[mythtv-users] Recommended graphics card with tv-out?

[Joe V]

Jeff,

Thanks for the info.

I checked my TV, looked up the manual, and did a
Google search.  There's no "service menu" where I can
set overscan settings.  You'd figure for a 32" TV,
that there would be something there.  Oh well. 
There's no way to adjust the TV picture size, only the
colors.

I'll get something working...  But, it sounds like the
GeForce4 might be worth investigating, especially if
it doesn't involve a series of convoluted fbset, and
it's probably a bit cheaper (or at least same price)
as a hardware scan converter.

-- Joe

--- Jeff Williams <JeffW at rockstargames.com> wrote:
> Joe - I have probably in general the same video card
> as Mark (mine's Chaintech, but also a GeForce
> 4MX440SE, with the nVidia TV out chip).  I also have
> experience trying to get the Matrox G400 to work,
> and sold that partially because it was just a pain
> to use and partially because I could not set the
> overscan properly without distorting the output from
> the G400 (I got visible diagonal banding across the
> picture).
> 
> You generally want your TV to overscan a bit but
> it's probably best not to have your card overscan by
> quite the same amount - that way you'll get the most
> picture from the TV signal without the distortion
> that a non-overscanning NTSC TV will give you.
> 
> I set my TV to overscan by about 1/2" (I'm about as
> scientific as you) in the service menu of my 27"
> set.  By default, any graphics card I try with this
> level of TV overscan gives me borders of about 2
> inches on all sides.  Obviously, that's a lot for
> any card to compensate for.  If you have a service
> menu on your TV, you could probably set the TV to
> overscan *more*, which would allow you to set the
> graphics card to overscan less and therefore
> probably wouldn't run into the problem I had with
> the G400.  You can basically adjust your TV set to
> your graphics card rather than the other way around
> - provided you have a service menu that you can
> access (check Google for your model number).
> 
> With the Matrox card I was manually able to adjust
> the overscan of each side of the picture, though
> this was a time-consuming and laborious process and
> when I finally did get things to a point where I was
> happy with the overscan level, I had the
> aforementioned banding issue.
> 
> With the GeForce 4, it's much, much simpler. 
> Everything is basically automatic.  Install the
> driver, which involves typing one command at the
> bash prompt, then make a few changes to your
> XF86Config.  That's it, and TV out will be working
> even before booting into X, so you can disconnect
> your monitor completely.  Overscan is set with one
> simple command in XF86Config.  There is a 10 level
> range to set the overscan, with decimal settings
> from 0 to 1.0.  It does not give you the level of
> configurability that the framebuffer device using
> the G400 does (you can't adjust each side
> individually) but for most people this won't be an
> issue, and if you have an accessible TV service menu
> it definitely won't be (since you can adjust the
> picture centering that way).
> 
> I have my overscan set to 0.7 and I can see my
> entire desktop that way, with the exception of maybe
> 3-4 pixels on the sides and bottom.  The top is
> actually underscanned by a pixel or two but I can
> easily fix that in my TV service menu.  If I went to
> the next level of overscan in the card drivers, the
> entire picture is overscanned but a little too much
> for my liking.  Probably not more than most TV's are
> by default, though.
> 
> I would definitely recommend a GeForce 4 card over
> the G400, if you can afford one (they're cheap as
> graphics cards go, but I understand you're looking
> for work right now).  One other thing to consider,
> though, is the different TV chips in GeForce 4
> cards.  There are three that I know of, and I'm not
> sure which is best.  I have the nVidia chip in my
> card, and it's great.  Another GeForce 4 I have (in
> my main PC) has a Philips chip, though, and it's a
> bit wonky on the TV output until you actually get
> into X.
> 
> Jeff
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Joe V [mailto:joevph at yahoo.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 2:35 PM
> > To: Discussion about mythtv
> > Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Recommended graphics
> card with tv-out?
> > 
> > 
> > Mark,
> > 
> > In my quest to find the best TV Out picture, as
> I'm
> > sure you know, I'm exploring different options (I
> > know, I'm beating a dead horse here).  My goal is
> to
> > have the picture scale on my TV set, as close to
> as
> > well as my TV displays the incoming cable signal
> (I
> > hate borders).  If a GeForce4 card will do that,
> I'd
> > be willing to get one (as either a little treat,
> or
> > once I get myself a job, depending on the price).
> > 
> > Anyway, I was wondering how small you can shrink
> the
> > borders to without losing any of the picture (it
> seems
> > that the binary nVidia drivers are half-decent for
> > that, so I'm hearing on the list).  Here's what
> I've
> > measured with a ruler (yeah, I know, not quite
> > scientific):
> > Normal TV: 1/4" border left, right, bottom, 1/8"
> top
> > G400 TV Out:: 1 1/4" left, 1/2" right, 1/2" top,
> 1/8"
> > bottom.
> > 
> > I think that the normal TV borders are a
> restriction
> > of the TV, where's the G400 borders are a
> restriction
> > of both the TV and the video card.  Up close, the
> G400
> > border matches the color of the TV border, or so
> it
> > seems.
> > 
> > I was wondering, could you tell me the best you've
> > managed to get with your card (should be similar
> > across most nVidia cards, assuming they use the
> same
> > TV Out chip)?  Muchly appreciated.
> > 
> > Anybody else with scan converters or other setups
> that
> > they have working properly are more than invitied
> to
> > chip in.
> > 
> > Thanks,
> > Joe
> > 
> > --- Mark <fairlane at voyager.net> wrote:
> > > I put a disclaimer in the first sentence.  "If
> your
> > > time is worth 
> > > something to you.... "
> > > If you are unemployed, your time is worth
> something
> > > less than it was, no?
> > > 
> > > Joe V wrote:
> > > 
> > > >Mark,
> > > >
> > > >Like I said, at the moment, I'm currently
> > > unemployed,
> > > >and have been so for the last two months. 
> Spending
> > > an
> > > >extra $45 to get a MythTV box working is not an
> > > option
> > > >for me right now, considering that I live in
> > > >California, and $45 is about 5% of my monthly
> rent.
> > > >
> > > >At the moment, I'm trying to build a MythTV box
> out
> > > of
> > > >parts that I have lying around my apartment.  I
> > > tend
> > > >to upgrade a fair amount, so I typically have
> parts
> > > >lying around.
> > > >
> > > >In addition, should I get this working (which I
> > > think
> > > >I might be able to), it might save some people
> $45
> > > (if
> > > >they, like me, have an older Radeon card lying
> > > >around), which they can use to offset the cost
> of a
> > > >hardware MPEG encoder or something.
> > > >
> > > >I figure there'e no harm in trying.  I'll be
> buying
> > > a
> > > >new box to run MythTV on anyway (since I'm
> finding
> > > my
> > > >Athlon 1.4 to be a bit sluggish), but I figure
> that
> > > if
> > > >I can reuse some of the other hardware, then I
> > > don't
> > > >have to spend as much money.  Worst case
> scenario,
> > > I
> 
=== message truncated ===


__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com