HOWTO: Watch videos with TV-Out from Xrandr
Updated 10/22/2009
Warning: I've had X freeze on me a couple times with this (and Xrandr in general). Use at your own risk, and make sure you don't have important unsaved files open while using it. I've never had it freeze with Compiz turned off, but that doesn't mean it never will.
Edit: It seems that I was making this harder than it had to be by using VLC. MPlayer and SMPlayer behave almost perfectly in this setup. Instructions altered to encourage simplicity.
This will allow you to watch videos on a TV connected through an S-video cable. It requires that your video drivers be Xrandr-capable. At the moment this includes (AFAIK) the open-source ATI and Intel drivers included with Ubuntu (and maybe the open-source nVidia ones as well). If you figure out ways for this to work with additional players, post it in this thread and I'll add it to this post. Special thanks to this post: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...87#post3467287
Step 1
First, make sure the TV is connected.
Then, install xvattr by entering the following in a terminal:
Code:
sudo apt-get install xvattr
A similar command would install VLC, MPlayer, or SMPlayer if they are not installed already.
Step 2a: For MPlayer/SMPlayer
Mplayer should require no configuration.
In SMPlayer, go to Options -> Preferences -> Advanced and check the "Run MPlayer in its own window" option. Then click "Apply" and "OK."
Next, use Xrandr to enable the TV:
Code:
xrandr --addmode S-video 800x600
xrandr --output S-video --mode 800x600 --crtc 1
This will display an 800x600 area of your desktop with its top left corner aligned with the top left corner of your screen. When you play a video, the fullscreen should fill up this area but not the rest of your monitor. Continue to step three.
Step 2b: For VLC
Open up VLC and go to Settings->Preferences. Click on the check box at the bottom to show "Advanced options." Click the item on the left labeled "Video." Enter 800 in "Video Width," 600 in "Video Height," and 200 in both "Video X coordinate" and "Video y coordinate." Uncheck "Window decoration." Now click on the left to Interfaces-> Main Interfaces-> wxWidgets and uncheck "Embed video in interface." This will make the video appear in a separate window without decoration occupying the space that is displayed on the TV. Save your settings. You may have to restart the program for this to take effect.
Next, use Xrandr to enable the TV:
Code:
xrandr --addmode S-video 800x600
xrandr --output S-video --mode 800x600 --pos 200x200 --crtc 1
This will display an 800x600 area of your desktop with its top left corner 200 pixels to the right and 200 pixels down from the top left corner of your screen. If you don't have a top panel, you can omit the parts about the video coordinates and the --pos 200x200. In either case, do not set the video to fullscreen.
Step 3
Now set the Xv overlay to appear on the TV:
Code:
xvattr -a XV_CRTC -v 1
If some white areas get full of noise (a known problem which should be fixed in the drivers soon), try:
Code:
xvattr -a XV_BRIGHTNESS -v -30
And you should be good to go!
When you want to return to normal, simply enter the following:
Code:
xvattr -a XV_CRTC -v 0
xrandr --output S-video --off
For a script to switch between the two states, see this post.
Re: HOWTO: Watch videos with TV-Out from Xrandr
What you don't like with displayconfig-gtk ?
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DisplayConfigGTK
Re: HOWTO: Watch videos with TV-Out from Xrandr
Quote:
Originally Posted by
frodon
It won't let me set the TV as a secondary screen. The only options availiable are "default screen" and "disabled." Also my video card's max texture size is 2048x2048, so if I wanted the screens to display side by side, I'd have to disable Compiz.
Re: HOWTO: Watch videos with TV-Out from Xrandr
I have same problem as CarpKing. I can't change values in displayconfig-gtk to others than "default screen" and "disabled". Even if I try connect sencondary monitor.
Is there any way to solve this problem?
Re: HOWTO: Watch videos with TV-Out from Xrandr
Quote:
Originally Posted by
frodon
DisplayConfigGTK doesn't support xrandr. It's a very poor tool to use for multiple monitors with the intel or radeon driver.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...tk/+bug/144641
Re: HOWTO: Watch videos with TV-Out from Xrandr
First post updated with a simpler method and (hopefully) better organization.
Re: HOWTO: Watch videos with TV-Out from Xrandr
If i were wanting to use my RCA out on my card how would i change the code?
Re: HOWTO: Watch videos with TV-Out from Xrandr
Hello,
Thank you for this thread, I am now able to have a desktop on two screens and it's very useful.
I have almost reached the result i am looking for :
I have a Dell laptop which i put on a work station linked to a dell screen or which i directly connect to a TV. I don't want to have one big desktop on my two screens. I'd rather have two separate desktops, one on each screen. Is this possible with xrandr ? If not, what would be the best solution ?
Thank you in advance
PC
Re: HOWTO: Watch videos with TV-Out from Xrandr
When I entered
Code:
xrandr --addmode S-video 800x600
I got:
Code:
xrandr: cannot find output "S-video"
I'm using xrandr 1.2.2, with an ATI Radeon Xpress 200M using the open-source "ati" driver, on Gutsy. Display on the TV through the S-video cable works okay, except I am not able to watch video on the TV, only the monitor. Additonally, entering
Code:
xvattr -a XV_CRTC -v 1
returns this:
Code:
Found Xv 2.2
X Error of failed request: BadMatch (invalid parameter attributes)
Major opcode of failed request: 140 (XVideo)
Minor opcode of failed request: 13 ()
Serial number of failed request: 11
Current serial number in output stream: 12
xrandr by itself returns:
Code:
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1280 x 800, maximum 1280 x 800
default connected 1280x800+0+0 0mm x 0mm
1280x800 60.0*
1024x768 60.0
1024x480 60.0
848x480 60.0
800x600 60.0
720x576 60.0
720x480 60.0
640x480 60.0
640x400 60.0
640x350 60.0
512x384 60.0
400x300 60.0
320x240 60.0
320x200 60.0
Re: HOWTO: Watch videos with TV-Out from Xrandr
Hey yeah, that's cool
The problem is I want to watch a movie on the TV AND still be able to work on the monitor. When I do full screen in the VLC or SMPlayer the first screen goes black... hmm.
In XP I can start a movie and it goes full screen on the TV, the monitor is all mine.