[mythtv-users] Tip: Reading XFree86 Modelines from MS Windows

[Henk Poley]

You can use PowerStrip under Microsoft Windows to export the the current
screen resolution settings into Modeline information ready to be pasted
into your XF86Config(-4). You will need to register this app if you want to
use after 30 days, it's shareware. But well, you only need to use it once,
so that's not a problem.

Yes, this has been mentioned before on this list. The guy forgot one thing,
where exactly to find this option in PowerStrip. I've read about people
being 'lost' in the program, so it wouldn't hurt to post a little howto.

1. Install PowerStrip (and reboot...)
2. Run PowerStrip (dôh..)
3. Right click on taskbar icon
4. Select: "Display profiles" -> "Configure..."
5. Click "Advanced timing options..." button
6. Click the "Copy timing to clipboard" button at the bottom
7. Paste the info in some text editor (ex: notepad)
8. The last line is the XFree86 Modeline settings. Put them in you Monitor
section of XF86Config(-4). Don't forget to add 'Modeline' in front of it...
9. XFree86 modelines can be converted to framebuffer modelines (untested).

This can be handy if you dual boot between Microsoft Windows and Linux (for
a MythTV frontend for example) and want to have the same settings on both
of them. Aka:
- If you are unhappy with the standard setting that were chosen (due to no
DDC support on either VGA card or screen).
- If you have an older monitor that doesn't automaticly fit the screen, so
having systemwide default settings keeps you from continuesly adjusting the
monitor controls.
- XFree86 doesn't probe HDTV resolutions your card can do. Exporting them
from MS Windows will work most of the time.

Some Links:
- Powerstrip: [Click "End Users" -> "Powerstrip" for the latest version]
  http://www.entechtaiwan.net/ 
- XFree86 Video Timings HOWTO:
  http://en.tldp.org/HOWTO/XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO/
- How do I convert XFree86 mode-lines into framebuffer device timings?
  http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Framebuffer-HOWTO-18.html

	Henk Poley <><


NB: PowerStrip can also do the reverse. Then you'll need to copy some
XFree86 modeline on the clipboard, and press "Paste timings from
clipboard". Store this new monitor profile and install it as your default
monitor (haven't tried this, so no exact info).

NB2: PowerStrip somehow doubled the frequency, on my machine, when reading
it out. Cutting the first value after the resolution in half will fix this.