nvidia-settings and PAL TV-out

[onemanclapping]

hi!

I'm portuguese, so my TV is PAL, not NTSC. I've searched this forum and other linux help foruns and it seems that nvidia-settings is not compatible with PAL, but the output can be done editing the "xorg" file.

I know this file contains information for the drivers to know how to manage the displays connected to the graphics card, but I've no idea how can I edit it so the card will output PAL through it's TV-out (S-Video).

When working on windows, this is easily done! Damn nvidia!

If you can help me editing the file, thanks in advance!

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings:  version 1.0  (buildd@crested)  Mon Nov  3 08:46:04 UTC 2008

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# Note that some configuration settings that could be done previously
# in this file, now are automatically configured by the server and settings
# here are ignored.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    Screen      1  "Screen1" 1280 0
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load           "glx"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"

# Removed Option "Xinerama" "1"
# Removed Option "Xinerama" "0"
    Option         "Xinerama" "1"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "CMO"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 75.0
    VertRefresh     60.0
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor1"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "TV-0"
    HorizSync       28.0 - 55.0
    VertRefresh     43.0 - 72.0
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Configured Video Device"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    Option         "NoLogo" "True"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 8600M GS"
    BusID          "PCI:1:0:0"
    Screen          0
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device1"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 8600M GS"
    BusID          "PCI:1:0:0"
    Screen          1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Default Screen"
    Device         "Configured Video Device"
    Monitor        "Configured Monitor"
    DefaultDepth    24
EndSection

Section "Screen"

# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP: 1280x800_60 +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP: nvidia-auto-select +0+0; DFP: 1280x800_60 +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "CRT: 1680x1050 +0+0; CRT: 1024x768 +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "1280x800 +0+0"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "CRT-0"
    Option         "TwinView" "0"
    Option         "metamodes" "DFP: 1280x800 +0+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"

# Removed Option "metamodes" "TV: 800x600 +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "TV: 1024x768 +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "TV: 800x600 +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "TV: 1024x768 +0+0"
    Identifier     "Screen1"
    Device         "Device1"
    Monitor        "Monitor1"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "TwinView" "0"
    Option         "metamodes" "TV: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

[wackston]

Hmmm... your configuration is a bit "confused". You've got stuff for driving both outputs via X's Xinerama feature (i.e. X server driving multiple display devices each with seperate driver instances) mixed up with stuff for Twinview (the nvidia driver driver handling two outputs and pretending they're a single display device to the X server).

My advice: use nvidia-settings to use twinview to drive display+TV-Out from scratch (do not use xinerama unless you know enough to know you need it ). If nvidia-settings GUI doesn't support setting the TV standard (ages since I used it) ... no problem you can fine-tune that later (see below) once nvidia-settings has given you the basics. For TV-Out choosing nvidia-auto-select as your TV-Out mode should work fine. The nvidia driver has modes that support TV-Out hard-wired in. No need to define them by hand for normal usage.

Fine tuning

Edit the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file's Screen section (there should be only one if you're using Twinview!) to add the necessary options:

Option "TVStandard" "PAL-B"

Sets the video encoding standard for Portugal.

Option "TVOutFormat" "SVIDEO" (or "SCART" or "COMPOSITE")

Sets the interconnect connection standard.

The nvdia drivers features and the options it understands are pretty well documented by nvidia. See the file /usr/share/doc/nvidia-glx-new/README.txt.gz

(if you installed the driver via NVIDIA's installer the matching file is /usr/share/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0/README.txt).

Good luck... feel free to respond if you're still stuck.

-Andrew

[onemanclapping]

Hmmm... your configuration is a bit "confused". You've got stuff for driving both outputs via X's Xinerama feature (i.e. X server driving multiple display devices each with seperate driver instances) mixed up with stuff for Twinview (the nvidia driver driver handling two outputs and pretending they're a single display device to the X server).

My advice: use nvidia-settings to use twinview to drive display+TV-Out from scratch (do not use xinerama unless you know enough to know you need it ). If nvidia-settings GUI doesn't support setting the TV standard (ages since I used it) ... no problem you can fine-tune that later (see below) once nvidia-settings has given you the basics. For TV-Out choosing nvidia-auto-select as your TV-Out mode should work fine. The nvidia driver has modes that support TV-Out hard-wired in. No need to define them by hand for normal usage.

Fine tuning

Edit the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file's Screen section (there should be only one if you're using Twinview!) to add the necessary options:

Option "TVStandard" "PAL-B"

Sets the video encoding standard for Portugal.

Option "TVOutFormat" "SVIDEO" (or "SCART" or "COMPOSITE")

Sets the interconnect connection standard.

The nvdia drivers features and the options it understands are pretty well documented by nvidia. See the file /usr/share/doc/nvidia-glx-new/README.txt.gz

(if you installed the driver via NVIDIA's installer the matching file is /usr/share/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0/README.txt).

Good luck... feel free to respond if you're still stuck.

-Andrew

just added "Option "TVStandard" "PAL-B"" and it's now working great

thank you!