[Cobra]

What are your command line settings? Stuff like -img2dds causes random issues with things.

[AV8R]

What are your command line settings? Stuff like -img2dds causes random issues with things.

Nope, just what you see below:

Z:\GAMES\Freespace2\fs2_open_3_7_2.exe -mod mediavps_2014 -nomotiondebris -3dshockwave -soft_particles -fxaa -nolightshafts -cache_bitmaps -dualscanlines -rearm_timer -ship_choice_3d -snd_preload -fps -ambient_factor 50 -spec_exp 5 -spec_point 0.15 -spec_static 1.0 -spec_tube 1.0 -ogl_spec 40 -bloom_intensity 42 -fxaa_preset 9 -fov 0.5 -no_emissive_light

The issue was just more of a visual quality issue, but I understand now it's not my setup or monitor but just texture compression artifacts - I just couldn't see it on my old monitor but on my new HD monitor, I do.

[AV8R]

I've greatly lessened the "star-banding" effect by doing the following:

1) Using the absolute lowest comfortable brightness and contrast settings on my monitor without making it too dark for the game and other uses (B:30, C:30)

2) Using these graphics settings in the launcher: -ambient_factor 0 -no_emissive_light -spec_exp 11 -spec_point .6 -spec_static .8 -spec_tube .4 -ogl_spec 80 -bloom_intensity 40

[Fury]

Just take care not to take things to such lengths you will strain your eyes when reading text, whether that is a Word document, a website or a game. It is better to live with banding than to have your eyes strained.

[AV8R]

Thanks, Fury. Although the nice thing about these big (23") HD LCD LED monitors is their inherent brightness - at the "standard" brightness and contrast settings they're ridiculously bright, especially with a white background (you'd better be a brightly lit room or you'll need sunglasses to look at the screen).

Even this brand's "Eco" setting is too bright for my warmly lit office. I finally settled on a brightness setting of 20 and contrast of 30 and it looks splendid in FSO and all of my other games - while still looking good online and in Windows Explorer and such. The above launcher settings for FSO darkened everything in-game a bit (giving a nice look of realism) but it's still possible to see targets at a distance.

Anyway, once I got everything tweaked for this new monitor, I'm quite happy with the results.

[Fury]

While every monitor is more or less unique, you may want to google for your monitor's brand, model and keyword calibration. Depending on popularity of the model, you should hopefully find several sources of settings calibrated by professional tools. Those would be a good starting point for color, gamma and brightness settings for your monitor.

[jr2]

In case it's useful:


http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-online-tools-calibrate-monitor/

TL;DR:

http://www.photofriday.com/calibrate.php

http://photographerusa.com/screencheck/   << didn't see the link in the article, had to find it myself; here it is

http://www.displaycalibration.com/index.html

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

http://tft.vanity.dk/monitorTest_scale.html

[AV8R]

Excellent links, jr2. 

The PhotoFriday.com link was best for adjusting brightness and contrast values.

The DisplayCalibration.com link was most useful for color/gamma.

Now I have everything just right and looking spot-on. Thanks, everyone. A prosperous New Year to all.