I have been a Knoppmyth user for a couple of years now and have a basic working knowledge of the system(s). Now I have decided to expand to include HD (after reading virtually all of the posts...). I have a few questions before I start though and need some expert advice.

First, my current system:

Both running R5A22

Backend / SFE - 2.8 GHz 512MB RAM HP tower
160+200+250 gig drives, pvr250, pvr150, MMX 440, Hauppauge IR connected (twinview) to a standard 27 inch TV though svideo and a 17 inch flat panel (vga).

Frontend - 2.8 GHz 512MB Compaq SFF, FX 5200, Soundblaster 5.1, KDS video adapter to a HDTV (my television is a Panasonic CT-36HX41 (a 4:3 1080i HDTV) with component video inputs), serial IR

I am going to add a HD3000 to the BE. Now for the questions:

1. I am running a standard 640X480 modeline watching SDTV recordings from the pvr-x50's. Do I replace the modeline with a 1080i (actually 540p since I am using the KDS adapter) and, if so, how do I then view the output from the pvr-x50's in normal 4:3 mode?

2. Or do I include multiple modelines and manually change them depending on the source?

3. Or do I try xrandr (I haven't seen too many success stories...).

4. Is there a better method for viewing HD and SD source on the same 4:3 television?

Oh, I plan to upgrade the nvidia drivers (I think it is now 8178...).

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Backend server - 4.0 TB 3.0ghz dual core 6 gig RAM, nVidia 9400, Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 MB, 2 HD-5500, 2 HD Homerun dual tuners, 3 frontend machines - LinHES 8.6.1

Update - I upgraded the Nvidia driver (to 8178) and installed a 540p modeline (derived from Powerstrip). That new driver fixed the wrap problem (for 1080i/540p) and looks OK. I tried changing the aspect ratio (using the 'W' key) but am still unable to view 4:3 source well... Watching TV from a pvrx50 is not pretty...

I see others with both tuner types in their systems. How do you accomplish this?

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Backend server - 4.0 TB 3.0ghz dual core 6 gig RAM, nVidia 9400, Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 MB, 2 HD-5500, 2 HD Homerun dual tuners, 3 frontend machines - LinHES 8.6.1

Can you give a better description of what you are seeing when viewing 4:3 source material?

I forget if there is a setting to tell MythTV that your connected TV is a 4:3 or 16:9 set, or whether it just derives that from your modeline. (I know xine looks at the DisplaySize parameter in your XF86Config-4 file, and mplayer has to be given an option on the command line that runs it... something like "monitorsize")

Are you sure your modeline is a 4:3 modeline? Most of the digital TV modelines out there assume you've got a 16:9 set.

Both my frontend and my backend are connected to 16:9 sets and MythTV properly displays 4:3 material with windowboxing.

With the 1920X540p modeline the desktop looks fine (in a letterbox). The 4:3 source is distorted (looks more like 3:4 than 4:3) and as I think about it, that makes some sense. Xine does use that parameter in XF86Config and seems to work OK.

Your last question is exactly the root of my questions... with a 4:3 HDTV should I use a standard 640X480 modeline? The display is not great (acceptable, but not great). And if that is the case, will the resulting image from a HD3000 be good (better than what I get from the pvrX50's)?

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Backend server - 4.0 TB 3.0ghz dual core 6 gig RAM, nVidia 9400, Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 MB, 2 HD-5500, 2 HD Homerun dual tuners, 3 frontend machines - LinHES 8.6.1

yes the resulting image from hdtv with the proper modelines will be MUCH better.

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

Xsecrets

Thanks for all of the input. I have discovered that, while it is obvious that the image rendered with a HD modeline would be superior than one for SD, the problem in my case is that the TV is native 4:3 and using a standard 16:9 is not ideal since most of my use is 4:3.

Anyway with several suggestions from folks on this forum (thank you) I tried many different modelines and found what looks like a good solution. I am using a 1440x540p (4:3) modeline that renders 4:3 very well and the HD is letterboxed well (almost perfectly...). I have not yet been able to find a 1440x1080i (I don't have a monitor that will work at that resolution so can't use Powerstrip) - 540p is almost the same...

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Backend server - 4.0 TB 3.0ghz dual core 6 gig RAM, nVidia 9400, Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 MB, 2 HD-5500, 2 HD Homerun dual tuners, 3 frontend machines - LinHES 8.6.1

Sorry for the confusion but another problem has been found and the modeline that I previously posted has an error (so I removed it...)

Does anybody have a working 1440x540 (or 1440x1080i) modeline for a HDTV?

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Backend server - 4.0 TB 3.0ghz dual core 6 gig RAM, nVidia 9400, Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 MB, 2 HD-5500, 2 HD Homerun dual tuners, 3 frontend machines - LinHES 8.6.1