[mythtv-users] Complication(s) with display upgrade - need help

[Barry Martin]

Hi Craig!

Will preface all my answers with "I am an amateur" and the others are 
much smarter than I am.

>> I have an FE running Ubuntu 14.04 and MythBuntu that was connected to a
>> CRT TV using composite video from the built-in Nvidia 1650 display
>> controller, but the CRT finally died. (Yay?)
>>
>> I replaced the TV with a new, modern LED 4K HDR display (yeah, one extreme
>> to another), but I'm having problems.

You do like I tend to do: upgrade once, attempting to go for the best 
and planning ahead for the future.

>>     - First: The FE is now connected via a DVI to HDMI adapter to HDMI on
>>     the new TV.
>>        - The BIOS splash screen and the Ubuntu 14.04 boot screens display
>>        successfully on boot up.
>>        - Then I get a blinking cursor in the top left corner of the
>>        display,
>>        - Eventually the TV puts up a display about the signal resolution
>>        is incompatible and I need to change it before the TV will display the FE's
>>        output.
>>        - If I swap the TV for an LED Computer monitor (27" Acer) with the
>>        input still via HDMI, I get a successful display of the MythTV main menu
>>        page at the end of the boot up process with a resolution of maybe 1920 x
>>        1080.
>>        - I opened the Nvidia settings application and tried saving that
>>        configuration (I think it got written to /etc/X11/xorg.conf) and re-trying
>>        to display on the TV, but no joy.
>>        - Any advice on how to get this working would be greatly
>>        appreciated.

Good news: the FE signal is getting through all the adapters to your 4K 
TV.  The bad news is your FE eventually puts out a resolution the TV 
does not like.  Try setting your FE's Desktop to a lower resolution (try 
1280 x 720).  The monitor can adjust to a variety of input resolutions, 
TVs tend to be a lot more restrictive in what they 'understand'.

The nVidia configuration might not be getting saved.  (Test while on 
your monitor.)



>>     - Second: Since I'm already here, hat in hand, I might as well
>>     anticipate the next problem.
>>        - If I understood the data about the DVI to HDMI adapter cable
>>        correctly, it won't supply audio to the TV, but there's no separate Audio
>>        In connection to the TV, only Audio Out.

I've read DVI-D does supply audio but it depends on the video card. And 
since you are using a DVI to HDMI adapter the adapter manufacturer may 
have cheated and not included the connections.

There are 'audio extractor' adapters which will take the audio data in 
the HDMI and extract to phono connectors and/or TOSLINK.  Don't know if 
a DVI version exists.  Might be less of a headache to configure your 
Frontend to use the Audio Out connector on the rear panel and input that 
signal to a remote speaker pair or sound bar. (Could do wirelessly with 
a Bluetooth adapter plugged in the back of the FE.)

>>        - Is there a way to get the audio fed into the HDMI cable like
>>        "normal" devices do -- maybe an audio / video Y-adapter for HDMI?
>>        - Less likely alternative audio input paths include:
>>           - A TOS link from the PC to the TV, but the one on the TV is
>>           labeled "Out", not "In", and even if that would work, the question becomes
>>           how to associate that audio with the correct video input?
>>           - USB ports, but with a PC and a TV, who'd be the "master" and
>>           who the "client"?
>>           - Maybe I started with the wrong approach?  This
>>           <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FXDW2ZY/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1>
>>           looks like it would be a solution, but I'm wondering if it will work
>>           properly for use with MythTV video -- especially on my current Ubuntu 14.04
>>           / MythTV v0.27.6?
>>
>> Update:  The FE does*not*  currently have USB 3.0, but it has spare*PCI*
>> slots (not PCI-e!).  Maybe I could find a PCI to USB 3.0 adapter?  Or
>> should I be looking for a different alternative?  Seems that PCI video
>> adapters with HDMI are as rare as hen's teeth, and maybe more expensive
>> than their weight in gold.

You could use a DAC (Digital Audio Converter) -- the old one I have 
sounds fine with USB 2.0.  ID on the circuit board is XY-PCM2704 VER 1.0.

And after all that I'm going to tell you what the others have probably 
told you (as of this writing there were no other responses): update your 
Frontend.  The 'joke' is I'm part Scottish (my father's side) and yes, I 
am a little frugal, so can appreciate you trying to keep using the old 
hardware, but it's not going to be worth it.  Sad to say but it's time 
to update; hopefully the old computer can be repurposed ==> server for 
backups??  (I sort of wanted to give an explanation  of why your 
proposal wasn't going to work as opposed to saying "no, do it this way".)

I think all of the FEs here at the house are refurbished units purchased 
for around $100.  "Obviously" get one with an HDMI output -- DVI and 
DisplayPort are fine for video but need adapters for audio into a TV, 
that's what started this problem!  2 GB of RAM seems to be the 'sweet 
spot" for a dedicated FE; if you're going to use the computer for 
e-mail, games, etc., buy accordingly.

If you have a Raspberry Pi 3 B around there is a MythTV utility for it 
-- works fine but here I need to be wired: the 2.4 GHz WiFi connection 
is inconsistent (seems to be maxed out and/or interference).  LIS wired 
(100 Kbps) is fine.

OK, good luck!
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