configure TV out on nvidia cards
 

How do I redirect the video signal to my tv connected my grpahics card. The nvidia driver doesn't provide a control pannel to switch between monitor and TV set. I would like to be able to watch movies on my tv using the TV out on my card. It's an Nvidia 6600 using the athlon 64bit driver (Version: 1.0-7676) from nvidia. I am using debian sarge with 2.6.8-11 64bit kernel.

The documentation (usually installed in /usr/share/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0/README.txt), specifies the configuration changes needed (it's not trivial). In addition, it seems that dpms functionality is lost when TV out is enabled, and text mode consoles (ctrl-alt-f1 for example) are frequently unusable. The Nvidia Linux support website is a good place to get sample configurations and help tweaking specific cards.

i dont have the documentation installed because the offical installer didn't like my 64bit kernel. Had to install packages manually.

The documenation is also available at Nvidia's website, where you downloaded the package. For the current x86_64 drivers:

ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Li...676/README.txt

It still doesn't work despite i inserted all the appropriate options mensioned in nvidia docs.

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "6600"
Monitor "Belinea 101525"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
Option "TVStandard" "PAL-I"
Option "TVOutFormat" "COMPOSITE"
EndSection

by the way I use XFREE86

Am sure it's composite because am using a phono connection. Like the one dvd and ps2 uses

Here's the config I use for TV out (in two-head mode); you can update it as needed:

whats 2 head mode?

Oh dear my card is pci express so what do I type for BusID

Two head mode gives you two independent displays that you can cursor between (your monitor and your TV, for example).

You can find your BusID by looking in /var/log/Xorg.0.log:

# grep -i "BIOS" /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(WW) Open APM failed (/dev/apm_bios) (No such file or directory)
(--) PCI:*(1:0:0) nVidia Corporation GeForce FX 5600SE rev 161, Mem @ 0xfb000000/24, 0xe0000000/28, BIOS @ 0xfc600000/17
(--) NVIDIA(0): VideoBIOS: 04.31.20.69.00

I think it will be best that the image on monitor is mirrored onto the tv because my TV isn't particularly high res so reading off it at a distance can be a little difficult. Prefer my high res monitor/ I only use the TV so i get a bigger picture when watching movies and perhaps when playing games as well.

Also does it matter am running Free86 not xorg . If yes then am soo sorry I didn't know it makes a difference. Because they both refered to as x server hence i thought they were the same

I think you're confusing yourself. The TV is low res, the monitor is high res. If you mirror, you will have to go to the lowest common resolution (your TV), so your monitor will look like crap.

With the two head setup, if the image on the TV is too hard to read, then just go to the monitor and launch onto the TV:

DISPLAY=:0.1 mplayer somefile.avi

or

mplayer -display :0.1 somefile.avi

Oh rite. Windows it's different I mirrored the screen onto my tv without changing anything on my monitor. I disable to save power but I could have the exact same image on nboth screeens and still have a high res monitor.

Option "TwinView" "1"
Option "SecondMonitorHorizSync" "30-50"
Option "SecondMonitorVertRefresh" "60"
Option "TwinViewOrientation" "Clone"
Option "TVOutFormat" "COMPOSITE"
Option "ConnectedMonitor" "CRT,TV"
Option "TVStandard" "PAL-I"

Option "MetaModes" "1024x768 @1024x768,1024x768 @1024x768; 800x600 @800x600,800x600 @800x600; 640x480 @640x480,640x480 @640x480"

For me I had to change it to an CRT but my monitor is an TFT not an CRT. OMG how nvidia relates an CRT to an TFT I dont have a clue