Linux HOW-TO setup XBMC and Linux with correct resolution (xorg.conf)

How foes this work for correcting overscan? Would I, instead of setting 1920X1080 set 1824X1026 instead? This setting gives me zero overscan under the Nvidia Windows drivers.

Kryspy

Chambers Wrote:Does this fix the problem if the Ubuntu desktop goes off the screen? What I mean is that that top and bottom bars aren't visible because the system thinks my viewing area is larger than what it is. I basically have to take my mouse and move it up and guess where the menu is (for gnome). Just wondering it this will fix that?

This is called overscan - it'll normally be an option on your TV (look for thing called Zoom or Overscan and disable them)


motd

First I would like to thank you for posting this how to since the other guides out there is alot more complicated. Now to my problems:

I have a 1080p screen but I can't find any 1920 x 1080 mode that is valid. What do I do? Modelines is my only hope to get 24p working.

The EDID gives me weird shit like: @25Hz and @30Hz, but no @24Hz. The weirdest thing is that my manual says it only supports these modes:


Anyone who knows what the difference between video formats and computer formats is? Obviously it doesn't seem to be any, because right now I run in either @50Hz or @60Hz.


Heres my xlog:
http://paste.ubuntu.com/273674/

My tv is a Sharp LC-42SB55S LCD TV.

[STRIKE]Mmm, I tried this, and maybe I'm doing something wrong, but it would work out.

I can't kill X with CTRL-C. Maybe since I'm running XBMC in a separate session next to full Ubuntu Desktop so I tried what W4rr10r suggested.

But every time I try to start X again I get:

"X: user not authorized to run the X server, aborting."

In my log.

Any ideas?[/STRIKE]

Nevermind W4rr10r post does work but you have to use local shell instead of putty remote.

I have a valid log now but there aren't any valif 1920x1080 modes available!! I used the values from somewhere right under my TV listing. Something that looked like:

I used these settings and calibrated the screen. I do got working 24p but everything is in 24Hz now including the menu!
When I try to start a PAL DVD ISO but it's played in 50Hz with horrific motion judder.

Thanks a lot for the guide!

I had to add the following under Section "Screen" in xorg.conf.


I also had to remove my guisettings.xml (in userdata folder) to get correct identification of the different modes.

My first post here... so be gentle . Also I'm almost a complete newbie in both Linux and the HTPC business and English's not my native language, so please speak slowly and use small words - I'll need detailed explanation for everything.

I'm having some problems with my HTPC running Ubuntu 9.04 updated as of today and XBMC 9.04 on an Nvidia 8300 based motherboard. The biggest of them all (and rather recent) is that on random occasions, i lose all audio and video. All the while whatever I'm watching keeps playing - sometimes the picture and sound returns after a few seconds and it's easy to tell it kept running. Other times it wont return and my Philips LCD would complain of an "Unsupported Video Format".

Googling a bit, I discovered it's a known issue with Philips TVs and Nvidia's graphic cards, apparently there's some problem with the EDID between the two. More details here:
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=71391&st=0

There's also a solution: forgo the EDID and set the resolution manually. But the instructions are for Windows... But hey, haven't I saw a thread on just that issue a few days ago on the XBMC board?

I tried following the instructions here, but most modes did not show "Mode is valid" anywhere in the log file. I get thing like:
or
or even

And these are all modes that are supposed to be valid according to the TV's manual, in fact I'm using one of them right now! I got no 720p mode as valid, for example, and that's how I use XBMC most of the time.

Ant clues on how I should proceed?

Thanks.

Tried

Quote:Option "UseEdid" "FALSE"

in xorg.conf?

The readme for the nvidia driver has a lot of info on different settings for xorg.conf

Nope, I had no idea there was such an option. Nor did I know of the driver's readme file - as I said, I'm a newbie.

One thing I'm not sure of: should I use the 'UseEdid' instead of the procedure described in the OP or as part of it?

Use it as an addition to the other options.

I own a Samsung 55" LED TV (UE557070). Native mode for this TV is 1920*1080*60hz. However, in the XBMC live setup menu, there is no option for 1920*1080*60hz. The "best" option is 1920*1080*50hz.

I am totally n00b when it comes to XBMC live. I am also a n00b regarding how refresh rates affects picture quality.

My question is: Will running at 1920*1080*50hz (instead of 60hz) negatively impact the picture quality? I have heard that the optimal refresh rate for HD material is 24hz. Is this true? Will the optimal refresh rate always be used if I select the Auto setting?