[mythtv-users] Can't get good signal to TV

[David Peach]

Configuration (details below):
MythTV 0.13
Gentoo Linux
2.4.22-gentoo-r5 kernel
STB Velocity 4400 nVidia card (VGA, SVideo, RCA out)
nVidia driver 4496
NTSC 19" Symphonic TV
KDE 3.1.5 (I am willing to change if necessary)

I am having an awful time getting a signal out to my TV. MythTV seems to
be working great now, BTW.

My focus is on my XF86Config file. Let me know if it should be somewhere
else.

I am running an STB Velocity 4400 card. It is an nVidia card with RCA and
SVideo out (as well as VGA of course). I am running the nVidia driver 4496
(the version that Gentoo emerged). Using 2.4.22-gentoo-r5 kernel.

When I boot up with just the TV connected I was getting something on
screen that resembles what I should be seeing. I got a bottom to top roll
and a right to left spin. The roll was slow and the spin was quite rapid.
I have now changed my XF86Config file so that I should only be getting a
signal to the RCA out (but it goes to both the RCA and the SVideo with the
same signal and quality) Since I changed that, I get "Screen(s) found: but
none have useable configurations." Which is what I think I want to see
(this narrows it down to just being a line or two in my config file, I
think).

I have seen several messeges like this but none with a solution. I suspect
people have gotten it working, but were so excited to watch TV that they
never came back to tell what they did to get it working.

I am in the US therefore have NTSC. If you see anything in the config file
below that does not make sense, don't hesitate to point it out. This
config file is a Frankenstein monster of config files from the mailing
list and personal assistance that I have had on this problem. There are
some oddly commented lines, these help me remember which revision number I
am on. :-)

---------------------------------------


Section "Module"

    Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
    Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
    Load "extmod"
    Load "type1"
    Load "freetype"
    Load "speedo"
    Load "glx" # 3D layer

    SubSection  "extmod"
	Option "xfree86-dga" # Added by DP
# 	Option    "omit xfree86-dga"   # don't initialise the DGA extension
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
    #DontZap # disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
    AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse
doesn't work
    #DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
    Option "NoPM" "true"
    Option "BlankTime" "0"
EndSection

Section "Files"
    RgbPath	"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
#   FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType/"
#   FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/freefont/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
#   ModulePath "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier	"Keyboard1"
    Driver	"Keyboard"
    Option "AutoRepeat" "500 30"
    Option "XkbRules"	"xfree86"
    Option "XkbModel"	"pc104"
    Option "XkbLayout"	"us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier	"Mouse1"
    Driver	"mouse"
    Option "Protocol"    "PS/2"
    Option "Device"      "/dev/psaux"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "TV"
    VendorName "Generic"
    ModelName "640x480 @ 60 Hz"
    HorizSync 31.5
    VertRefresh 50-61

    # Sony Vaio C1(X,XS,VE,VN)?
    # 1024x480 @ 85.6 Hz, 48 kHz hsync
#***    ModeLine "1024x480"    65.00 1024 1032 1176 1344   480  488  494 
563 -hsync -vsync

    # TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
    # 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
    ModeLine "768x576"     50.00  768  832  846 1000   576  590  595  630
#    ModeLine "736X485i"   14.16  736  760  824  904  485  491  496  525 
interlace -hsync -vsync
    # 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync
    ModeLine "768x576"     63.07  768  800  960 1024   576  578  590  616
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "nvidia card"
    VendorName "nVidia Corporation"
    BoardName "NVIDIA STB Velocity 4400"
    Driver "nvidia"
    Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "TV Living Room"
    Device "nvidia card"
    Monitor "TV"
    Option "TVStandard" "NTSC-M"
    Option "ConnectedMonitor" "TV"
    Option "TVOutFormat" "COMPOSITE"
    DefaultColorDepth 24

#***    Subsection "Display"
#***        Depth 8
#***        Modes "640x480"
#***    EndSubsection

#***    Subsection "Display"
#***        Depth 15
#***        Modes "640x480"
#***    EndSubsection

#***    Subsection "Display"
#***        Depth 16
#***        Modes "640x480"
#***    EndSubsection

    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 24
	Modes "800x600"
        Modes "640x480"
#***	Modes "736X485x60"
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "TV Living Room"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
    Screen "TV Living Room"
EndSection

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