features that the app does. Just that one. So, I am tentative of spending money on it.

 

[ActionableMango]

Maybe, I'll look for loose change around the house for that app. Even, though, I'm tentative about whether or not it is a cosmetic thing... you know, the app just changing what it says to 30-bit?

The 10-day fully functional trial period is free, during which you can confirm or alleviate your concerns.

 

[namethisfile]

Okay. I'll perhaps try SwitchRes X at a later date. But, now, I have a more pressing issue than getting 30-bit support. I don't even have apps that supports 30-bit color space, even, if I can enable it in Mac OS Sierra. The PS version I have doesn't have the 30-bit option...

Anyway, to more pressing matters....

I am still on my return window. And, I thought I could live with the sever ghosting issue of this monitor. I mean, it's not "severe." I think the ghosting is the same as my second monitor, which is also a Dell... a P2214H, I believe. It's just that since the U2713H has GB-LED's, the "ghost trail" has a reddish or greenish tint to them. Whereas, the P2214H, which I think has W-LED backlighting has "ghost trails" that are white in color. So, it "blends" in more and less "drastic" or "severe" looking than the U2713H. I don't know...

I think I can live with it, if the USB hub didn't emit a high pitched sound when it is connected. If, I disconnect the USB-B upstream cord, the hight pitched, whiny noise disappears.

Should I return it and try my luck on another? I think the store has 1 left.

Or, should I keep it and learn to live with the multi-colored "ghost trails," which I think is probably a result of the GB-LED backlight. And, not use the built-in USB hub that creates the high pitched sound?

The store has 1 left. It could be worst. What I'm hoping is no buzzing sound when using the built-in USB hub. And, have similar ghosting issues as the one I have currently.

But, it's an iffy if...

Why is buying a monitor such a crap shoot?

I seriously hate this.

*SIGH*

 

[thornslack]

My friend purchased and returned 8 monitors to amazon when purchasing his 144hz IPS 1440p. If there's an issue in what should be a premier item, I would certainly return it.

You mention on screen ghosting. I don't have a 4K or a professional color display, so perhaps that comes with the territory, but to me that sounds like a bad display.

 

[namethisfile]

@ Thornslack, Damn! Your friend returned 8 monitors? Do you know which monitor this was? That's a lot of monitors to go through. I'm too lazy to return even one monitor.... Lol!

Speaking of lazy, I was 50-50 of returning to the store today. But, when I woke up this morning, that 50-50 chance went down to 10-90 since mother nature apparently visited the Northeast earlier in the day to blanket us with snow!

And, so since I am unwilling to travel today with all the snow on the ground, I have made a video to demonstrate said "ghosting." The technical name might be "Inverse ghosting," or "reverse ghosting."I don't know what causes it. Is it an inherent design flaw? An over eager overdrive engine? I checked the monitors service window and there is no option to turn on or off an Overdrive feature, if, the monitor even has one.

So, do you think this is bad? Is it any better for other users with the U2713H? Otherwise, the screen is perfect. No dead pixels, minimal IPS glow, and the uniformity of the screen to my naked untrained eye looks fine. The USB hub creates a buzzing high pitched sound when it is in use. So, I decided not to use it since I have another USB hub. So, with this in mind... and with the fact that if I do return it, the store only has 1 left... should I go through with all the trouble of doing so?

Should I learn to live with this "ghost... ing?" Here is the video:

 

[Synchro3]

Thanks. Any confirmation that this will activate and unleash 30-bit color space on the U2713H?

Yes, the Dell U2713h supports 10Bit (using 8-bit + FRC).

When you see this in the system info: ARGB2101010, 10 Bit is enabled.

It's so easy to unlock with SwitchRes X.

 

[namethisfile]

Yes, the Dell U2713h supports 10Bit (using 8-bit + FRC).

When you see this in the system info: ARGB2101010, 10 Bit is enabled:

View attachment 687808

It's so easy to unlock with SwitchRes X.

So, are there any issues with using Switchres X in Sierra? And, when doing an OS update? Does it break it?

Thanks!

 

[Synchro3]

So, are there any issues with using Switchres X in Sierra? And, when doing an OS update? Does it break it?

Thanks!

No issues. OS X updates do not break anything. And even if it would break once, it's only a mouse click to reenable it:

 

[namethisfile]

No issues. OS X updates do not break anything. And even if it would break once, it's only a mouse click to reenable it:

View attachment 687814

Okay. I tried it.

But, I'm not convinced. It, also, unlocks my Dell P2214H to 30-bit color, which it isn't.

How do I test if this is really working? Or, just a cosmetic, kext edit or something?

 

[ActionableMango]

How do I test if this is really working?

Open Photoshop or whatever you're using, create a gradient from 100% black to 100% white across the width of the screen. If the transition is smooth, you are 30-bit. If you see banding/posterization/dithering, you are not.

The problem is that the entire workflow needs to be 30-bit. So if you see banding it could be the monitor, the OS, the GPU hardware, the GPU driver, the graphics application, or more than one of any of those.

 

[Synchro3]

Okay. I tried it.

But, I'm not convinced. It, also, unlocks my Dell P2214H to 30-bit color, which it isn't.

How do I test if this is really working? Or, just a cosmetic, kext edit or something?

Play 4K UHD footage with this player: https://lhc70000.github.io/iina/

 

[namethisfile]

Open Photoshop or whatever you're using, create a gradient from 100% black to 100% white across the width of the screen. If the transition is smooth, you are 30-bit. If you see banding/posterization/dithering, you are not.

The problem is that the entire workflow needs to be 30-bit. So if you see banding it could be the monitor, the OS, the GPU hardware, the GPU driver, the graphics application, or more than one of any of those.

I got you.

I guess I can't test or will ever know. The only thing I know for sure is that MacOS Sierra is 10-bit capable, and my monitor (U27145H) is 10-bit capable. I don't know if the RX460 is 10-bit capable. And, I don't have any apps that are 10-bit capable. My Photoshop version is too old and doesn't have the option for 30-bit. So...

And, even, though, SwitchRes X unlocked 30-bit under System Report... it also unlocked 30-bit for my second monitor, a Dell P2214H, which isn't advertised as a wide-gamut, 10-bit capable monitor.

At this point, I am giving up on the whole 30-bit thing. I can't rely on SwitchRes X, also, since it apparently unlocks any monitor to "30-bit."
[doublepost=1486673122][/doublepost]

Play 4K UHD footage with this player: https://lhc70000.github.io/iina/

Okay. But, video footages are so hard to determine.

Is that video player like 30-bit capable or something?

 

[Synchro3]

Is that video player like 30-bit capable or something?

Yes it is. You will see the difference immediately, if your monitor is 10 capable or not.

 

[namethisfile]

Yes it is. You will see the difference immediately, if your monitor is 10 capable or not.

The JPEG pic below is not 10 bit, because I cannot upload a 12.3 MB PNG screenshot. Had to convert it to JPG:
View attachment 687818

I already have VLC, which is 10-bit capable.

I'll check out IINA. But, I have to find 10-bit videos first... and their file sizes are so freakin huge. This is why video is not ideal to check 10-bits... FYI

 

[Synchro3]

VLC is not good with 4K UHD footage at the moment. Showed wrong colors with real UHD footage.

 

[namethisfile]

DUH! I didn't know why I didn't think of this before. But, I'm going to download trial PS CC just to test this!

 

[Synchro3]

One thing: Afaik only NVIDIA Web drivers support 10 Bit, not the OS X drivers.

 

[namethisfile]

One thing: Afaik only NVIDIA Web drivers support 10 Bit, not the OS X drivers.

Huh. Okay. What about the OS X driver for the AMD Baffin cards, or whatever it is for RX 460?

Anyway, I did a gradient test below.

Obviously, I can't save JPEG files in 10-bits. But, I do see in real life that the gradients are smoother in PS CC 2017 than in PS CS6, which doesn't support 10-bits.

So, I don't know. Maybe, the MacOS Sierra driver for AMD Baffin (Polaris 11) does include 30-bit support?
[doublepost=1486679460][/doublepost]Bit, to the ghosting issue I demo'd on the video above... do you guys think that is severe? Normal?

 

[Daniel Reed]

How do I test if this is really working? Or, just a cosmetic, kext edit or something?

Yes it is. You will see the difference immediately, if your monitor is 10 capable or not.

Use the 10-bit gradient test file found here:
https://github.com/jursonovicst/gradient
specifically here:
https://github.com/jursonovicst/gradient/raw/master/gradient.png

You have to download and open it in the "preview" app on Mac (supports 10-bit)
No web browser I know of supports 10-bit

AND before anyone screams that PNG files are only 8-bit or some other old-wives-tale...

...please read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_Network_Graphics#File_size_and_optimization_software

"[PNG] Color depth can range from 1 to 64 bits per pixel."

 

[namethisfile]

@Daniel Reed, Ok... I do see a difference, albeit, small when I view the 10-bit UHD Test Sequence you showed on Chrome and on Preview. On Preview, especially, the black gradient, it's smoother than how Chrome renders it. It's a small difference, though.

Is this all there is between 32-bit and 30-bit?

UPDATE: Okay, the more I have looked at it, the more there is a difference. It is noticeable enough, the banding between 10-bit and 8-bit. So, it is not as small as I had said, earlier. Would like to reduct the above statement. But, not delete it... for the sake of posterity!

 

[orph]

a calibrated work flow is relay important, if you need 10bit you need calibration.