Monitor 'flashes' everytime I try to watch video

[MJDore]

This is a new problem and becoming increasingly more aggravating each day.

I have a Samsung SyncMaster 172t digital monitor that is giving me fits. Everytime I attempt to watch video via WinTV or PowerDVD, or edit video with apps like Shrink and MPEG2Schnitt, the monitor flashes as if it's going into Standby and then comes back up.

In the case of watching video, it just constantly flashes on and off. For editing apps like Shrink, it flashes once when I load the video and then repeats the flash once I close Shrink.

I have updated to the latest Samsung drivers and I've also updated the drivers for my video card which is a GeForce FX 5500.

I have NO IDEA what's going on but it's rendered my PC useless for anything and everything to do with video.

Ideas?

[isogonic]

a guess but maybe monitor refresh rates?

[MJDore]

a guess but maybe monitor refresh rates?

Well, I've done some digging on that topic but I can't find any definitive info that tells me what it should be set at. Seems to be just personal preference. Am I missing something?

[non-linear]

Did you make sure the drivers are for the correct models? It's also possible there could be something about your OS configuration that is causing the problem.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

right-click your desktop and choose Properties>Settings>Advanced>Monitor and place a check-mark in the box that says "Hide modes that this monitor cannot display" and click apply.
Now choose the highest refresh rate it offers and click apply again.
If you issue is indeed a refresh rate problem, this should solve it.
Refresh rates do go beyond personal preference -- get the rate too low and looking at the monitor will give you headaches and nausea.

It sounds like this is a recently developed problem?
What has changed with your PC since right about the time this started? Install a new app, Windows Updates, new hardware? Flashed your BIOS?
Go back and undo any changes that you have made since right before the problem started.

[MJDore]

I looked at the refresh properties last night as noted above. I'm pretty sure my nVidia drivers override the Windows settings, though, because the only refresh option available was 60 mhz. Also, the "Hide modes..." option was already checked.

Within the nVidia app there are several options for manually overriding refresh rates but it scared me off a little. I didn't get a chance to play around with it much last night.

Anyone familiar with nVidia and available settings? THanks for the feedback so far.

[MJDore]

Just to close the loop....

It was a bad video card. I put an older ATI in there that I had in a spare parts PC and everything works like a charm now. I skimped a bit on the video card when I built this PC and I guess this is what I get, eh?

Thanks for the input.