[mythtv-users] Zotac ION / no video using DVI/HDMI and nvidia driver

Nick F nikos.f at gmail.com
Wed Jun 10 22:06:51 UTC 2009


On Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 10:14 AM, Paul Gallaway<pgallaway at gmail.com> wrote:
>> First, you can get a TTY by changing to one, which means your HDMI
>> output is definitely working to that TV.
>> Unless I missed it, the one thing you haven't mentioned is if your TV
>> supports HDCP or not.
>> Is there anything in the Zotac BIOS to turn off HDCP?
>
> Barring an obvious menu change, there does appear to be some trouble
> with the set and 1:1 pixel mapping over HDMI, possibly HDCP related.
> Read the thread on your TV set over at avsforum as the info is there
> but it's going to take more time to find it than the 5 minutes I spent
> looking. Apparently there is a possible solution posted but I gave up
> looking for it (found lots of responses referencing it but no one
> bothered posting a link). If it involves the service menu you will
> probably have to request someone PM the instructions to you.
> http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1039018
>
> My next suggestion would have been to look at defining an EDID in your
> xorg.conf or forcing a modeline  Both are discussed here:
> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/372280#372280
> If it's an HDCP problem then you are unlikely to get very far with
> either of those methods.

Thanks guys - a HDCP issue is certainly possible.  I see no way to
turn it off on the ION within the nvidia settings available in
xorg.conf, and I can't figure it out on the TV (and I've gone into the
service menu using the instructructions from avsforums).  I have
defined several EDIDs and forced modelines - X validates the ones in
spec, uses them - but I get the blank picture syndrome (regardless of
resolution).  What's really strange is that it's clearly not an
electrical connection issue - because the same setup with the vesa
driver (rather than nvidia) works just fine (but I can't use
accelerated video which obviously doesn't work for the application).

Last night in dispair - I took my system from the basement which
drives the 1080p BenQ projector (which is an Atom 330 + a 8400GS
nvidia board) and saw if that worked with my TV.  It works fine!  I
thought that would be similar to the ION - being an Atom plus a VDPAU
capable nvidia, using the same driver.

I then took the troublesome Zotac IONITX and connected it to the BenQ
- and it works fine!  So - for now I've just swapped them around. It
doesn't completely solve my issue - since I wanted audio over HDMI -
and my 8400GS has a DVI output, but not a HDMI.

So - it appears there is something peculiar about my TV, and the ION.
I've tried various drivers from the 180.x and the 185.x family - but
maybe need to try a pre-180 driver to see if the behaviour is there as
well (but then I wouldn't get VDPAU - which would defeat the purpose
of the board, but at least narrow down the problem).

If anyone knows how to fiddle with HDCP settings in the nvidia driver
I would appreciate it, if that is indeed the problem. It certainly is
the most logical at this stage.  The only good thing to come of this -
is that I am now completely up to speed with modelines and xorg.conf!


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