[mythtv-users] Minor Screen Refresh Visible

C.T. Paterson i.adore.my.64 at gmail.com
Wed Jul 30 12:39:54 UTC 2008


2008/7/30 Petteri Matilainen <pmatil at gmail.com>:
> On 7/30/08, C.T. Paterson <i.adore.my.64 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 2008/7/30 William <william_munson at comcast.net>:
>>> C.T. Paterson wrote:
>>>> I find the problem a little difficult to explain - which is probably
>>>> why I'm finding it hard to google for it.
>>>>
>>>> My video is 98% fine - but there is a bit of a refresh artifact that
>>>> rolls from top to bottom across the screen over a few seconds.  Most
>>>> of the time it is not even noticable, but when the image is static
>>>> (ie. menus) it's more visible.  I have always had this - when I was
>>>> outputting to a CRT, and now on my new LCD TV.
>>>>
>>>> My xorg.conf is attached, and my video card details are below (from
>>>> lshw); although if there was a non-nVidia specific setting I could
>>>> try, I'd be curious to know that, too, as I'm considering pulling the
>>>> card in favour of o/b video for heat and power reasons.
>>>>
>>>>   *-display
>>>>                 description: VGA compatible controller
>>>>                 product: GeForce 8400 GS
>>>>                 vendor: nVidia Corporation
>>>>                 physical id: 0
>>>>                 bus info: pci at 0000:01:00.0
>>>>                 version: a1
>>>>                 width: 64 bits
>>>>                 clock: 33MHz
>>>>                 capabilities: pm msi pciexpress vga_controller
>>>> bus_master cap_list
>>>>                 configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0 module=nvidia
>>>>
>>>> Am I making any sense to anyone?  ;>
>>>>
>>>> Cheers.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> It sounds like it may be a power supply issue. Pull that video card and
>>> try the internal video.
>>
>> Power, really?  I have no reason to disbelieve you - my 300W PSU does
>> seem to have to strain (I was having a lot of crash problems until I
>> made one of the internal drives an external drive with its own power);
>> I'm just surprised that I would see that kind of effect.
>>
>> I had some time this a.m., so I've pulled the nvidia card out in
>> favour of the o/b intel G33.  The refresh lines or screen shear or
>> whatever it was is gone.
>>
>> I know have a couple of new minor irritants - but I'll take that to
>> another thread.
>>
>> Thanks all.
>>
>> Cheers.
>>
>> --
>> "My country is the world, and my religion is to do good."
>>  -- Thomas Paine
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>>
>
> I have the same problem, and I doubt it's because the power supply. I
> have a 400 W PSU, GF FX5600XT AGP graphics card, and Athlon 64 3500+
> CPU. The lines appear only on TV, which is connected to my PC via
> VGA->SCART adapter cable. Do I need to modify the xorg.conf modeline?
> Any help is greatly appreciated.

My experience does not suggest I had a modeline problem - but it's
possible.  Where did you get yours from?  I've got an LCD HDTV, and
some of them are known to supply incorrect modelines to Xorg (google
for a "UseEDID" xorg option).  Mine appeared to be one of them, so I
obtained mine by running "gtf" on the command line, and used the
generated modeline in my xorg.conf.

Now, before I had this LCD, I had a regular CRT TV for which I didn't
use any crafted modelines (just regular low rez), and I still had the
refresh/shear, I described above.

It may not have been power, in my case - but it looks like it.
Different TVs with different modes manifested the problem.  I have
only dispatched it by removing my video card and using the o/b
instead, and my PSU was known to be dancing on the edge of its
ability.

(By the way, kids, beware of HTPC cases with included PSUs - they
might be microATX supplies instead of ATX supplies - and it's near
impossible to find any replacement microATX PSUs with any juice.)

This also leaves open the possibility that the card itself was
pooched.  I don't readily have another system I can test it in - but
I'll see if I can find one.

Cheers.

-- 
"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good."
 -- Thomas Paine


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