[mythtv-users] Will these machines give me xorg headaches?

[Damian]

On 07/07/2012 00:13, Nick Rout wrote:
> On Sat, Jul 7, 2012 at 1:24 AM, Damian <myth at surr.co.uk> wrote:
>> On 06/07/2012 07:25, Karl Newman wrote:
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jul 5, 2012 at 3:59 PM, Damian <myth at surr.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hello all,
>>>>
>>>> I'm planning on replacing an old MythBox and 'always on' LAN server with
>>>> one
>>>> of the selection here:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.mediacenter-tv.co.uk/slim-line-media-centres.html
>>>>
>>>> The thing I'm worried about is the graphics output and if I'll be able to
>>>> configure it.
>>>>
>>>> I have an old BenQ W100 projector which has a native resolution of 480p.
>>>> Yes, I know that's rubbish, and I'll get HD when it dies, but it's
>>>> perfectly
>>>> adequate for watching SD films until then.
>>>>
>>>> When I first set up the last machine, I had a NIGHTMARE getting a
>>>> workable
>>>> resolution though to the projector. I had a lot of help on this
>>>> newsgroup,
>>>> and after about 2 months of trial and error I got the nVidia drivers
>>>> doing
>>>> what I wanted them to do. They feed a 720p image to the projector, which
>>>> the
>>>> projector can interpret.
>>>>
>>>> These new machines mostly have integratd Intel graphics cards. Is that
>>>> going
>>>> to give me a headache again??
>>>>
>>>> I temporarily have a Windows XP machine plugged into the projector, and
>>>> that
>>>> doesn't know what to make of it. I've not spent time trying to solve it
>>>> as
>>>> it's only there for a short time, but I'm back to the 16:9 ratio being
>>>> ignored and the only options available being 4:3.
>>>>
>>>> If it helps to see how good/bad this problem is, here's a link to the
>>>> xorg.conf file that gets around the problems with my nVidia card and lets
>>>> things display properly:
>>>>
>>>> http://pastebin.com/Eb70dVYV
>>>>
>>>> I'd really appreciate your best guess as to whether those xorg.conf
>>>> changes
>>>> may work with any graphics card, or if they are nVidia dependent.
>>>>
>>>> And while we are on the subject, how does Intel graphics on the
>>>> motherboard
>>>> compare to nVidia's for MythTV use?
>>>>
>>>> Looking forward to your thoughts,
>>>> Damian
>>>
>>>
>>> Well, I just replaced a failed nVidia system with an intel setup and
>>> it was far from easy. All told the system was offline (for myth
>>> purposes) for over a month. A big part of my problem was getting the
>>> video modes to work correctly. I have an old SD CRT (480i only) and am
>>> using an HDMI->S-video converter to get a signal to it. I had tried
>>> earlier using a HDMI->component video but had a terrible time trying
>>> to get an interlaced mode working. It sounds like your projector
>>> understands progressive modes so maybe you'll have better luck. I
>>> played around with the new (in 3.3 or 3.4) kernel ability to insert a
>>> custom DSDT to specify the available modes (and thus override that
>>> read from the video output device). I did get it to work, but it was
>>> still better and simpler for me to downgrade my output type to
>>> S-Video. As far as Myth's support of intel, I have VAAPI working fine
>>> with low CPU usage. From what I've read on the list, several others
>>> have tried and failed, but it wasn't all that difficult for me to get
>>> it working; just a few key settings/libraries. The quality with isn't
>>> fantastic but heck I'm still using a 480i display so obviously it
>>> doesn't bother me much!
>>>
>>> So, I guess my advice is: Good luck! Most likely it will not be plug and
>>> play.
>>>
>>> Karl
>>>
>>
>> Thanks for that Karl, I'm glad I asked!
>>
>> If I play safe and go to one of the machines that has onboard nVidia
>> graphics (and cross my finger that the display works), then those machines
>> have:
>>
>> - Intel Core 2 Atom processors (rather than the Intel i3 iCore on the higher
>> models) and
>> - 1 TB 2.5" 3GB/s HD (rather than 1 TB 3.5" 6GB/s HD).
>>
>> Are those two items up to the task of an 'always on' home network server and
>> running the main MuthTV FE/BE?
>>
>> Thanks
>> Damian
>>
>
> Depends on your need for transcoding, commercial detection, HLS etc
>

Thanks for that Nick,

I'm feeling like I'd really to buy one of the higher powered machines, 
but they all have onboard intel graphics rather than nVidia.

Can anyone tell from the lines of my xorg.conf file (posted earlier) if 
the changes that work or specific to nVidia drivers or if they simply 
configure the output in a way that any display driver would find fine?

Here's the link to my current xorg.conf file, which works fine on my 
BenQ W100 projector:

http://pastebin.com/Eb70dVYV

I REALLY don't want to spend £600 on a machine that wont even give me a 
16:9 display (or worse, and signal that the projector can interpret at all!)

Thanks
Damian