Problems with screen (jvc lcd tv and gforce 8500)

**Saintj** · June 12th, 2008

Hey everybody well i installed ubuntu a lil while ago everything installed perfectly except for my video drivers.

I'm using it as a mediacenter so its directly connected to my TV (Jvc LT-32X70BU and i'm using a Nvidia geforce 8500) but for some reason wen i don't install the drivers i get big grey bars around my screen and wen i do install the drivers parts of the screen fall outside of it (like i can't reach my menu, stuff like that).

I tryed installing the drivers manually and i tryed using envyNG but didn't make any difference (tryed removing the drivers and did it again a couple of times.

I tryed reconfiging xorg but that just lets me config a keyboard and then gives me a error (wich seems to be common from what i read on the board).

I tryed changing the screen in the screen and resolution thing into different things (its on plugnplay screen by default) but that just makes it worse, if i reboot it starts acting up with big green lines and telling me its working in low quality mode or atleast it should say that but the window is only partially visible (the rest is somewere under the tv).

Hope somebody has any clue what to do about it, really love the rest of the distro

**aeiah** · June 12th, 2008

when you installed the drivers and everything looked ok except the menu panel etc were off the screen, this was the drivers working properly.

televisions (even LCDs and HD LCDs) use overscanning. on most of them its the only option available, which kinda sucks. there are ways around it and i have mine set up ok now. i have an nvidia 7800gt plugged via DVI to HDMI. the actual on screen resolution i get is something like 1240x695 instead of 1280x720 because of the overscanning. (its only a 720p television). is yours HD? what input are you using? compisite, hdmi, dvi, vga?

im using gutsy, not hardy. if you're using hardy then the nvidia control panel might be newer and you may be able to change these things within it. i can under windows, but in linux i had to use a custom modeline i aquired using pstrip in windows and add that into my xorg.conf.

since you cant see your menu bar you might want to use alt+F2 to launch your programs. have a look in nvidia-settings and see if you have any overscanning options. if not, you may have to go down the xorg editing route. hopefully you have windows on hand, since the powerstrip method is easier than calculating a modeline yourself.

**Saintj** · June 12th, 2008

Well first of all thnx for the info so far, yeah the tv is hd and i'm using a normal svideo that's jacked into a scart cable to the tv.

Well i am using hardy and i did look thru the control panel but didn't really see any scaling options or anything about overscanning really (that's why i started fooling around with the screen and graphics option things wich ended up in disaster lol)

And uhm that pstrip i still got a dual boot so i can use that but i seriously have no clue what i should do with it then and what i should fill in in the xorg afterwards (i'm still kinda stuck between total noob and normal user if it comes to linux) do you think you could like tell me what to do exactly?

**Saintj** · June 12th, 2008

this is my full xorg.conf file:

# 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.
#
# 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 "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
Option "UseFBDev" "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

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

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
EndSection

**Saintj** · June 13th, 2008

Well i tryed manually changing my xorg a bit but i just can't get it right, parts of my screen keep getting cut off.... doesen't anybody know what i can do with this

This is my Xorg now:

# 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.
#
# 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 "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device[0]"
Driver "nvidia"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
screen 0
EndSection

Section "Device"
Driver "nvidia"
Identifier "Device[0]"
Screen 1
Option "TVOutFormat" "SVIDEO"
Option "TVStandard" "PAL-G"
Option "ConnectedMonitor" "Monitor[0]"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor[0]"
HorizSync 30-50
VertRefresh 60
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen[0]"
Device "Device[0]"
Monitor "Monitor[0]"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Device "Device[0]"
Identifier "Screen[0]"
Monitor "Monitor[0]"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768_60"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Simple Layout"
Screen 0 "Screen[0]"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection