Piplay application flickering and overlapping + endless disconnect - searching loop in Pimax mode

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1

i5 3570k
16 GB RAM 1333
installed on a 240 GB SSD with plenty of space left
Windows 7 x64 latest windows update
AMD Radeon settings 17.4.4 (latest stable)
AMD HD 7950 (R9 280) 3 GB

Pimax 4k S/N 100

Pimax directly hooked to HDMI port of the 7950 And monitor hooked to dvi port of the 7950

I received the Pimax today.
Downloaded the latest Piplay driver 1.2.75, no antivirus, minimal applications running.
Piplay refuses to find the HMD. Absolutely no connection. Not even the radar movement.
Multiple reboots. plugged in cables dozens of time in every single order with reboots in between.

I uninstall twice including all java versions and reinstall multiple times. Same thing.

I try both in Pimax mode and video mode. Mostly in videomode as I read that gave the best results.
Nothing. after 2 hours of trying I just stare blankly at the screen for 10 minutes with everything connected.

I give up and just leave everything connected and I go take a nap for a couple of hours.

When I wake up. It shows the splash screen 4k that somehow the hmd is connected in videomode.
I didnā€™t do anything. Nobody had access to my computer.

Firmware is set to 1.0.0.251 which I assume is the latest.

I never agreed to anything. Everything happened automatically during my sleep including the firmware update, which I find disturbing with the random disconnects this hmd suffers from.

Now the issue that I have now is that the Piplay application flickers when I hover about the buttons that arenā€™t even visible. Multiple overlaps Making it hardly readable/usable on my monitor.

Now in videomode. It kinda works with extended display. No disconnects. The Kodi application works more or less on the Pimax I can see the theater seats. I can drag internet windows to the hmd and when I tried a youtube VR movie about a rollercoaster VR game it displayed correctly on the Pimax as if I were running the Rollercoaster VR application myself.

As soon as I switch to Pimax mode. The HMD keeps disconnecting with an endless Pimax radar loop where it keeps disconnecting - searching. So installing SteamVR is no go for now. Iā€™m stuck and I would like some help from here.

Sorry for the long story, but canā€™t hurt to throw in all the details.

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http://i66.tinypic.com/34ozzwi.jpg ā† This 2nd screenshot explains it better

@PIMAX-Support

2

Okay sorry to hear your having issues.

I myself am running dual 7950 in cf.

Is your gpu a 7950 or the rebranded r9 280 (if mem serves the 280 has 2gig instead of 3g)

Which PiPlay version are you running? Latest version is 1.2.75. Some prefer the 1.1.92.

Sounds like your running 1.2.x version with mentioning video mode.

I edited your post with @PIMAX-Support to help draw attention to your post.

If you have alot of startup programs running try exiting unneeded programs.

Support has an awesome feature Skype with teamview if needed. Just keep in mind due to time difference may take a bit to setup a mutual time that works.

More details always better. Just if you can as well post the first 3 digits of your serial number found on the bottom of the headset.

Ie mine is 100

3

Thanx for moving the topic to support :slight_smile:

I added the S/N. All your other questions were already in my original post :slight_smile:

As soon AMD launches their AMD Vega card I will buy one, and do a fresh windows 10 install. But my old 7950 should work as well.

Video mode seems to work fine and i can watch youtube VR clips. Pimax mode however is no go :confused:

Might as well use this post to add the 2nd screenshot

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4

Your welcome. I will fire up my beast & disable cf & see if i get a similar result. However i am on w10.

Use @user_name will draw attention to posts.

5

The flickering and overlapping issue is solved.

I disabled anything onboard gpu graphics related option in my bios.
And when I disabled my overclock on my 7950 (factory overclock) the flickering stopped.

At stock 7950 speeds, no more Piplay issues.

Now Iā€™m still stuck with activating Pimax mode. No change there.

Searching device -> has disconnected
endless loop

As soon I try to activate Pimax mode, the pimax disappears as 2nd monitor in windows display options. Never to be found again.

6

Okay from my testing. I get the hmd detected & active in Pimax mode with cf off.

However

Steamvr test says no go red result.

Piplay games crash & piplay 360 vids crash.

So I have to conclude a single 7950 doesnā€™t appear to be able to run vr. I am guessing on 1 front not enuff ram on card & not enuff muscle on its own. :ā€™(

I would reccomend if budget tight get a 2nd 7950 used (Here in Canada usually around $150 or less on average)

You might be able to get a r9 390 8gig as well for a good price used.

If finances good get an rx 480 or 580 (4gig might be alright but 8 gig better option)

If on Nvidia and considering a 1060 rec 6gig card as no sli support.

In pimax mode it will not show in display properties.

7

I really doubt that performance or vram is the issue here.

Vram is mirrored in xfire and the performance of a 7950 is plentiful.

Letā€™s see if support can throw in a bone as it would suck splurging lots of money on a 16 GB AMD Vega card and then facing the same issue.

8

R9 290 vs 7950 cf

R9 290 vs single 7950

R9 290 is listed as min rec spec. That & cf disabled games & 360 vids in piplay crash & steamvr test say no.

Once cf enabled games, 360 videos etc work fine. & steamvr perf test 3.5 average result VR capable with medium settings. Granted i find default to hi works fine depending on title.

9

Piplay unable to detect the HMD in Pimax mode has nothing to do with the relative performance of a gpu.

Itā€™s to do with the hmd completely disappearing from display properties.

HTC vive and oculus rift work just fine with gpuā€™s way below their minimum requirements. They just suffer from low fps

Those requirements are just suggestions. To make sure inexperienced users arenā€™t crying when it lags on their crappy gpu.

10

Yes agreed it should find the headset regardless of gpu or igpu.

PiMax mode is Direct mode - VR hmds (vive/rift/etc) do not show in displays/device. This is a special low level connection.

Video/Extend mode the headset is treated as a regular display.

In Extend mode will be less intensive on the video card(s). At least with playing videos; that being said you might be able to run old games with sbs injectors like tridef/vorpx etcā€¦

Edit: i might be getting the hmd to connection working due to PiMax plugged into hdmi & monitor plug into DisplayPort.

The DVI might be conflicting with the hdmi. If you can even with an adapter try connecting monitor to dp.

11

There is a user here in the forums with an r9 390 8gig card & reports steamvr reports green.

If you havenā€™t done so download the steamvr performance test click on tools in library & install. You donā€™t need steamvr installed for test.

I do reccommend anyone using older cards in red or green camps to redo the thermal paste with paste that exceeds oem paste. To improve cooling performance.

My general recommendation is redo thermal paste on gpu/cpu with good quality paste every 3 to 5 years. Before buying the paste; checkout reviews.

12

Ok another step closer.

I let it search in Pimax mode, while searching I simply switched the cables and put in the pimax hdmi cable in first. Waited a minute so my computer was forced to find the Pimax as primary display and then plugged in back my monitor.

It has finally detected Pimax hmd in Pimax mode.

SteamVR button appeared and appears to work. Iā€™m now in the white compass room on the HMD.
And it says SteamVR Ready (Green)

It keeps bugging me to enable direct mode, but that will only restart steamvr and cause a loop.

Weā€™re getting there. :slight_smile:

1 Like
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I edited my post above. Try connecting main monitor to dp & keep pimax on native hdmi

14

I tried the Pimax on both dvi adapter and native hdmi to no avail before.

Simply disconnecting both monitor and Pimax and then only connecting the pimax while Pimax mode search was running forced it to kick in as primary display.

And thatā€™s how it finally got through in Pimax mode. Itā€™s just trying every silly option until it works. Currently Pimax is even in the dvi to hdmi adapter and even that works fine.

15

In multi monitor setups they recommend using display port for non matching monitors.

Dvi & hdmi i beleive share paths. (flickering displays when they are different happens)

Connecting you main monitor to dp with a dp2dvi or dp2hdmi removes potenial conflict with native hdmi/dvi output.

This is likely why your having better success with Pimax mode connecting with it being sole display.

16

Probably :slight_smile:
Iā€™m just glad I got it working.

Every review of the Pimax 4k was saying this. Itā€™s a bitch to get it working. But once it does and you passed all the setup issues it will work as a dream :slight_smile:

I hope this topic will inspire future buyers not to give up when they face some issues. It simply works, you just have to try and fiddle around. Unplugging my monitor for a minute did the trick :slight_smile:

17

Thatā€™s awesome. Just keep in mind you will probably need to use steamvr titles to launch as steam has the in hmd launcher. And disable main monitor to reduce artifacts that maybe caused by dvi hdmi interference/conflict.

18

Well done @Pompidom, anyway, sorry for late reply :sweat:

Very thanks @Heliosurge

1 Like
19

Your welcome @PIMAX-Support.

I am sure most folks realise due to timezone differences response to an inquiry will vary. :wink: But all things considered anyone should appreciate that any response that is within 24hours is generally top notch. :v::blush::+1::sparkles: