S-video to Component for older GPUs

hodak · 02-09-2020, 05:07 PM

Hi i am installing Xubuntu/Bodhi Linux for older machines that have the following GPUs

#1 HD 2400 Pro (AMD/ATI) VGA/DVI
#2 GF 9600GT (Nvidia) dual DVI

Neither of the 2 have HDMI on them but both have a S-Video to component port (and respective "TV breakout" cables still around!) I also learnt that ATI/Nvidia ancient GPUs have unique cables and one won't work on the other! *gasps*

The only display around currently only has HDMI ports and a component input so i tried the S-Video to component adapters and wow after so many years i am gob smacked they actually work and display with correct colours on the TV!

Thing is the resolution is so low i am struggling to install the above linux distros! How do i get the resolution high enough so that the experience would be better? Is S-Video to component so ancient that this is not in the kernel or something anymore? Do i need to boot the installer in some special mode then edit some config file or something?? Feel free to dumb it down as am a linux newbie haha

mrmazda · 02-10-2020, 04:23 AM

There may be a solution. If the HD 2400 is producing less than 1024x768, which IIRC the Xubuntu installer should support well enough since its minimum system requirement is only 800x600, try appending the following to the kernel cmdline of the installer:

Code:

video=1024x768

or if that's not specific enough

Code:

video=DIN-1:1024x768

It's derived from modedb.txt, just in case it needs to be even more specific.

There are many places on the web describing how to append a parameter the the cmdline when booting. This page includes just one of them (in its upper blue highlight box).

The HD 2400 Pro I have can do 1024x768 on its DIN 7:

Code:

# xrandr --output DVI-I-1 --mode 2560x1440 --primary --output DIN-1 --mode 1024x768 --right-of DVI-I-1

# inxi -Gxx
Graphics:  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RV610 [Radeon HD 2400 PRO] vendor: Dell driver: radeon v: kernel 
           bus ID: 04:00.0 chip ID: 1002:94c3 
           Display: server: X.Org 1.20.5 driver: modesetting resolution: 1024x768~60Hz, 2560x1440~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: AMD RV610 (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.3.9-1-default LLVM 9.0.0) v: 3.3 Mesa 19.2.3 compat-v: 3.0 
           direct render: Yes 

# xrandr | egrep 'onnect|creen|\*' | grep -v disconn | sort -r
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 3584 x 1440, maximum 8192 x 8192
DVI-I-1 connected primary 2560x1440+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 598mm x 336mm
DIN-1 connected 1024x768+2560+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
   2560x1440     59.95*+
   1024x768      59.95* 

# xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 3584 x 1440, maximum 8192 x 8192
DIN-1 connected 1024x768+2560+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
   1024x768      59.95* 
   800x600       59.96  
   848x480       59.94  
   720x480       59.94  
   640x480       59.94  
DVI-I-1 connected primary 2560x1440+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 598mm x 336mm
   2560x1440     59.95*+
   1920x1440     60.00  
   1856x1392     60.01  
   1792x1344     60.01  
   2048x1152     59.90    59.91  
   1920x1200     59.88    59.95  
   1920x1080     59.96    60.00    59.93  
   1600x1200     75.00    70.00    65.00    60.00  
   1680x1050     59.95    59.88  
   1400x1050     74.76    59.98  
   1600x900      59.99    59.94    59.95    59.82  
   1280x1024     75.02    60.02  
   1440x900      59.90  
   1400x900      59.96    59.88  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1440x810      60.00    59.97  
   1368x768      59.88    59.85  
   1280x800      59.99    59.97    59.81    59.91  
   1152x864      75.00  
   1280x720      60.00    59.99    59.86    60.00    59.74  
   1024x768      75.05    60.04    75.03    70.07    60.00  
   960x720       75.00    60.00  
   928x696       75.00    60.05  
   896x672       75.05    60.01  
   1024x576      59.95    59.96    59.90    59.82  
   960x600       59.93    60.00  
   832x624       74.55  
   960x540       59.96    59.99    59.63    59.82  
   800x600       75.00    70.00    65.00    60.00    72.19    75.00    60.32    56.25  
   840x525       60.01    59.88  
   864x486       59.92    59.57  
   700x525       74.76    59.98  
   800x450       59.95    59.82  
   640x512       75.02    60.02  
   700x450       59.96    59.88  
   640x480       60.00    75.00    72.81    75.00    66.67    59.94  
   720x405       59.51    58.99  
   720x400       70.08  
   684x384       59.88    59.85  
   640x400       59.88    59.98  
   576x432       75.00  
   640x360       59.86    59.83    59.84    59.32  
   512x384       75.03    70.07    60.00  
   512x288       60.00    59.92  
   416x312       74.66  
   480x270       59.63    59.82  
   400x300       72.19    75.12    60.32    56.34  
   432x243       59.92    59.57  
   320x240       72.81    75.00    60.05  
   360x202       59.51    59.13  
   320x180       59.84    59.32

The better alternative if you can't access a display with a better input selection would be a DVI-to-HDMI cable or adapter.

hodak · 02-10-2020, 07:41 AM

mrmazda : awesome that was really helpful and am reading up the link you posted ^^ my question also is : the HD 2400 Pro can do 1080i on Windows 10 by installing driver only (skip Catalyst Suite) but is there no linux equivalent driver/solution for 1080i over s-video to component?

mrmazda · 02-10-2020, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hodak

is there no linux equivalent driver/solution for 1080i over s-video to component?

I don't believe I've ever had such an adapter, so cannot test. The better way forward is clearly a DVI-to-HDMI cable or adapter, providing superior digital output.

Code:

# inxi -SGxx
System:    Host: hpg33 Kernel: 3.16.0-44-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 4.9.1 Desktop: KDE 4.14.1 tk: Qt 4.8.6
           wm: kwin dm: KDM Distro: Ubuntu 14.10 (Utopic Unicorn)
Graphics:  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RV610 [Radeon HD 2400 PRO] vendor: Dell driver: radeon v: kernel
           bus ID: 04:00.0 chip ID: 1002:94c3
           Display: server: X.Org 1.16.0 driver: ati,radeon unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa alternate: fglrx
           resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Gallium 0.4 on AMD RV610 v: 3.3 Mesa 10.3.2 compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes
# xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 8192 x 8192
DIN disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DVI-0 connected 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 698mm x 393mm
   1920x1080      60.0*+   60.0     59.9     24.0     24.0
   1920x1080i     60.1     60.0
   1280x720       60.0     59.9
   1024x768       75.1     70.1     60.0
   800x600        72.2     75.0     60.3
   720x480        60.0     59.9
   640x480        75.0     60.0     59.9
   720x400        70.1

The HD2400 Pro can actually do better than 1080 if a straight Dual-link DVI cable is used.

Code:

# inxi -SGxx
System:    Host: hpg33 Kernel: 3.16.0-44-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 4.9.1 Desktop: KDE 4.14.1 tk: Qt 4.8.6
           wm: kwin dm: KDM Distro: Ubuntu 14.10 (Utopic Unicorn)
Graphics:  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RV610 [Radeon HD 2400 PRO] vendor: Dell driver: radeon v: kernel
           bus ID: 04:00.0 chip ID: 1002:94c3
           Display: server: X.Org 1.16.0 driver: ati,radeon unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa alternate: fglrx
           resolution: 2560x1440~60Hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Gallium 0.4 on AMD RV610 v: 3.3 Mesa 10.3.2 compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes

rnturn · 02-10-2020, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmazda

I don't believe I've ever had such an adapter, so cannot test. The better way forward is clearly a DVI-to-HDMI cable or adapter, providing superior digital output.

I can attest to the DVI->HDMI cable being the way to go for either of those video cards. I've owned (past tense) a few VGA->Component/RGB cables back when I was still using CRTs but I've never seen an equivalent for S-video. (Twenty years ago I had S-video cables galore for our VCRs and projection TV sets. Tells you how obsolete they are.) I was originally using a DVI->HDMI cable -- on hand in the 'ol AV cable carton from previously being used with one of our TV/AV receiver setups -- for my old LG monitor and it ran at 1900x1200 just fine. I think I paid ~$25 for it at Fry's. I'd dump the S-video stuff.