HDMI tearing and fontsize

[OrangeOne]

Hi everyone,

I own a mobility radeon 3650 (Dell Studio 17 laptop). After trying the latest catalyst drivers (9.6) I decided to install the radeonhd. I was not convinced by the quality of the hdmi display when watching a movie (gl output). Furthermore I had a lot of tearing on the hdmi (when playing a movie) thing that i don't have on my laptop screen. I installed the radeonhd 1.2.5 driver (+git20090617) from a ppa on my Kubuntu 9.04. I configured my xorg.conf the best I could. My laptop screen allows a 1440*900 resolution while my Sony Bravia 46w5500 allows a 1920*1080 resolution. I managed to get Xvideo acceleration and hdmi audio sound. I declared a virtual desktop composed of the two monitors. However i encounter two issues: the first one is the fontsize and the second issue is the tearing (horizontal line appears every 5 seconds). On my kde desktop all my applications (including non-kde applications) have their text displayed with a font that looks like a 3 dpi one. That makes them unreadable. Regarding the tearing, it only happens when I use the hdmi connection.

grep -i dpi /var/log/Xorg.0.log
        /usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled,
        /usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled, 
        /usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi,          
        /usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi,           
(**) RADEONHD(0): DPI set to (230, 218)

xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 3360 x 1080, maximum 3360 x 1980
PANEL connected 1440x900+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 367mm x 230mm
   1440x900       60.0*+                                                             
   2560x1600Scaled   60.5                                                            
   2048x1536Scaled   60.5                                                            
   1920x1200Scaled   60.4                                                            
   1920x1080Scaled   60.5                                                            
   1600x1200Scaled   60.4                                                            
   1680x1050Scaled   60.3                                                            
   1400x1050Scaled   60.3                                                            
   1440x960Scaled   60.4                                                             
   1280x1024Scaled   60.5                                                            
   1280x960Scaled   60.4                                                             
   1280x854Scaled   60.4                                                             
   1280x720Scaled   60.4                                                             
   1152x768Scaled   60.3                                                             
   1024x768Scaled   60.4                                                             
   800x600Scaled   60.3                                                              
   768x576Scaled   60.4                                                              
   854x480Scaled   59.8                                                              
   720x480Scaled   59.8                                                              
   640x480Scaled   60.1                                                              
   320x240Scaled   57.6                                                              
   320x200Scaled   55.7                                                              
VGA_1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)                        
DVI-D_1 connected 1920x1080+1440+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 1600mm x 900mm
   1920x1080      60.0*+                                                                    
   1280x1024      59.9                                                                      
   1280x720       60.0                                                                      
   1024x768       60.0                                                                      
   800x600        60.3                                                                      
   640x480        60.0

xvinfo
X-Video Extension version 2.2
screen #0                    
  Adaptor #0: "RadeonHD Textured Video"
    number of ports: 16                
    port base: 90                      
    operations supported: PutImage     
    supported visuals:                 
      depth 24, visualID 0x21          
    no port attributes defined         
    maximum XvImage size: 8192 x 8192  
    Number of image formats: 4         
      id: 0x32595559 (YUY2)            
        guid: 59555932-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71
        bits per pixel: 16                        
        number of planes: 1                       
        type: YUV (packed)                        
      id: 0x32315659 (YV12)                       
        guid: 59563132-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71
        bits per pixel: 12                        
        number of planes: 3                       
        type: YUV (planar)                        
      id: 0x30323449 (I420)                       
        guid: 49343230-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71
        bits per pixel: 12                        
        number of planes: 3                       
        type: YUV (planar)                        
      id: 0x59565955 (UYVY)                       
        guid: 55595659-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71
        bits per pixel: 16                        
        number of planes: 1                       
        type: YUV (packed)

xvattr
Found Xv 2.2
Adaptor: 0  
Name: RadeonHD Textured Video
 Port: 90                    
 Port: 91                    
 Port: 92                    
 Port: 93                    
 Port: 94                    
 Port: 95                    
 Port: 96                    
 Port: 97                    
 Port: 98                    
 Port: 99                    
 Port: 100                   
 Port: 101                   
 Port: 102                   
 Port: 103                   
 Port: 104                   
 Port: 105

It is quite strange that i can't get any information using xvattr...

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier      "Configured Monitor"
EndSection                                  

Section "Screen"
        Identifier      "Default Screen"
        Monitor         "Configured Monitor"
        Device          "Configured Video Device"
        DefaultDepth    24                       
        SubSection "Display"                     
        Depth           24                       
        # big virtual screen to place            
        Virtual         3360 1980                
    EndSubSection                                

EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier      "Configured Video Device"
        Driver          "radeonhd"               
        #Option         "DRI" "off"              
        Option         "DRI"                     
        Option      "monitor-DVI-D_1"  "External"
        Option      "monitor-PANEL" "Panel"      
        Option      "RROutputOrder"           "PANEL"
        Option   "AccelMethod"  "EXA"                
        Option "Audio" "on"                          
        Option "HDMI" "all"                          
EndSection                                           

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier   "External"
        Option       "RightOf" "Panel"
        Option "PreferredMode" "1920x1080"
EndSection                                

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier   "Panel"
        Option "PreferredMode" "1440x900"
EndSection                               



Section "ServerFlags"
        Option  "DontZap"       "False"
EndSection

TIA

[OrangeOne]

X.Org X Server 1.6.0
Release Date: 2009-2-25
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-15-server x86_64 Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux FairyTail 2.6.28-13-generic #44-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jun 2 07:55:09 UTC 2009 x86_64
Build Date: 09 April 2009  02:11:54AM
xorg-server 2:1.6.0-0ubuntu14 (buildd@crested.buildd)
        Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
        to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
        (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
        (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sat Jun 20 20:04:02 2009
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(==) No Layout section.  Using the first Screen section.
(**) |-->Screen "Default Screen" (0)
(**) |   |-->Monitor "Configured Monitor"
(**) |   |-->Device "Configured Video Device"
(**) Option "DontZap" "False"
(==) Automatically adding devices
(==) Automatically enabling devices
(WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic" does not exist.
        Entry deleted from font path.
(==) FontPath set to:
        /usr/share/fonts/X11/misc,
        /usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled,
        /usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled,
        /usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1,
        /usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi,
        /usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi,
        /var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType,
        built-ins
(==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
(II) Cannot locate a core pointer device.
(II) Cannot locate a core keyboard device.
(II) The server relies on HAL to provide the list of input devices.
        If no devices become available, reconfigure HAL or disable AllowEmptyInput.
(II) Loader magic: 0xb40
(II) Module ABI versions:
        X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
        X.Org Video Driver: 5.0
        X.Org XInput driver : 4.0
        X.Org Server Extension : 2.0
(II) Loader running on linux
(++) using VT number 7

(--) PCI:*(0@1:0:0) ATI Technologies Inc Mobility Radeon HD 3650 rev 0, Mem @ 0xd0000000/268435456, 0xcfef0000/6
5536, I/O @ 0x00002000/256, BIOS @ 0x????????/131072

(II) Loading extension DRI2
(II) LoadModule: "radeonhd"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//radeonhd_drv.so
(II) Module radeonhd: vendor="AMD GPG"
        compiled for 1.6.0, module version = 1.2.5
        Module class: X.Org Video Driver
        ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 5.0
(II) RADEONHD: X driver for the following AMD GPG (ATI) graphics devices:

I didn't want to put my whole xorg.conf (I didn't want to pollute) but if anything important is missing please feel free to say so.

TIA

[forum1793]

Regarding your font size: I noticed a similar issue going from PC LCD to big TV LCD. With KDE you can increase it. In KDE 4.2, open System Settings -> Appearance -> Fonts and then change Force fonts DPI: to 96 DPI. If you still need bigger try the next one (125 I think). I never figured how to do this in xfce. Maybe in one of the .hidden files.

I don't remember how this is done in kde3 but it would b similar. K(start) button - settings..etc.

Not sure about your tearing issue. My guess is you'll have better performance with the catalyst driver. I'm using an HD3200 with fglrx and even with compiz on the system works well, until I play a dvd and then have blinking problems until turn compiz off.

Radeonhd works OK for me in 2D, you may also have to use newer libdrm and mesa but I'm not sure for your hardware. I would imagine a HD3600 would be faster than a HD3200 so your system should be fast enough.

what does the following output

cat /var/log/X*log | grep EE
cat /var/log/X*log | grep WW

[chithanh]

I was not convinced by the quality of the hdmi display when watching a movie (gl output). Furthermore I had a lot of tearing on the hdmi (when playing a movie) thing that i don't have on my laptop screen.

What do you mean by "gl output"? If that refers to the OpenGL output of mplayer etc. then this will probably not work properly. The correct output is xv.
Also does the tearing disappear if you disable the internal panel or switch to 1920x1080Scaled mode with xrandr during playback?

[OrangeOne]

Thanks for your quick reply!

grep EE /var/log/Xorg.0.log
        (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(II) Loading extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
(EE) AIGLX error: dlopen of /usr/lib/dri/r600_dri.so failed (/usr/lib/dri/r600_dri.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory)
(EE) AIGLX: reverting to software rendering
(EE) AIGLX error: dlopen of /usr/lib/dri/r600_dri.so failed (/usr/lib/dri/r600_dri.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory)
(EE) AIGLX: reverting to software rendering
(EE) XKB: No components provided for device Virtual core keyboard
(EE) AIGLX error: dlopen of /usr/lib/dri/r600_dri.so failed (/usr/lib/dri/r600_dri.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory)
(EE) AIGLX: reverting to software rendering
(EE) XKB: No components provided for device Virtual core keyboard

grep WW /var/log/Xorg.0.log
        (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic" does not exist.
(WW) RADEONHD(0): Direct rendering for R600 and up forced on - This is NOT officially supported yet and may cause instabilityor lockups
(WW) RADEONHD(0): Unknown vendor-specific block 0
(WW) RADEONHD(0): Unknown vendor-specific block 0
(WW) RADEONHD(0): Unknown vendor-specific block 0
(WW) RADEONHD(0): Unknown vendor-specific block 0
(WW) Couldn't load XKB keymap, falling back to pre-XKB keymap
(WW) RADEONHD(0): Unknown vendor-specific block 0
(WW) RADEONHD(0): Unknown vendor-specific block 0
(WW) RADEONHD(0): Unknown vendor-specific block 0
(WW) Couldn't load XKB keymap, falling back to pre-XKB keymap
(WW) RADEONHD(0): Unknown vendor-specific block 0
(WW) RADEONHD(0): Unknown vendor-specific block 0
(WW) RADEONHD(0): Unknown vendor-specific block 0

When I used the gl output i meant the OpenGl output. The correct output may be xv but when I used the catalyst driver I experencied tearing and flickering everytime the xv output was used (on the laptop screen and on the tv). The OpenGl output was the only one i could use without crying.
I will try to disable the panel with xrandr.

Regarding the fontsize problem forum1793 was right. Forcing the font to 96 dpi did the trick. BTW kubuntu 9.04 is shipped with KDE 4.2.

My aim is to be able to watch videos without any tearing or flickering effect on my laptop screen and on my tv (but not necessarily at the same time). I don't care if the driver i have to use lacks 3D as I don't play. From the few tests I did, the 2D acceleration of the radeonhd may be better than the fglrx one.

[OrangeOne]

Unfortunately disabling the panel (xrandr --output PANEL --off) had no effect on the tearing.

[suokko]

You should disable composite window manager and try again without it. Kwin does Xrender composite so it an be enabled without 3D support. Composite wm happens to be most like reason to tearing with randeon/radeonhd. (btw, Does radeon work instead of radeonhd?)

Also try to run

sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

That will clean your xorg.conf from fglrx stuff (you should back up it in case you want to install fglrx back)

PS. http://pastebin.com

[bridgman]

If you're running fglrx then using gl output works best. If you are running radeon or radeonhd on a 6xx/7xx then Xv should work fine without tearing, and since the 3D driver is still in development you can't use GL output anyways.

[OrangeOne]

Before switching to the radeonhd driver I uninstalled the fglrx driver (using the provided uninstall script). Then I executed the command "sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg".

As far as I know I'm not using Windows composite nor any kde effect (they are
disabled).

I haven't tried radeon instead of radeonhd as there is no use: I want hdmi output. Furthermore I only get tearing when playing a video using the hdmi output (on my tv). So far everything is perfect on my laptop screen.

[bridgman]

Just in case it helps, the difference between radeon and radeonhd w.r.t. hdmi is the ability to output audio over hdmi - both of them output video over hdmi.

I'm starting to think your tearing problem might be as simple as the tear-free code syncing video to your laptop screen's timing rather than to your external screen. I think the logic is a bit different in radeon, but all I remember for sure is agd5f specifically talking about how the multi-screen case was handled for tear-free in radeon vs not hearing a similar discussion for radeonhd. The code could be identical, I don't know, but it wouldn't hurt to see if radeon handles tearing on the second screen any better. If it does, then that's an easy clue for radeonhd...