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

[Joe V]

At the moment, yes, my time is worth less than when I
was working.  If I could justify the money, I'd just
drive to Fry's and pick up a GeForce 4 card with TV
Out and be done with it all.  Besides, I'm bored at
the moment.  :)

After about two days of working on this, I have made
the following conclusions:
1. Yes, it is possible to use an ATI AIW Radeon card
for TV Out for MythTV.
2. I would not recommend it if getting another video
card or a scan converter is possible (or, unless you
have time to burn)
3. The picture on it is actually superior than what I
have gotten to work on my Matrox G400 DualHead w/TV
Out (thus far).  I've never seen TV Out on an nVidia
card, so I can't compare.
4. It's a pain in the butt, and I haven't gotten it
fully working (though if I don't get the G400 working,
I might go back to it).  Most of the time spent though
is waiting for software to compile, it's not too
complicated.
5. When you customize RedHat's package list and tell
it not to install X or desktop environments, it goes
behind your back and does it anyway (RedHat 9)

Now then, how I got it to work (for those interested),
not detailed instructions:
1. You need the GATOS "devel" branch code.
2. You need to build XFree86 4.2.0 from scratch
3. You need to rebuild Qt 3.x

Doing this, I got MythTV working with TV Out, the
image had excellent colors, by default was stretched
to about 97% of the screen width.  By playing around
with the over/underscanning and positioning within
MythTV, I was able to get a very satisfactory picture
(the GUI itself was fullscreen, and fine).  However,
the font sizes were way too small, and it didn't use
the correct font for the theme (I suspect that this
was an issue with FreeType, or the X server
configuration, I never fully investigated it).

Now then, like I said, if I don't get this G400 I have
kicking around to work, then I might go back to it. 
But, don't anybody wait for me to do it, just in case
I never get around to it.  :)

-- 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
> >shell out the money for a scan converter (I'd
> rather
> >do that than buy yet another video card, as I have
> two
> >perfectly good video cards here).  And heck, it's
> fun,
> >I get a kick out of solving problems.
> >
> >Maybe I lose some time, maybe I don't.  It's quite
> >simple to get TV Out working at an older ATI
> Radeon,
> >and most of the time spent is the computer
> compiling
> >stuff.  I start the compile, walk away, and check
> on
> >it inbetween innings of the baseball game.  I was
> >thinking about it, and it might be as simple as
> >recompiling the X server and Qt, which for me is
> easy.
> >
> >On the other hand, if I was employed right now, I
> >probably wouldn't be messing with any of this.
> >
> >Now then, for the rest of you, if I actually get
> this
> >working, without it being completely convoluted
> (which
> >I think is possible), I'll post instructions to the
> >list, and later on, get them on my website.
> >
> >-- Joe
> >
> >--- Mark <fairlane at voyager.net> wrote:
> >  
> >
> >>I don't know what your time is worth to you, but
> >>mine is fairly precious.
> >>With that said, go out and buy a Geforce4 MX440SE
> >>card w/TVout.
> >>I got mine from newegg.com, it cost like $45. 
> >>Install nvidia driver.
> >>flawless TVout in less than 30 minutes.  Mines' an
> >>Albatron. Unless you 
> >>are the type
> >>that needs to bang your head on a wall to feel
> like
> >>you did something,
> >>then get an ATI or something.
> >>
> >>Joe V wrote:
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >>>Myself, I've tried with both a G400 and an
> >>>All-In-Wonder Radeon (the original R100 series),
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>and
> >>    
> >>
> >>>have had trouble with both.  There is a kind soul
> >>>(thanks, Matt) who is assisting me with the G400
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>right
> >>    
> >>
> >>>now, and there's a possibility that I'll actually
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>get
> >>    
> >>
> >>>it working.  Hopefully.  :)
> >>>
> >>>Somebody else on the list once said, "the Radeons
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>will
> >>    
> >>
> >>>work, but if you spend more time than $30-$45, go
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>out
> >>    
> >>
> >>>and buy a GeForce card".  I'd have to agree with
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>this
> >>    
> >>
> >>>sentiment, even though at the moment I'm
> unemployed
> >>>(so my time isn't worth much right now).  I don't
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>have
> >>    
> >>
> >>>a GeForce card kicking around here, and I'm not
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>going
> >>    
> >>
> >>>to buy one, but I do have the G400 and Radeon
> here.
> >>>
> >>>As for the Radeon, you can get TV Out to work -
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>it's
> >>    
> >>
> >>>quite the complicated procedure, and probably
> won't
> >>>work too well with many Linux distributions.  You
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>have
> >>    
> >>
> >>>to install an older distro that has XFree86 4.2,
> >>>recompile the X Server with the Gatos "devel"
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>branch,
> >>    
> >>
> >>>and then TV Out will work.  Unfortunately for me,
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>in
> >>    
> >>
> >>>doing that, and building MythTV, well, MythTV
> >>>segfaulted right away, definitely because of the
> >>>rebuilding of the X Server.  (If anybody wants
> >>>detailed instructions on how I built it, let me
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>know,
> >>    
> >>
> >>>and I can post them.  After getting TV Out
> booting
> >>>with X though, I don't think I can help).
> >>>
> >>>If you're going to use a Radeon, expect to have
> to
> >>>build everything from source.  I know how to do
> it,
> >>>it's just not worth my time.
> >>>
> >>>At this point I'm looking at trying to get the
> G400
> 
=== message truncated ===


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