SOLVED - Matrox and xv driver - problems with video playback

green sun · Guru Joined: 04 Nov 2002 Posts: 325 Location: Wista, MA

Im having a problem with video playback and my Matrox 450. Its running with 2 monitors attached & works fine. I've installed Powerdesk & it works for setting up the dualhead, etc.

The problem is that when I run mplayer (and Xine/Totem, tho I dont use them much) to play *any* file I get no playback in the second monitor (I can live with this) and interference lines through the video. They run along the right hand side of the video playback & are very disruptive.

In mplayer I can use the x11 video driver & playback is fine, but I do not get resizing, etc. I can not select the output in Totem, so I can not test other drivers. The problem is definately the xv driver. I have compiled & tried the xmga driver for Matrox cards, but this uses the xv driver, so I get the same exact problems.

Does anyone have an idea of how to fix this??

I would post a screenshot, but the entire playback window is either pink, or (in totem) the screenshot looks fine...

green sun · Guru Joined: 04 Nov 2002 Posts: 325 Location: Wista, MA

Ok, Ive decided to downgrade from Xfree 4.3 to Xfree 4.2 & use the version of X the Matrox drivers were built for to see if it solves the problem. Anything I should know about/do when downgrading X like this?

thanks!

pelckyboy · n00b Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 36

As far as I know, the xv extension does not work on the second head.

Apparently the second head uses CRTC2 (do not now exactly what it is - some sort of chip ?) that does not have a BS (backend scaler). It is this backend scaler that XV uses.

HOWEVER, the second head as another feature, that is called 'DVDMax' which would (I think) be able to do the exactly same thing. However, the only drivers reported to work with this 'thing' are the directfb drivers.

Now you can run X11 on directfb, but I guess you will be one of the pioneers.

So my conclusion would be to adjust your configuration so that the monitor where you want to show your videos runs from the first head.

Hope this helps,

Kristof

dtessier · Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 7:33 am Post subject:

I used to get the exact same thing with my G200, lines down the right-hand side. This option in my XF86Config file fixed it for me:

Option "TexturedVideo" "on"

It should go in the "Device" section. This fixed my problems with playing videos. Be warned however that this seems to prevent DRI from being used; I get the following line printed out when I start X:

(EE) MGA(0): Textured video enabled, not initializing the DRI

Hope this helps.
_________________
Dan

crunchtime · n00b Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 51

When I was trawling through the myth tv forums I saw this question asked a few times, I think there may have been ANOTHER solution to getting video on the 2nd head, possibly using FB, but still with X.

I remember it had something to do with adding the option

green sun · Guru Joined: 04 Nov 2002 Posts: 325 Location: Wista, MA

Mongoose5 · n00b Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 71

YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!

I've been trying forever to figure that out ... sweet!

FYI: I have a g400 dual head ... and the only way I can get playback on the 2nd monitory is if my mouse is constantly moving on it. Else I get a freeze frame of 1st monitor. Kind of weird, but I don't care. I am just glad my videos no longer have that annoying static on the right edge.

THANKS

dtessier · Posted: Wed May 28, 2003 11:30 pm Post subject:

Glad I could be of help (for once)!
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Dan

green sun · Guru Joined: 04 Nov 2002 Posts: 325 Location: Wista, MA