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R5A12: Screen refresh problems, needs more beef? Upgrading?
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Author:  adamw [ Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:21 am ]
Post subject:  R5A12: Screen refresh problems, needs more beef? Upgrading?
Dear all,

I've now been using R5A12 on the following system for about three months now. It's been great (I could never have done it without these forums) but I still have this screen refresh/flicker issue. It seems to be the same issue mentioned here, but I'm wondering if my box is just underpowered. I have:

nForce2 mobo
Duron 750
512 PC3200
nForce3 vid card
160GB P-ATA disk
outputting to a Sony 27" standard dev TV via S-video

This is a standalone, so it runs both the front-end and the back-end. I do encounter times when video playback will burp while something is happening to the backend (read: updating program listings), and I'm wondering if the duron just can't keep up with the de-interlacing and other video requirements. I've dinked with my XF86Config-4 file, cranked down the resolution to 512x384 and that's helped, but I still get some symptoms with fast-moving video. Do I just need to hork up 60 bucks for a Sempron 2.4, or is there more tweaking I can do?

Exerpts of the XF86Config-4 in question:
Code:
...
Section "Module"
        Load  "ddc"  # ddc probing of monitor
   Load  "dbe"
        Load  "v4l"
        Load  "extmod"
        Load  "glx"
        Load  "bitmap" # bitmap-fonts
        Load  "speedo"
        Load  "type1"
        Load  "freetype"
        Load  "record"
EndSection
...
Section "Monitor"
        Identifier   "Monitor0"
        VendorName      "EPI"
        ModelName       "EPId790"
        #DisplaySize 204 153 # 100 DPI @ 800x600
        DisplaySize 271 204  #  75 DPI @ 800x600
        #DisplaySize 535 415 # Real screen measurements
        HorizSync 30 - 95 # DDC-probed
        VertRefresh 50 - 160 # DDC-probed
        # These are the DDC-probed settings reported by your monitor.
        Modeline "640x480" 25.175 640 664 760 800 480 491 493 525 #60Hz
        Modeline "800x600" 40.12 800 848 968 1056 600 601 605 628 #60Hz

        # 800x600, 85.0Hz; hfreq=53.67, vfreq=85.06
        ModeLine "800x600"       56.25  800  832  896 1048  600  601  604  631 +hsync +vsync
        # 800x600, 75.0Hz; hfreq=46.88, vfreq=75.00
        ModeLine "800x600"       49.50  800  816  896 1056  600  601  604  625 +hsync +vsync
        # 800x600, 72.0Hz; hfreq=48.08, vfreq=72.19
        ModeLine "800x600"       50.00  800  856  976 1040  600  637  643  666 +hsync +vsync
        # 800x600, 60.0Hz; hfreq=37.88, vfreq=60.32
        ModeLine "800x600"       40.00  800  840  968 1056  600  601  605  628 +hsync +vsync
        # 640x480, 85.0Hz; hfreq=43.27, vfreq=85.01
        ModeLine "640x480"       36.00  640  696  752  832  480  481  484  509 -hsync -vsync
        # 640x480, 75.0Hz; hfreq=37.50, vfreq=75.00
        ModeLine "640x480"       31.50  640  656  720  840  480  481  484  500 -hsync -vsync
        # 640x480, 60.0Hz; hfreq=31.47, vfreq=59.94
        ModeLine "640x480"       25.17  640  648  744  784  480  482  484  509 -hsync -vsync
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier  "Card0"
        Driver      "nvidia"
        VendorName  "Shuttle"
        BoardName   "nVidia GeForce 4 MX"
        #Option     "RenderAccel" "1"

        # TV Out Setup
        Option "TwinView" "1"
        Option "TwinViewOrientation" "Clone"
        Option "ConnectedMonitor" "CRT, TV"
        Option "SecondMonitorHorizSync" "30-50"
        Option "SecondMonitorVertRefresh" "60"
        Option "MetaModes" "800x600, 800x600; 800x600, 640x480; 640x480, 640x480; 640x480, NULL; NULL, 640x480; 512x384, 512x384"
        #Option "MetaModes" "1024x768, 1024x768; 800x600, 800x600; 640x480, 640x480;"
        Option "TVStandard" "NTSC-M"
        Option "TVOutFormat" "SVIDEO"
        Option "TVOverScan" "0.67"

        Option "NoLogo" "1"
        # sw_cursor is needed for some ati and radeon cards
        Option      "sw_cursor"
        # Other options...
        #Option     "hw_cursor"
        #Option     "NoAccel"
        #Option     "ShowCache"
        #Option     "ShadowFB"
        #Option     "UseFBDev"
        #Option     "Rotate"
        # The following line is auto-generated by KNOPPIX mkxf86config
        #BusID      "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Screen0"
        Device     "Card0"
        Monitor    "Monitor0"
        DefaultColorDepth 24
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     1
                Modes "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     4
                Modes "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     8
                Modes "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     15
                Modes "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     16
                Modes "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     24
                Modes "512x384"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     32
                Modes "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
EndSection


And in a second, unrelated question, I'm thinking about upgrading to R5A16. Does it take more resources than A12, i.e. will my flickering problem worsen? And apart from doing a "Backup" operation, and saving a copy of my XF86Config-4, lircd.conf, and lircrc files, is there anything else I need to do to not have to reinvent the wheel?

Thanks in advance!
Author:  cesman [ Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:26 am ]
Post subject: 
A16 doesn't require more CPU than A12. Video processoring is CPU intensive, simply put: FOr MythTV the more, the better. That is not to say to cannot get away with less, it just means you need to do more tweaking.
Author:  adamw [ Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:26 am ]
Post subject: 
I always forget something when I post ...

Capture card is a PVR-250, so it does do the hardware decoding, otherwise I think the Duron would grind to a halt.
Author:  cesman [ Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:27 am ]
Post subject: 
The 250 doesn't decode, it encodes. Perhaps you are thinking of the 350 (which does both).
Author:  adamw [ Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:39 am ]
Post subject: 
cesman wrote:
The 250 doesn't decode, it encodes. Perhaps you are thinking of the 350 (which does both).


No, I'm just being a moron. I have a 250 which, of course, encodes.

But, cesman, do you think that I would have less flickering with a better proc? I just don't want to buy one from Newegg that I can't easily return if it's not going to improve things. Oh wait, I could just make a new computer, perhaps a remote backend, i'd just need a case, and a mobo, a capture card...
Author:  DrGonzo [ Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:21 pm ]
Post subject: 
Or if you're a cheap bastid like me, make the Duron a backend only and get a used xbox. Mod the Xbox and make it the front end. :D

Gonz
Author:  tjc [ Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
nForce3 vid card

No such thing... Do you mean you have a GeForce4 video card or GeForce4 video built into your MoBo? Which Shuttle model is this? It looks like you're using the nvidia drivers, so have you got Xv turned on in the setup/config? Also, You can probably comment out the sw_cursor line and let the driver auto select, also comment out the ddc module.

If you're using MoBo video you may want to look at the builtin share of memory bandwidth is set to in the BIOS. I don't remember what my SN41G2 was set to but it was always pretty smooth unless something had gone berserk like a run away commerical flagging prcess...
Author:  adamw [ Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:33 pm ]
Post subject: 
Again, I apologize. I was trying to post in the middle of having several people talking at me. I have a GeForce 3MX video card (AGP).
Author:  brendan [ Wed Jul 20, 2005 2:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: R5A12: Screen refresh problems, needs more beef? Upgradi
If you're only outputting to a TV, it might be worth getting rid of all modelines that aren't 60Hz or 59.94Hz. And if you're using the nvidia driver, the nvidia-settings have some vblanking options that can help (though maybe they're automatically on on the s-vid out).

-brendan
Author:  tjc [ Wed Jul 20, 2005 5:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: R5A12: Screen refresh problems, needs more beef? Upgradi
brendan wrote:
And if you're using the nvidia driver, the nvidia-settings have some vblanking options that can help (though maybe they're automatically on on the s-vid out).

I certainly use 'em. They're not on by default however, and the timing costraints that they impose may tend to make a slow machine have more problems... Search for one on my "realtime" discussions for more detail...
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