Hi,
I’ve been pondering the build of a home entertainment system recently and
I’m wondering what happens in terms of a monitor during the boot process.
The box wouldn’t have a normal VDU but would be connected to a TV - can this
serve as the boot monitor if it’s connected by
Can anyone enlighten me?
–
Alan
Hi Alan,
Since you haven’t provided any hardware or software clues about your intended build, I take it that you are only asking for an “in principle” answer here.
I cannot give you an answer about
- HDMI on the motherboard
so I will have to leave that to someone else.
However as far as
- S-Video on a Graphics/TV card
is concerned:
A TV connected via a graphics card can suffice as the only display (I know because I have tested this) if you configure xorg.conf properly (under these circumstances the X server will start OK). However, in order to achieve this, I think you will probably find it easiest to first connect a conventional monitor to allow you to configure TVOut properly.
Terry.
Bloggs J wrote:
>
> Hi Alan,
>
> Since you haven’t provided any hardware or software clues about your
> intended build, I take it that you are only asking for an “in principle”
> answer here.
>
> I cannot give you an answer about
>> 1) HDMI on the motherboardso I will have to leave that to someone else.
>
> However as far as
>> 2) S-Video on a Graphics/TV cardis concerned:
>
> A TV connected via a graphics card can suffice as the only display (I
> know because I have tested this) if you configure xorg.conf properly
> (under these circumstances the X server will start OK). However, in
> order to achieve this, I think you will probably find it easiest to
> first connect a conventional monitor to allow you to configure TVOut
> properly.
>
> Terry.
>
>
Yep - this is still just ‘in principle’.
The motherboards I’ve been looking at have HDMI connections but ATM I don’t
know if the on board graphics would have the muscle I’d need.
If the on board graphics aren’t up to the job then it’s a graphics/TV card
with S-video.
If I do build this it’ll be in the living room attached to the TV
(obviously) and I don’t want to have have a monitor in there taking up space
if I don’t need it.
The reason I may need a boot monitor is if (say) I use an encrypted
partition and need to enter a passphrase otherwise I’d happily run headless
and only attach a monitor for rebuilds or similar.
Oh yes - I’d attach a fairly standard monitor for building - KISS, KISS -
always KISS 
Alan
–
Alan
From my experience (YMMV):
M/B HDMI out can be connected to a digital TV used as main monitor. Sometimes the TV won’t inform it’s parameters correctly (malformed EDID), so if you get a black screen it’s advisable to set up the system first to a low standard resolution (like 1024x768 or 800 x 600) and test larger res with randr or nvidia-settings or whatever you use.
Install/set the system first with a monitor attached, then switch to the tv. Do not try both at the same time, as the X server will try to match both monitors with the VGA or DVI as main, which you don’t want.
It makes no real sense to use the svideo out in a digital monitor, unless you only plan to use it for watching movies. There is a perceptible loss in quality due to the type of digital-analog-digital conversion. Anything with text in it (like games) will look bad/dithered - or at least worse than if pure you use a digital or VGA connection. Most flat digital TVs I know of have HDMI and VGA connectors.
Any reasonably recent nvidia or ati onboard graphics is more than enough to play 1080p (h264 encoded) video. However those small Atom CPUs (with pineview video GPUs) are too weak to show hi-res content - although it will play most directx 7/8 games in 800 x 600. It’s like the gamer GPUs of ten years ago…
For multimedia I use xbmc (packages in packman) with opensuse 11.1 and 11.3. MythTV is hard to set up but support recording and gaming.
Fair comment. However, don’t overlook that s-video output provides an easy means of recording video at between VHS and DVD quality. Having said that, don’t forget copyright law.
Terry.
I can’t see any use for that, i.e., why transfer something digital (from your computer) to analog (the s-video recording device)? Now, a s-video INPUT might be useful for tranferring those old tape recordings to a digital format. I still have some tapes from a JVC camcorder I bought almost 13 years ago - and still works.
I regret branching off on this side topic. I have nothing more to say other than re-emphasising the advice in the final sentence of my previous reply. This is my last post on this side topic. Over and out.
Terry.
brunomcl wrote:
>
> From my experience (YMMV):
>
> M/B HDMI out can be connected to a digital TV used as main monitor.
> Sometimes the TV won’t inform it’s parameters correctly (malformed
> EDID), so if you get a black screen it’s advisable to set up the system
> first to a low standard resolution (like 1024x768 or 800 x 600) and test
> larger res with randr or nvidia-settings or whatever you use.
>
> Install/set the system first with a monitor attached, then switch to
> the tv. Do not try both at the same time, as the X server will try to
> match both monitors with the VGA or DVI as main, which you don’t want.
>
> It makes no real sense to use the svideo out in a digital monitor,
> unless you only plan to use it for watching movies. There is a
> perceptible loss in quality due to the type of digital-analog-digital
> conversion. Anything with text in it (like games) will look bad/dithered
> - or at least worse than if pure you use a digital or VGA connection.
> Most flat digital TVs I know of have HDMI and VGA connectors.
>
> Any reasonably recent nvidia or ati onboard graphics is more than
> enough to play 1080p (h264 encoded) video. However those small Atom CPUs
> (with pineview video GPUs) are too weak to show hi-res content -
> although it will play most directx 7/8 games in 800 x 600. It’s like the
> gamer GPUs of ten years ago…
>
> For multimedia I use xbmc (packages in packman) with opensuse 11.1 and
> 11.3. MythTV is hard to set up but support recording and gaming.
>
>
That sounds like the info I was after
Thanks
–
Alan