Mailing List Archive: Savage video cards, TV out, and X

Savage video cards, TV out, and X

May 5, 2003, 12:03 PM

Post #1 of 5 (2012 views)

A couple of weeks ago, I posted some draft material here that included the
assertion that TV-out on Savage video cards was not supported by X. Several
people posted to correct me ... and indeed, the Savage video-driver site
seems to say that X does support TV out.

In fact, I seem to be unable to get it to work. Although my card (a Savage
2000) does work with a console, it fails to display the basic X screen
after I run "startx", instead displaying a bright, flickering display.

I'm sure that this is just some misspecified setting in (probably)
XF86Config-4. But the driver's site does not seem to have any information
on the details needed to make this work. So I was wondering if someone here
who actually got a Savage card to work this way could post the details of
what is needed. (Perhaps some specific Modeline is needed, for example?)

Additional details: if both TV and VGA displays are connected, and I
startx, the VGA display blanks. The X startup includes this message:
(EE) SAVAGE(0): Failed to fetch any BIOS modes. Disabling BIOS.

BTW, please do not mix up this report with the known problem involving
xVideo on the Savage 2000. I am having a problem with displaying the root
X display, not Myth or any other full-motion video. I wanted to verify that
the X driver really works with TV out before I purchase other Savage cards
that do support xv, and this old Savage 2000 is just the only card I happen
to have around.

Re: Savage video cards, TV out, and X [ In reply to ]

foom at fuhm

May 5, 2003, 6:59 PM

Post #2 of 5 (1974 views)

Permalink

On Monday, May 5, 2003, at 03:03 PM, Ray Olszewski wrote:
> Additional details: if both TV and VGA displays are connected, and I
> startx, the VGA display blanks. The X startup includes this message:
> (EE) SAVAGE(0): Failed to fetch any BIOS modes. Disabling BIOS.

This is the problem. I don't know what caused this error, but, if the X
driver doesn't use BIOS mode-switching, it will not work, at all, on a
TV. The X driver's non-BIOS-mode-switching code doesn't actually do the
right thing to make TV out work on the majority of hardware.

I recall seeing that message at one point during my attempts to get my
Shuttle's savage card to work, but I'm not sure what fixed it. Have you
tried using "s3switch TV" before running X? I think that may have done
something for me.

James

Re: Savage video cards, TV out, and X [ In reply to ]

jag at brownout

May 5, 2003, 7:03 PM

Post #3 of 5 (1965 views)

Permalink

I just noticed that if I set my X to start up in 16 bit mode it fails
to find any BIOS modes and then the TVOut doesn't work. TVOut works
fine in 24 bit mode.
I have yet to get any video to play though...

-Jeremy

On Monday, May 5, 2003, at 09:59 PM, James Knight wrote:

> On Monday, May 5, 2003, at 03:03 PM, Ray Olszewski wrote:
>> Additional details: if both TV and VGA displays are connected, and I
>> startx, the VGA display blanks. The X startup includes this message:
>> (EE) SAVAGE(0): Failed to fetch any BIOS modes. Disabling BIOS.
>
> This is the problem. I don't know what caused this error, but, if the
> X driver doesn't use BIOS mode-switching, it will not work, at all, on
> a TV. The X driver's non-BIOS-mode-switching code doesn't actually do
> the right thing to make TV out work on the majority of hardware.
>
> I recall seeing that message at one point during my attempts to get my
> Shuttle's savage card to work, but I'm not sure what fixed it. Have
> you tried using "s3switch TV" before running X? I think that may have
> done something for me.
>
> James
>
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users@snowman.net
> http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

Re: Savage video cards, TV out, and X [ In reply to ]

ray at comarre

May 5, 2003, 7:24 PM

Post #4 of 5 (1968 views)

Permalink

At 09:59 PM 5/5/2003 -0400, James Knight wrote:
>On Monday, May 5, 2003, at 03:03 PM, Ray Olszewski wrote:
>>Additional details: if both TV and VGA displays are connected, and I
>>startx, the VGA display blanks. The X startup includes this message:
>> (EE) SAVAGE(0): Failed to fetch any BIOS modes. Disabling BIOS.
>
>This is the problem. I don't know what caused this error, but, if the X
>driver doesn't use BIOS mode-switching, it will not work, at all, on a TV.
>The X driver's non-BIOS-mode-switching code doesn't actually do the right
>thing to make TV out work on the majority of hardware.
>
>I recall seeing that message at one point during my attempts to get my
>Shuttle's savage card to work, but I'm not sure what fixed it. Have you
>tried using "s3switch TV" before running X? I think that may have done
>something for me.

Since the TV display was working for the console, I didn't think of trying
that. But I just gave it a try, and it does not change the result. I still
have a trashed TV screen, and the same "Disabling BIOS" message comes up.
If you can remember anything else you did, I'd sure appreciate hearing
about (and trying) it.

Re: Savage video cards, TV out, and X [ In reply to ]

ray at comarre

May 5, 2003, 7:30 PM

Post #5 of 5 (1971 views)

Permalink

At 10:03 PM 5/5/2003 -0400, Jeremy Green wrote:
>I just noticed that if I set my X to start up in 16 bit mode it fails to
>find any BIOS modes and then the TVOut doesn't work. TVOut works fine in
>24 bit mode.
>I have yet to get any video to play though...

Just tried that too; still no joy. Same "disabling BIOS" message yet again.
Pfui!

This card has played video just fine on a VGA display for a while now
(using xine, mplayer, or xawtv ... this is not my Myth host, just a
different card I'm using to test the X server before I spend any more money
on cards for my Myth host that might not work). It does not support xv,
which will be a big deal for Myth but is OK for these other players.