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

I remembered that my Samsung TV, in the setup menu, has a JUST SCAN setting that cleared up all of the viewing issues that I had with my desktop on screen. Perhaps your monitor/TV has a similar setting. No messing around with any command line drama or driver manipulations on my setup now.

I have a Toshiba Regza 1080p 32" LCD and have an Acer Revo 3610 with XBMC Live 9.0.4 but the highest setting it shows is 1080i... is there something I'm doing wrong?

I have posted a new message in the Linux thread before I found this one.... Seems to be on the right track for a solution. I am not a linux buff, although I am comfortable poking around and changing things. It has never works so it is not like I will be loosing anything if I need to do a quick re-install.

Anyways, I have Acer X3200 with onboard Nvidia 8200 graphics. This is connected to an LG 42LC7D... When I install Live, I get dropped signals that cuts in and out as soon as I start going into any of the menus or trying to play any video.

I have worked through the tutorial, but have a problem with the results in the xlog.txt. I get no "Mode is Valid" for anything above 640x480.

TV is capable of 720p and 1080i. From what I read 1366x768@47 is the setting I am after.

With no config changes, the xlog.txt reports
Unable to validate any modes; falling back to the default mode
"nvidia-auto-select"

The auto select goes to 1366x768@60Hz. This appears to be the problem in that I think it is over driving the TV.

Any suggestions on how to get this working? For the record I get the same thing with Windows Vista and with Windows 7. It sticks to 60Hz, cuts in and out.

Any help would be greatfully appreciated! If you fix this for me I would even buy beers..

Thanks in advance,

Mike

Any experts on this stuff live around Oshawa Ont? I will glad buy beer/food or provide small sums of cash for assistance :-)

Been fighting with this for a few nights now and getting nowhere... Highest res I can get to work without tv blanking out is 640x480... At this rate I might as well bring my Xbox back out of the closet and use it... Ugh!

Anyways, I have been hacking around the xlog.txt file but unable to get any modelines that work.... By adding

Quote:Option "UseEDIDFreqs" "FALSE"
Option "UseEDIDDpi" "FALSE"

I can get the following mode

Quote:(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): Validating Mode "1360x768":
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): 1360 x 768 @ 60 Hz
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): Mode Source: EDID
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): Pixel Clock : 85.50 MHz
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): HRes, HSyncStart : 1360, 1424
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): HSyncEnd, HTotal : 1536, 1792
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): VRes, VSyncStart : 768, 771
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): VSyncEnd, VTotal : 777, 795
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): H/V Polarity : +/+
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): HorizSync (47.7 kHz) out of range (28.000-33.000 kHz);
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): however, ignoring HorizSync check for DFP frontend
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): mode validation
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): Mode (1360 x 768) is too large for DFP Native Resolution
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): (Max: 720 x 480); mode will not be allowed to scale to
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): the DFP's native resolution.
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(GPU-0): BestFit Scaled and BestFit AspectScaled are identical;
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(GPU-0): collapsing BestFit AspectScaled.
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(GPU-0): BestFit Centered and BestFit Scaled are identical;
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(GPU-0): collapsing BestFit Scaled.
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(GPU-0): BestFit Centered 1360x768
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(GPU-0): Horizontal Taps 0
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(GPU-0): Vertical Taps 0
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(GPU-0): Base SuperSample 1
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(GPU-0): Base Depth 32
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(GPU-0): Distributed Rendering 1
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(GPU-0): Overlay Depth 32
(II) Dec 04 22:26:37 NVIDIA(0): Mode is valid.

I have created and tested the modeline for this with the same results of cutting out intermittently..


I guess I should add that the PC is connected to the TV via HDMI. I have not tried DVI or VGA, but would rather not do to limitations of each (no audio and lower quality).

Again any assitance on this is GREATLY appreciated.. I will gladly paypal $20 to someone if they come up with a winning modeline.

At this point I am willing to try most anything. If I cook the TV it gives me an excuse to buy a new one, not that I have the cash for that, but that is what credit is for ;-)

Cheers all and thanks for reading.

Mike

I just wanted to say thanks for this thread guys. I recently upgraded to a Panasonic 65" Plasma (TC - P65V10) and there is a bug in the way it receives EDID audio information from the Nvidia cards that causes my analog audio to cut out. I had previously used the Option "UseEDID" "FALSE" line in xorg.conf to get the tv to keep using analog audio but this caused me to lose the 60hz/24hz video switching capability. Using this thread I was able to define the 60hz and the 24hz 1080p modes and still disable the EDID option to solve the audio problem. Now 60/24 switching works great and my audio still works.

THANKS!!

I have an Acer Revo with Vista which boots into Ubuntu on an SD card, which is connected to an Atec Full HD tv with an HDMI cable. In windows I could always get 1920x1080 to work using the nvidia control panel to adjust for overscan but ubuntu with xbmc would only get 640x480. I firstly tried all the explanations in this thread and others on the forum but they rely on the tv properly reporting EDID codes which my cheap ATEC display won't do. The working xorg.conf for my setup is:

One important thing to remember is that "UseEdid" "FALSE" disables sound over HDMI.

thanks managed to use this to set up my samsung LE40R620. Worth mentioning to plug the TV direct to the PC when setting this up. I had it plugged into my TV via my amp and it caused no end of problems.

Finally managed to get my xorg.conf to work really good.
This is for the asrock 330 with a pioneer kuro plasma conncted via hdmi and resolution running at 1920x1080. 24p, 50p and 60p working perfectly and all jitter is gone.
Posting this in case it can help other people

Quote:Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "Unknown"
HorizSync 15 - 69
VertRefresh 23 - 61
ModeLine "1920x1080@24" 148.50 1920 2558 2602 2750 1080 1084 1089 1125 +hsync +vsync
ModeLine "1920x1080@50" 148.50 1920 2448 2492 2640 1080 1084 1089 1125 +hsync +vsync
ModeLine "1920x1080@60" 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1125 +hsync +vsync
Option "ExactModeTimingsDVI" "TRUE"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
Option "ModeValidation" "NoEdidModes"
Option "UseEDIDFreqs" "FALSE"
Option "HWCursor" "False"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "NoLogo" "True"
Option "TwinView" "0"
Option "DynamicTwinView" "False"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1920x1080@60" "1920x1080@50" "1920x1080@24"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection

i am looking at buying an acer revo soon have had a look at xbmc live, very impressed, but would also like to be be able to use xbmc and use linux as normal OS.

as i said before totally new to this, so all suggestion would be most helpfull and greatly appreciateed.

question being how set up linux as OS and also be able to XBMC when i need to.?


many thanks

Hi,

Im following the guide but having problems with reading the EDID information of my TV-


here is my xlog.txt - http://www.mediafire.com/?0ytmgw3mmjd

Im running a Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80B connected directly via VGA cable


How can I got about setting the resolution properly? XBMC doesnt look so great @640x480