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X problems after nvidia install, DVDs won't play
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Author:  shplad [ Mon Jun 20, 2005 6:09 pm ]
Post subject:  X problems after nvidia install, DVDs won't play
Hi all:

Well, I offered to demo my MythTV box to a couple of friends. Won't I look dumb tonight
when half of the functions don't work! :-)



1. Ever since I installed the nvidia 6629 driver, some strange things are happening with X.
When I start GDM from account mythtv, some of the menu items do not work. The most
important of these is nvtv (nvidia tv-out - it just doesn't appear on the screen). However,
it works fine when I start X from the root account. I also noticed that X does not have
the wallpaper with Cecil and Dale's picture when I start it from root. (Not critical, but
maybe helpful diagnostic indicator?)




2. As well, whenever I exit X, I get a strange green block-like pattern on the screen.
Some of the blocks flicker. I can't see anything I type at the command line. I have to
restart X before I can see anything at all. I looked around at some other posts of
people who were having green and purple lines, but that seemed to be a different, unrelated problem.



3. I've read a fair bit about configuring nvidia TV-OUT, but I'm still very very confused.
The picture quality is awful, mostly because it's too big for the screen. You can run a different
resolution on your computer monitor than on your TV at the same time, right? My TV is
an old Sony KV-20S20 which has composite in. I am using a little converter to go
from my nvidia Quadro2 Pro to the composite in. I seem to remember older TVs
supporting only 512 x 480 res. or something similar? This set is about 7 years old,
so I'm sure it doesn't even do VGA. I called Sony about it, but they acted like it was some
big conspiracy to keep the info. secret. Said "there's no reason you need to know", so I
blew them off and will never buy Sony again. I even called repair shops, but they refused
to give me any info. So I tried to enter 512x480 res. in the nvidia tv-out GUI to get modelines.
I clicked "calc" and it gave me numbers, but when I tried just randomly clicking on some
of the modelines it calculated, that didn't seem to change the picture. Can you actually select
and try different modelines from the nvidia tv-out util, or do you have to go and enter them
in your XF86Config-4 file for them to be applied? At one point, I seemed to have a better fit
for my TV screen in terms of picture, but the MythTV interface was still way too big for the
screen. Is there any way to fix that other than buying a new TV? And if you can change
modelines in the nvidia tv-out GUI, how do you do it? I looked for docs for the nvidia tv-out util,
but couldn't find any.




4. Finally, DVDs still do not play. I can play them from the command line using Mplayer
or Xine just fine. I looked around at some other posts, but they seemed to have different symptoms.
When I select play DVD, Myth freezes and never recovers. My DVDRW is /dev/dvd
(symlinked to /dev/hda) and is mounted at /mnt/dvd. Is the problem one of permissions,
one of mappings, or just that I need to use Xine instead for DVDs with titles?
BTW, decss has already been <cough> taken care of. As I can view commercial DVDs
outside of Myth just fine.




Sorry for the long post, but I've just been going around in circles with these issues,
and I've tried to do my homework, but to no avail.




shplad
Author:  Xsecrets [ Mon Jun 20, 2005 7:56 pm ]
Post subject: 
ok there is absolutely no reason to have your dvd linked to /dev/hda that's primary master where your hard drive should be.

The green blocky problem is a known problem with nvidia and fb. to fix it edit /etc/lilo.conf and change vga=??? to vga=normal then run lilo -v as root and reboot.
Author:  shplad [ Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:18 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hey...as usual, Xsecrets to the rescue! Thanks guy.

Actually the DVD IS /dev/hda, since my SATA (boot) hard drive is sda. Any ideas where to go from here?




I just tried the vga=normal change. (It was previously VGA=791) After a reboot, that change fixed the green blocks problem when exiting X, but it created another problem. Now, if I run Myth after starting X from user root, I cannot watch tv or playback recorded shows-when I do, I get a solid blue screen, and the sound either comes through fine or is distorted and weak. I wouldn't mind, except as I said, the nvtv utility, and a few others don't work when I log on to X as mythtv.


BTW, in spite of the semi-functionality of the box, the friends were absolutely blown away. One of my friends had his jaw dropped for at least half of the demo.


Thanks in advance for any further suggestions. And thanks for all your patience. Man you must have a lot of it, considering how many newbies you've helped.


shplad

Xsecrets wrote:
ok there is absolutely no reason to have your dvd
linked to /dev/hda that's primary master where your hard drive should be.

The green blocky problem is a known problem with nvidia and fb. to fix it edit /etc/lilo.conf and change vga=??? to vga=normal then run lilo -v as root and reboot.
Author:  Xsecrets [ Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:41 pm ]
Post subject: 
did you install nvtv yourself or use the one that was installed out of the box? I haven't used nvtv in quite some time, but don't remember those problems. Are you trying to run nvtv from the init scripts on X start? or are you running it manually? If you are running it from the init scripts you may want to look into sudo.
Author:  shplad [ Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'm using the nvtv that came with the KnoppMyth CD. When I manually click on the fluxbox menu entry when logged on as mythtv, it runs. When I try to do the same thing when logged on as root, nothing shows up on the screen. Now that I think of it, I'm not sure it ever came up on the screen when logged on as root-meaning I don't think the nvidia driver had any effect on it. And now the blue screen when trying to playback video, but only under root. I'm confused big time.

shplad



Xsecrets wrote:
did you install nvtv yourself or use the one that was installed out of the box? I haven't used nvtv in quite some time, but don't remember those problems. Are you trying to run nvtv from the init scripts on X start? or are you running it manually? If you are running it from the init scripts you may want to look into sudo.
Author:  Xsecrets [ Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
search the forum for nvtv there are some instructions of how to run it on boot once you know what settings you need.
Author:  shplad [ Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
Sounds good, but how do I KNOW what settings I need? Should I just assume regular NTSC with 525x480 @ 60 Hz?

shplad


Xsecrets wrote:
search the forum for nvtv there are some instructions of how to run it on boot once you know what settings you need.
Author:  Xsecrets [ Tue Jun 21, 2005 7:27 am ]
Post subject: 
you did say that it ran when you tried it as root right? well run it as root and see what settings work. then you know what settings you need.
Author:  shplad [ Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:50 am ]
Post subject: 
Okay, that sounds like a good idea. But how do I tell Myth (or nvidia) to reduce the picture size so that the entire MythTV screen fits on my TV? I'm confused about what to adjust when. When I managed to get a 512x480 picture on my TV screen, the colour was great, but the picture was about 4 times as big as the screen.

Oh, and I may have screwed something up with my disk. When I tried changing the lilo.conf to VGA=normal, I accidentally ran lilo with the "-l" (as in "list") option. It ran, and then gave me some warning about disk geometry. (That'll teach me to do this stuff at 1:30 in the morning). Looking at the manpage for LILO, I see the "-l" switch Generates linear sector addresses instead of sector/head/cylinder addresses." Can I undo what I did there-changing disk geometry could be a bad thing?

EDIT:
Last, but definitely not least, I discovered something by accident. It was not the change to VGA=normal that stopped me from being able to see TV in Myth. It seems to have been running nvtv. What the heck is going on? Is this a known issue with nvtv that it can give you a blue screen with sound?

thanks again.

shplad

Xsecrets wrote:
you did say that it ran when you tried it as root right? well run it as root and see what settings work. then you know what settings you need.
Author:  Xsecrets [ Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:45 pm ]
Post subject: 
I never had a problem with nvtv, but that was ages ago when I had a gf2 in there. Did you ever say what vid card you have? If it's gf4 or newer you can control it with the overscan option in the XF86Config-4 file and nvidia-settings. As far as how to reduce the size of the screen it should be very obvious how to do that when you run nvtv. it has things like big small etc at least it did the last time I ran it.
Author:  shplad [ Tue Jun 21, 2005 4:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
It's in my .sig . Currently, a Quadro2 Pro, but that's about to change. I just inherited a newer nvidia card. No wonder I only have partial control in nvtv, my card is a GF2 -based card.

What about the lilo error I made. Is that serious? Can I undo that?

shplad


Xsecrets wrote:
I never had a problem with nvtv, but that was ages ago when I had a gf2 in there. Did you ever say what vid card you have? If it's gf4 or newer you can control it with the overscan option in the XF86Config-4 file and nvidia-settings. As far as how to reduce the size of the screen it should be very obvious how to do that when you run nvtv. it has things like big small etc at least it did the last time I ran it.
Author:  Xsecrets [ Tue Jun 21, 2005 4:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
not really sure about the lilo error never made that mistake myself.
Author:  shplad [ Wed Jun 22, 2005 4:57 pm ]
Post subject: 
Xsecrets:

This is driving me friggin nuts. Just one problem after another. I'm amazed at how
some folks manage to get almost everything working out of the box, and I've been working
on this machine for weeks. <Rant over>.

Okay, I managed to get to the point where I can change resolutions on the fly using
the nvtv GUI. However, selecting various resolutions sometimes causes Myth to show
a blue screen with sound instead of video. It's inconsistent too-I can't find any reliable
parttern after hours and hours of playing with it. The X screen seems to be okay, but
video sometimes comes up as blue screen. (Myth interface still shows up though when you first start
Myth or press ESC from trying to watch video.)

You recommended I experiment with different modes, then calculate a modeline. So I
went to [url]xtiming.sourceforge.net[/url] and tried to plug in some values based on what
seemed to be the best resolution. So far, 720x480 seems to fit the screen almost perfectly
(much to my pleasant surprise). I tried plugging the numbers I did know into that utility:

Horiz. res: 720
Vert. res: 480
Refresh : 60 (or 59.94?)
Aspect Ratio: Constrained to 4:3 (Is this right?)

However, every time I try to calculate a modeline, it calculates results of resolution 640x480
or 720x540. Now I tried both of these using the nvtv GUI. VGA res is way too small,
and 720x540 just gives a wild pattern on the screen, which to me indicates it's wrong. Should I
just go ahead and enter these as my modelines anyways? Will it come out correctly as a
hard-coded modeline, as opposed to entered in the GUI?

Another thing that happens when I run the nvtv is sometimes, after selecting a different
modeline/resolution, the cursor disappears from the screen. Can this be fixed?

As for my inability to run nvtv when logged on as mythtv, I saw a post somewhere else
here about changing the suid bit. I didn't know whether that was a good idea here, though.
What are the proper permissions for nvtv? Should I be playing with the suid bit, as a newbie?

What am I doing wrong here? Why is this so difficult?

Thanks
Author:  ceenvee703 [ Wed Jun 22, 2005 5:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
Starting out is frustrating, especially for people who are Linux beginners. Don't hesitate to just start from scratch and reinstall, taking copious notes along the way. Sometimes it's best to just start with a clean slate.

I can try to answer some of your questions, and I'm sure Xsecrets can answer the rest:

I'm pretty sure your TV out wants a 4:3 aspect ratio (in square computer-style pixels) for its modeline. So that means 640x480 or 800x600. 720x480 is the right pixel dimensions for full-resolution TV recordings, but that's because TV pixels are not square like computer pixels are. In fact, you can record at 352x480 and it'll still look fine, both via MythTV and when burned to DVD.

Also, as far as getting it working out of the box... the path of least resistance is always easiest. Check the Tier 1 Hardware Database for equipment that works, then get it up and working with a computer monitor first. THEN start worrying about things like TV out, additional LIRC instances, etc. I notice you've got a SATA drive. I've specifically avoided them strictly because the experience is definitely not "out of the box."
Author:  shplad [ Wed Jun 22, 2005 6:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
ceenvee:

I appreciate the ideas. Actually, I do already have the monitor displaying a flawless picture,
just not the TV. Perhaps I should have mentioned that in my post. :-)

Anyways, TV-OUT and lirc are the last major obstacles. The thing is, I only documented some
of the steps I took during initial install, so reinstalling is not something I'm interested in right now
except as last resort. I'm not sure reinstalling will help if nvtv or my vidcard has inherent
bugs or incompatibilities. As for my hardware, I tried very hard to choose gear that was
on the Tier 1 compatibility level, except for my vidcard (1.5ish) and HD. Aside from the
initial SATA issue (resolved), all hardware was hand-picked for compatibility, even
the vidcard. I am, however, regretting that vidcard decision more and more. I may soon
inherit a 6600-series card in a week or three, but until I do...
Sorry if I sound defensive here, no offense meant, it's just I've already installed KnoppMyth
about 8 times, and most major functions are working quite well, just not TV-OUT and lirc.
(Even that's partly working).

shplad

Hmmm...I see, so since 720x480 res. would be 3:2 and not 4:3, the Xtiming (sourceforge)
modeline calculator just switches to the next closest 4:3 resolution? Should I just
go back to that Xtiming calculator on sourceforge and try again without the 4:3 constraint?
Would that give me a decent modeline? 720x480 does seem to look almost perfect
on my TV screen in Myth (when nvtv allows it, that is.) Even the colour barely needs adjustment.

shplad


ceenvee703 wrote:
Starting out is frustrating, especially for people who are Linux beginners. Don't hesitate to just start from scratch and reinstall, taking copious notes along the way. Sometimes it's best to just start with a clean slate.

I can try to answer some of your questions, and I'm sure Xsecrets can answer the rest:

I'm pretty sure your TV out wants a 4:3 aspect ratio (in square computer-style pixels) for its modeline. So that means 640x480 or 800x600. 720x480 is the right pixel dimensions for full-resolution TV recordings, but that's because TV pixels are not square like computer pixels are. In fact, you can record at 352x480 and it'll still look fine, both via MythTV and when burned to DVD.

Also, as far as getting it working out of the box... the path of least resistance is always easiest. Check the Tier 1 Hardware Database for equipment that works, then get it up and working with a computer monitor first. THEN start worrying about things like TV out, additional LIRC instances, etc. I notice you've got a SATA drive. I've specifically avoided them strictly because the experience is definitely not "out of the box."
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