jam wrote:
On Friday 09 January 2009 10:00:08 [email protected] wrote:
I'm looking to setup a pc with an output to a tv (big flatscreen) to
play video files. Sort of like home theatre.
or video files over a lan connection from a server.
recording tv is not necessary but may be good.
Is there a Linux distro that does this or do people go for a hardware
appliance?
As others have enthused, mythtv on your choice of distro.
I'd never go without myth either HOWEVER the actual graphics performance
is aweful. Even on high end nvidea cards the display jitters, movies are
'OK' footy or Motor Racing etc is terrid.
Even modest hardware is distinctly better and high end hardware eg sony
bravia is much smoother.
We've tried Core2, AMD-X2, Intel and Nvidia graphics: Mobo, 8500, 8600
without significant oooo-aaah's
Sounds like you're doing something wrong in the setup...
My combined front/backend has an AMD 780G chipset mobo with onboard
HD3200 graphics and an AMD 4850e CPU (45W, low power dual core 2.5GHz)
and outputs to a 1080p display without issue [0] including audio over
HDMI.
MythTV is crisp, clear and smooth, including motorsports (E.g. F1 on
TenHD).
It may be worth starting a thread and comparing configurations.
I love my myth, I'd never go without, and how I wish all the respondents could
say how-you've-erred there, but ...
Case 1: Converted a mate with IBM HW. Core2 intel 950 (or such) graphics from
WinXp DIVICO to myth. Ubuntu Hardy, apt-get install mythtv-bits
After 1 day he re-installed Win, and demonstrated Win+DVICO is much smoother
than myth. He spent $100s having his antenna installed for DTV.
Case 2: Set up a mate with 3G P4, nvidia 8xxx and binary drivers. Did Ubuntu
and SuSE. Installed remote plus all bells and whistles. SVIDEO to a 32" LCD
(twinview). After 3 months he abandoned it all for a Topfield STB, interface
is aweful but picture is much better
Case 3: I've built 1/2 doz boxen to do myth. Backend is BE2350 + DVICO +
TwinHam
FrontEnds various AMD-X2, various nvidia, nv or nvidia drivers (basically
identical) all interlace options tried.
(even ran a standalone Front/Backend)
No notable difference between any of the above. I worried about aliasing on
60Hz LCD and 50Hz TV, but the SVIDEO would have handled that.
OK that is DTV! except every windows box I've seen, most of the STB and every
integrated LCD-TV is better !!
I've got Viewsonic 1920x1200 28". I watch myth in a 1280x720 window where it
is tolerable, full screen is too jerky Sheeze I go to the local IGA who are
showing the Red Bull air race on screens around the store and I can SEE it is
better than my myth, and my soul is biased, and still I loose.
OK wots appening: You folk all set up better than me? or you folk just more
easily satisfied?
Do your significant-other's share yout enthusiasm?
Calibration Points: Most movies are ok (not GOOD, but OK) eg Intro GoldenGate
Bridge on L&O SVU judders as they pan, crowd judders as you follow the ball,
eg kerb judders as the car or bike sweeps round each corner and on and on. In
every case right HW equals smooth view of same picture.
Note we do not expect to compete with sony bravia at 100Hz with sophisticated
interlace engine, that is not the goal :-)
James
It really sounds like your refresh rate and the video frame rate is
different, default refresh is 60Hz but our TV is 50Hz.
If they don't match you are going to get juddering.
It took me a fair while but I eventually got something close to a 1080P
@ 50hz modeline that seemed to make it pretty close.
The other source of judder is if your watching stuff from the USA, they
broadcast at 60hz, so when we watch it (@ 50hz) they telecine it,
dropping frames again causing judder.
My belief is that myth is giving you a "better" picture, and you can see
all this stuff.
If anybody has a "perfect" 10...@50hz modeline i'd really appreciate
seeing it.
I've got this far.
Modeline "1920x1080J" 137.62 1920 1992 2160 2472 1080 1080 1082 1113
This is my xorg.conf for my myth box. Note all the EDID stuff, most TV's
lie about their capabilities, rather dramatically, the EDID chip in this
TV identifies it as a 17" CMO(brand) LCD.
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen" 0 0
EndSection
Section "Module"
Load "glx"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
Modeline "1920x1080J" 137.62 1920 1992 2160 2472 1080 1080 1082 1113
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "Generic Video Card"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "DPI" "100x100"
Option "UseEvents" "1"
Option "AddARGBVisuals" "1"
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "1"
Option "NoLogo" "1"
Option "DynamicTwinView" "False"
Option "UseEvents" "True"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Generic Video Card"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
Option "ExactModeTimingsDVI" "true"
Option "ModeValidation" "NoWidthAlignmentCheck,
NoDFPNativeResolutionCheck, NoVertRefreshCheck, AllowNon60HzDFPModes,
NoEdidDFPMaxSizeCheck, NoMaxPClkCheck, NoMaxSizeCheck, NoHorizSyncCheck"
Option "useEdid" "FALSE"
Option "NoDFPNativeResolutionCheck" "true"
Option "ExactModeTimingsDVI" "true"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1920x1080J" "1920x1080"
EndSubSection
EndSection
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