I'm using the standard PVR 350 TV-Out instructions posted all over. I've basically followed http://mysettopbox.tv/phpBB2/viewtopic. ... hlight=350 , which takes XF86Config-4.pvr350-tvout.sample and adds the ivtvdev driver to it.

Everything works great except:

When I start X the desktop extends beyond the TV screen on all sides. If I start Myth it's the same, cutting off a wide margin around the sides. If I start mythlike this:

mythfrontend --geometry 640x440+35+20

I can get Myth to fit fairly good. Live TV works fine in either case since that operation is done inside the card and has nothing to do with X, I assume.

So, my question is, how do I configure my X settings so that I can see the desktop fully and therefore Myth as well? I'm just guessing the 720x480 resolution that seems to work for everyone else doesn't work for my setup.

BTW, the few times I've tried changing the resolution or other values I've caused X to become unusable in some way (mouse stops working or screen displays garbage).

Any thoughts?

Hi,
I can give you what mine are set for, however depending on the tv, you will probably need to tweak a bit. At least it maybe a starting place.

Goto Home > Utilities/Settup > Setup > Appearance > page2
I have from top down 636 428 47 24 and only the Hide mouse is checked
Make your changes a couple of digits + or - at a time to fine tune the display for a full fit to the tv. The buttons on the bottom and the label at the top just fit on mine. When you finish, it will rescan and adjust to the new size.

Under menu Home > Utilities/Settup > Setup > Playback > page 2, I use xv controls, page 3 everything is checked except group summary. Also I set the thumbnail time to 75 seconds so I usually get a nice image rather than the tail of a commercial for the web page.

Continuing to page 5, of course pvr 350 out is chosen and then on page 8, Overscan, I have 12 12 10 10 Which makes it fit the tv nicely.

And then for Recording Profiles > page 2, I select each profile, each in turn and on page 3, I adjust the width for 640. I have found the 480 makes the images squished when watching them on a windows xp / 2k box. I forget what they looked like on the tv as I have always immediately made the change. The windows connection is also quite easy to make but I think it does does require samba running. Again, that is one of my defaults, or faults?

Note that if you ssh into your KnoppMyth box and are able to run remote x, entering mythfrontend will bring you an approximate 640 x 480 image. These settings will also give you the reduced image size on your local myth monitor assuming you are at tv 800x600 and you were not having x going to the tv. Hope that makes some sense?

A word of advice, (and it's free) IF you have remote x working, and you have your tv out, don't mess with success! It is easy to loose and hard to get back, at least for me that has been the situation.

This is for the R5A16 version and haven't really changed from previous R4V5. Good luck.

Quick addition, when you go to live tv, you may see a color shift, simply press the F key, several times until the HUE appears ,increase to about 50 and all should again normal. The menu goes away in a minute or so. I don't know what causes the effect but it is repeatable.

Mike

In mythtv, my resolution is ok and when I exit mythtv, the screen is on the left and oversized

Anyone know how to change the resolution outside of mythtv ?
I use a pvr350 with tv-out on 36" and R5A15.1

Hi,
That falls under the x server tweaks, I think xvidtune works on Debian but I haven't used it except with RH to help fix that very situation. It would probably store the numbers in XF86Config (not-4) so you would have to move numbers manually. You have run as root and need some info on your card.

It's an idea anyway, hope it helps.
Mike

...you think that the problem is in XF86Config ?

yes the problem is most definitely in the XF86Config-4 file, you probably need to tweak your modeline, and xvidtune would be a good tool to use.

_________________
Have a question search the forum and have a look at the KnoppMythWiki.

Xsecrets

If I open xvidtune and click on button test, a warning message appear that tell me that I have a wrong configuration. I try some other configuration and I always have this message. what should I do ?


Here is my configuration of : /etc/X11/XF86Config-4


Section "Monitor"
Identifier "NTSC Monitor"
HorizSync 30-50
VertRefresh 60
Mode "720x480"
# D: 34.563 MHz, H: 37.244 kHz, V: 73.897 Hz
DotClock 34.564
HTimings 200 200 840 928
VTimings 600 484 488 504
Flags "-HSync" "-VSync"
EndMode
EndSection


My resolution is not 800x600. Do I have to change my resolution ?
My refresh rate is 60 is it ok for my tv ? I thont want to destroy my tv

Hi,

Sorry about the delay, I missed your last post
It has been a while since I last used xvidtune so don't recall the various messages. However it allows you to change the timings to tweak when start and end of the scan lines occur. It takes some playing around to make things fit sometimes.

As a short cut, you can try these settings as they are the same as I have used since R4V (low numbers). Notice the H & V Timings are considerable difference than yours.

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "NTSC Monitor"
HorizSync 30-68
VertRefresh 50-120 #I probably should change to 60 someday..
Mode "720x480"
# D: 34.563 MHz, H: 37.244 kHz, V: 73.897 Hz
DotClock 34.564
HTimings 720 752 840 928
VTimings 480 484 488 504
Flags "-HSync" "-VSync"
EndMode
EndSection


The 800x600 comes a little later in the config file,
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultColorDepth 16
SubSection "Display"

~~~~~~~~
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection

IF you have or were to add 1024X768 to the list you could also use that. Note that the first number pair is the default, pressing control + alt + the + on the num pad will switch through the different modes

Again, my appollogies for missing your last post.
Mike

I can't see any difference

Hi,

Ok, at what part do you not see?

(I can't see any difference Sad) That means nothing to anyone, my car is in the shop too. That has about as much value. I'm going to give you a couple more ideas to play with that may help you.

Were there any changes made to anything? Did you for the hey of it, do the control + alt + (the + on the num pad) ? It should have switched between 800x600 & 640x480.

If you make any changes to the XF86Config-4 file, you must restart the xserver for it to be reread. How you ask, good question he says, as root, simply enter at

# killall gdm
(best to do it via ssh or putty) then to see if all is still ok, do
# startx
and the server should start up and be happy. If it does, then do
control c
to stop the x server. Then at the
# gdm
to restart the myth desktop.

Good luck
Mike

I see a lot of mode "720X480" and I think that is what is killing me.
I want a 648x480 because my TV is 4:3 old style standard TV.
I don't have a wide screen 16:9 format TV
what would the HTimings be for a 640 resolution TV

Hi badgers,

I have poked at a few KnoppMyth installs and I have yet to see what you are discribing. Well, my mental image of what I think you are discribing anyway.

The only time I have had to mess with the XF86Config file is when setting up the PVR-350 for tv output or making an older Dell co-operate.

I usually install / upgrade by pressing enter which gives you 1024 res for the desktop. I then go into Utilities > Setup > Appearance > Screen and put in ~632 ~449 ~30 ~ 38 and check the two top boxes. That gives me a nice myth area to enjoy while I use the rest of the desktop for the important stuff like replies and experimenting. If you have a pvr-350 and set it up for tv out then while the tv is running, you have a black box on the screen to ignor as mozilla will cover it up anyway.

This is nothing fancy, just using a little of the power linux provides for us and the flexability of KnoppMyth.

Hope this helps you.
Mike

I am not sure I understand your post.
Yes, I have had to set the screen size the way you describe, but it seems that is a bit of a hack to fit it to the TV screen.

did you have any ghosting on the TV out of the PVR 350?

Hi badgers,

Well I guess you could call it a hack although using menu options to me doesn't fit that catagory. I think the way the system use was intended was to have everything on the tv screen. Since all tv's are not built identical, the developers incorperated a way of adjusting the system to work around those flaws.

A typical US crt tv will have 63 micro seconds to draw one line on your screen. 10.8 of that 63 is used to re-sync each line back to the starting point. (far left side) In all the tv's using a crt, a transformer is used to generate the drive for the electron beams to be moved across the screen in the remaing 52.2 micro seconds. There are several built in issues with this method and these flaws are covered by overscan of the sweep. This is about 8 micro seconds on both ends (each side) and if not compensated in some way, will cut off letters and other inportant information on the sides. It is called "safe title area"

This applies for the vertical also. There 525 lines to a frame, (262 1/2 per field) and of that about 240 per field have picture information. The unseen lines are re-sync and data, VBI .Again the over scan cuts some of the top and bottom. each field has 8.3333 milli seconds to do it's top to bottom sweep.

When you make the menu adjustments, all it is basicly doing is starting and ending the image with in what you can view. That should be apparent when you see the resizing after a change as the software makes adjustments to the image so it will fit into the new size.

If you have all the KnoppMyth on tv, then you should be able to see the complete menus. Also if you are using a lcd or other non crt display, the lines are normally generated with a counter which is a precise positioning and there fore over scan is not required so your adjustments should be minor if any.

To me, a hack is when I go in and change how a menu is displayed, add extra menu items, change how my backup is activated, apt-get install saytime, mozilla, etc. If you change the presets on your car radio, is that a hack? Same principle,

Anyway, that's my out look. And as long as it works correctly to my perception, then I'm
Mike

The numbers are based on horizontal rate of 15,735 htz and a vertical rate of 59.94 htz for NTSC

No ghosting, check your cables.

aspain or forloop, did you ever figure this out? I am having the same problem. Outside of Mythtv my display is bigger than the TV. I have tried everything above with no luck. Hitting Ctl + Alt + (+ on the numpad) doesn't do anything. xvidtune won't let me make any changes either. I cannot get my desktop to display properly Any help would be appreciated.