Benq Service+Factory Menus, VT info, AMA Low tweak

Adjusting BENQ Blur Reduction and DyAc (Dynamic Acceleration) including Blur Busters Strobe Utility. Supports most BenQ/Zowie Z-Series monitors (XL2411, XL2420, XL2720, XL2735, XL2540, XL2546)
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CubanLegend
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Re: Benq Service+Factory Menus, VT info, AMA Low tweak

Post by CubanLegend » 10 Dec 2020, 15:09

Falkentyne wrote:
08 Dec 2020, 15:19
144hz uses a reduced vertical total (VT), which I think is 1094 or something. You can increase the VT via a custom resolution but it will go out of range. You can try using the "S-switch" bypass, or the software tool black screen workaround (for the 165hz-240hz overclock tweaks) in the display overclocking thread, to force the monitor to try to display an image anyway. I would try using the VT range of 1350-1358.

https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5336
https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5544

The things to look out for, if you can get an image is:
1) if the monitor locks up and won't display an image after you do the bypass (if that happens it just isn't capable of it).
2) if the image is corrupted and unusable.
3) if the image appears but has micro-stuttering or frameskipping. You also need to see if it sometimes is smooth and sometimes frameskips, after a resolution change/reset.

If you are dealing with #3, try changing the vertical total up or down by 1. You can also try changing the horizontal total up or down 1 also. A small change in the pixel clock can get the monitor to work.
Interesting.. so It'll be 'out of range' at 144hz if i choose to use a large VT.. like i am at 165hz, requiring the workarounds for the 165-240hz overclock tweaks. Thankfully my XL2720Z did come with an S-Switch, and I have successfully used it to avoid black screens when changing resolutions & refresh rates. I also installed the OOR-Buster 1.4 and have it setup with a proper delay so that it is almost always able to defeat the 'out of range' alert when I switch to my 165-240hz 1080p resolutions. :)

Thank you for the tip, why exactly is 1350-1358 a viable VT so often, and for so many refresh rates at 1080p on these BenQ's?, I noticed those VT's mentioned before.. is it just because those are VTs that are within the monitor's rated KHz, or because they produce the best effect of "reducing crosstalk"?

and what exactly causes a resolution to go "out of range" in these BenQ's is it the MHz of the custom resolution, or the KHz? and what's the limit to stay under to avoid "Out of Range"?
Chief Blur Buster wrote:
08 Dec 2020, 22:11
Overclocked Vertical Total FAQ

You can use the 220 Hz overclock trick to get 144Hz+Large Vertical Total.
For more information about overclocking 144Hz 1080p BenQ ZOWIE monitors, see The Overclocking Thread For 144Hz 1080p BenQ ZOWIE Monitors.

This is much harder than a plain large vertical total, so this is for more advanced users.
Thank you Chief, for he tutorial, I've skimmed through that 144hz BenQ OC thread.. I'll have to go through it again to see if there's anything I missed.. but that tutorial in your post above is REALLY helpful! Since my max stable OC that i tried and achieved was 240Hz at 1080p, my KHz were 262.560 (pixel clock of 520.92) .. so i've got a scan rate limit of 262560?.. so this means at 144hz i should be able to do 262560/144 = 1823.3 VT at 144hz? is that right??

So i jut have to ensure the OC doesnt break AMA overdrive.. and that i should check if AMA Premium looks better for 144hz with a VT?

Oh and a odd question i have: WHY is it that we can set almost EVERYTHING to the shortcut menu on the XL2720Z.. like "Contrast" "Input" and even "Black Equalizer" etc.. but WHY can't we have a shortcut for AMA? it's the MAIN setting i always have to dig into the menus for.. to enable the AMA Low tweak.. I wish it was just one click away lol

Also Chief, about the "1920x1079 Trick + OORBuster".. you can avoid this if you have NVIDIA. in the control panel there is a setting called "Preferred Refresh Rate" under 3D Settings.. - if put on "Highest Available" it will ALWAYS switch to the highest OCed refresh rate listed in the Control Panel (as long as you have the proper CRU resolution detected by NvCpl), this way i dont have to use a custom resolution to force my OCed refresh rate!.. :) Of course, the downside to this.. is that it really only works if you ALWAYS want to force your max OC refresh rate... if you have games where you want to use 60hz due to a 60fps in-engine FPS lock (for single strobe), then you have to change that setting back to "Application Controlled" and maybe use the 1920x1079 trick..

A question about the 1920x1079 trick btw: doesn't doing this cause the resolution to be scaled improperly on the monitor?

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Re: Benq Service+Factory Menus, VT info, AMA Low tweak

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 11 Dec 2020, 04:28

CubanLegend wrote:
10 Dec 2020, 15:09
A question about the 1920x1079 trick btw: doesn't doing this cause the resolution to be scaled improperly on the monitor?
Scaling can be disabled with the 1920x1079 trick; it just leaves 1 pixel row black.

Good tip too. The Preferred trick also works, too, albiet NVIDIA specific.

As for the AMA being hard to access, it's just been how the menus has been designed by BenQ ZOWIE.
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chenifa
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Re: Benq Service+Factory Menus, VT info, AMA Low tweak

Post by chenifa » 11 Dec 2020, 07:33

What are these options in the factory menu?(XL2540)

ADDR

PANELSSC

IIC SLAVE ADDR

Anyone know?

WHY can't we have a shortcut for AMA?
Not the perfect solution, but if you enable "BURNIN" in the factory menu, the menu will stick even if you turn your monitor off and on....saves a lot of time!

Falkentyne
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Re: Benq Service+Factory Menus, VT info, AMA Low tweak

Post by Falkentyne » 11 Dec 2020, 21:04

chenifa wrote:
11 Dec 2020, 07:33
What are these options in the factory menu?(XL2540)

ADDR

PANELSSC

IIC SLAVE ADDR

Anyone know?

WHY can't we have a shortcut for AMA?
Not the perfect solution, but if you enable "BURNIN" in the factory menu, the menu will stick even if you turn your monitor off and on....saves a lot of time!
Don't mess with those.
It's something to do with direct hardware access with SPI / I2c programming tools (hooked or soldered directly to the PCB).

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Re: Benq Service+Factory Menus, VT info, AMA Low tweak

Post by CubanLegend » 11 Dec 2020, 21:19

Chief Blur Buster wrote:
11 Dec 2020, 04:28
CubanLegend wrote:
10 Dec 2020, 15:09
A question about the 1920x1079 trick btw: doesn't doing this cause the resolution to be scaled improperly on the monitor?
Scaling can be disabled with the 1920x1079 trick; it just leaves 1 pixel row black.

Good tip too. The Preferred trick also works, too, albiet NVIDIA specific.

As for the AMA being hard to access, it's just been how the menus has been designed by BenQ ZOWIE.
ah ok, i may have to use this 1920x1079 trick for my 60hz mode, so that when i go into a game that is 60hz limited, or an emulator, i can ensure that im at 60hz for that sweet 60hz single strobe.

Playing at 60hz with single strobe is an AMAZING experience by the way, it's unreal how smooth it is.

chenifa
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Re: Benq Service+Factory Menus, VT info, AMA Low tweak

Post by chenifa » 12 Dec 2020, 07:17

Falkentyne wrote:
11 Dec 2020, 21:04
chenifa wrote:
11 Dec 2020, 07:33
What are these options in the factory menu?(XL2540)

ADDR

PANELSSC

IIC SLAVE ADDR

Anyone know?

WHY can't we have a shortcut for AMA?
Not the perfect solution, but if you enable "BURNIN" in the factory menu, the menu will stick even if you turn your monitor off and on....saves a lot of time!
Don't mess with those.
It's something to do with direct hardware access with SPI / I2c programming tools (hooked or soldered directly to the PCB).
I tried changing them all and my monitor is still working xD and you can always reset no problem.
ADDR seemed to change feel of aim, so I think it's worth investigating those more. Too bad there's no information on what it does...

Falkentyne
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Re: Benq Service+Factory Menus, VT info, AMA Low tweak

Post by Falkentyne » 12 Dec 2020, 14:15

chenifa wrote:
12 Dec 2020, 07:17
Falkentyne wrote:
11 Dec 2020, 21:04
chenifa wrote:
11 Dec 2020, 07:33
What are these options in the factory menu?(XL2540)

ADDR

PANELSSC

IIC SLAVE ADDR

Anyone know?

WHY can't we have a shortcut for AMA?
Not the perfect solution, but if you enable "BURNIN" in the factory menu, the menu will stick even if you turn your monitor off and on....saves a lot of time!
Don't mess with those.
It's something to do with direct hardware access with SPI / I2c programming tools (hooked or soldered directly to the PCB).
I tried changing them all and my monitor is still working xD and you can always reset no problem.
ADDR seemed to change feel of aim, so I think it's worth investigating those more. Too bad there's no information on what it does...
Oh come on. This is getting "Monster cable" silly now.

ADDR stands for ADDRESS. It has to do with the i2c probing port that the monitor can be found with hardware tools.
Banks have to do with some complicated panel stuff related to memory access for reading the hardware.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_bank#

As I said, leave this stuff alone. I've been messing with these things for YEARS, since the VG248QE days (which was the first panel which people saw these options, due to the "OD Gain" (Overdrive gain) setting actually being useful on this panel, and EDID flashing with Linux would not work unless the factory menu were unlocked and open.

I'm going to have to say this clearly now.

OK LISTEN, PROFESSIONAL CS GO / VALORANT PLAYERS AND PEOPLE WHO CAN APPARENTELY TELL THE DIFFERENCE IN INPUT LAG BETWEEN 241HZ AND 242HZ.

These options do NOTHING for you. Leave them alone. They are for engineers and firmware developers only. Not for end users.
The ONLY options you should be messing with are "OD Gain" (changes the overdrive calibration for that AMA level--this is quite useful) and "Burn-in" (keeps the menu unlocked so you don't have to keep resetting the monitor once you find the combination--note, on some older Benq monitors, this setting may stop the service menu from unlocking (Strobe duty/phase/single strobe). Many of the options do nothing. Color Gain/Offset is an artifact from VGA port days to allow color tuning (these options worked on DSUB15 but not on DVI or displayport/HDMI). I do not know if it works on any current monitor as they don't come with VGA ports anymore.

chenifa
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Re: Benq Service+Factory Menus, VT info, AMA Low tweak

Post by chenifa » 13 Dec 2020, 19:41

Thanks for the info!
Since you know a lot it seems, maybe you can answer me this. There is a difference between default profiles on this monitor(xl2540), going beyond the settings accessible though the OSD and even the hidden menus.
When you switch between FPS1 and standard mode for example, the monitor blackscreens for a second. I could make brightness, gamma, everything the same between those 2 profiles and it still blackscreens when switching.
I guess there is different postprocessing or whatever going on....do you know what the difference is exactly and would it be possible to hack those settings somehow?

eshqali
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Re: Benq Service+Factory Menus, VT info, AMA Low tweak

Post by eshqali » 30 Dec 2020, 08:23

hello
i bought a benq vz2350 monitor. it's stock and i want to understand the hours this monitor was working.
could any one help me to access the service menu for this monitor?

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A Solid lad
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Re: Benq Service+Factory Menus, VT info, AMA Low tweak

Post by A Solid lad » 03 Mar 2021, 08:26

Any idea how to access the service/factory menu on the newer K models? (ex. XL2411K, XL2546K)
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