So I tried to use the Gatos drivers and I was having problems in using the tv-out on my 9200SE, but I was advised to check out what was being incorporated in the latest version of the drivers for X.org.

Rather than downloading that and rebuilding it, I opted to try for ATI's just released linux drivers. Here is a short rundown of what you need to install it. It is so much easier than trying to use the Gatos drivers.

1. Download ATI's linux drivers from http://www.ati.com/ Choose XFree86 4.3 if you are using R4V5, or run their Check.sh script to determine what you need.

2. Execute:
apt-get update
apt-get install alien
alien -d [driver file name]

This converts the rpm file into a file debian can install.

3. Install:
dpkg -i --force-overwrite [driver file name].deb

--force-overwrite is needed if you get an error saying that another package needs a file. Warning, I haven't fully tested this to see if this is causing the problem I'm seeing.

4. Run the fglrxconfig utility to configure the driver
* Answer the questions as prompted
* When asked to generate an XF86Config-4 file, answer y

5. Restart and log into X-Windows

6. Run fglrxinfo to verify the driver is installed correctly

If the output reads OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc. then your ATI drivers are installed and configured correctly.

Otherwise, if fglrxinfo indicates that MESA Indirect (software) Rendering is being used, then you may want to repeat the steps listed above, while paying careful attention to the following:

* Any error messages during install (see ATI's website for more info)
* All answers given during fglrxconfig

I had everything working, but then I started playing with the answers I gave in the config program, and all I'm getting is a blue screen when I try to play back a video. I should have left it alone when I had it right the first time

I'm also seeing playback lag when it was working, but I was seeing that before and I thought it was because I didn't have xv working properly. Now it is installed properly, so I think it may be something else wrong in my system. If anyone else has an ATI Radeon card and wants to try out their tv-out with these drivers that were just released yesterday, let me know how it goes for you.

I do not have the same hardware (I have 9100 IGP on Pundit-R) but I may have the same problem. Previously I had 3.14.6 installed and now tested the new 8.8.25-1 version. With both I only get like 4 full-width noizy screens above eachother (which may force your screen to blue if it thinks it's to much out of range).

It only works correct when it is set to clone mode and:
- with both tv and vga connected
or
- no screen connected during boot (connecting tv after a few seconds)

So it looks like it only works when the pc boots from the vga and switches to tv-out when starting X. I don't know why this is. Maybe the tv-out boot screen has a different resolution that disturbs X tv-out, or the tv-out has problems with switching from text-mode tv-out to X tv-out, or ...

You could try the clone mode and see if you have the same problem.

Yeah, the tough part is finding the correct fglrxconfig settings. From my memory this is what I set to get it to finally work:

Default on everything unless otherwise stated:
tv tuner on
Clone Mode

Monitor settings aren't too important, but I put options 6 and 4.

Mode settings are important for your tv, I set mine to 1024x768 and 800x600 (set to 32) so my tv works fine with 1024x768

After that, I just had to unplug my monitor to get LiveTV and Recordings to play on the tv when I booted, otherwise the xv module will play the video only on the monitor instead of the tv.

I won't have my monitor plugged in normally, just my tv, so everything is working perfectly for me.

No dice on my system with my Radeon 8500LE/128MB with S-Video TV out.

In order to get the ATI proprietary driver to work, I had to manually bash two .sh files in order to get the 'fglrx' module to be created, despite seeing no errors with the 'alien' procedure described in the first message.

Even though the ATI drivers are working now (fglrxinfo reports ATI) there appears to be no combination of configuration options from fglrxconfig that will make the S-Video output come to life. This despite the fact that ATI claims the driver supports the 8500 series of cards.

guruman, sorry, I didn't quite understand what you had to do.

Which two .sh files did you have to modify to create the .deb file? Have you used alien before on other rpm files? Realize that alien is not a part of the ATI drivers, but an extra tool used to convert it to work on KnoppMyth's linux distribution.

The only option that controls S-video output is the third or fourth question into the configuration program that asks you if you want tv-out support. I'd also recommend putting it into clone mode, and then having at most one monitor connected besides a tv, just for testing purposes. No other option has to be changed (the default resolution is fine).

I am aware of the fact that the alien command merely converts the rpm format into something Debian can deal with.

After converting the rpm file to Debian format, I tried to install the driver with the dpkg instruction that was specified. Starting up X showed me that Mesa was still providing OpenGL. After I shut down X, there was a debug message on the console complaining that the fglrx driver couldn't be found.

'modprobe fglrx' confirmed that the fglrx driver was not created by the dpkg procedure - it couldn't find it either.

I dug into the directories created by the dpkg command and found that there were two shell scripts. I had to execute them in order to get the fglrx module to be created. After this, I started X and found that the driver was now loaded and running.

I still can't get TV out working. I know the card is good as I've used its TV-out capabilities under Windows numerous times in the past.

Knoppmyth R4V5 + ATI Proprietary Driver + ATI Radeon 8500LE 128MB + original card BIOS = TV out working. The card went from totally dead to alive and kicking again. I now must find the correct horizontal and vertical rate settings to keep the picture from having serious horizontal rolling when X starts up (text mode is of course fine).

well for tvout the vert refresh is the important one, and it should be 60hz just 60hz not a range

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Xsecrets

It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the vertical refresh rate.

Specifying 60Hz exactly does absolutely nothing to fix the rolling horizontal lines I get as soon as X starts, and the tiny-text-divided-into-four-panels output I get when I shut X down. The only time the TV out is nice is before X initializes.

<shrug>

well what are you using for your horizontal refresh rates? try 30 - 50
I know these settings work for nvidia, I have no experience with ati, it was only recently that anyone has reported success with ati tvout.

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Xsecrets

BTW, one thing I noticed that if I have a monitor hooked up in addition to the TV, it degrades the TV-out quality (the reds seem to bleed). Booting without the monitor attached (thus only ever allowing TV-out as the display) otherwise gives me superb tv-out quality. This is in clone mode, also.

I just wanted to share that tip if anyone else was noticing color bleeding.

How can I stop gdm/x from autostarting every time I boot up?

I only can get decent-looking text before x starts, meaning every time I want to try a different combination of monitor/TV settings via fglrxconfig I have to disconnect the PC from the TV, take it into another room where my main system and monitor is, boot, tinker, shut down, take it back to the TV, lather rinse repeat.

30-50 kHz horizontal with fixed 60Hz vertical doesn't seem to cooperate with my TVs. Still plugging away at settings.

in /etc/rc5.d you should see a file S??gdm mv S??gdm to K??gdm and gdm will not start on boot. once you have everything set just mv back to the S??gdm and it will start on boot after that.

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

Xsecrets

Why don't you just ssh into the box? I assume your MythTV box is on the network. Google for "putty" for an open source ssh client if you need one to run on Windows.

I haven't run any Cat5 into the TV room yet.

I was able to get XFree86 to stop from loading by renaming /etc/init.d/gdm. Unfortunately I cannot find a fglrxinfo setup that will make the TV-Out work under XFree86. I hope it's not BIOS related - I was only able to find one BIOS file that makes the TV-Out work

I think I'll have to bite the bullet and get a cheap GeForce card since everyone seems to agree that the nVidia TV-Out is much simpler to get working - so much for doing this only out of spare parts...