Removal of overscan options in 302.07...

[hikaricore]

Removed overscan compensation configurability from NV-CONTROL and nvidia-settings. This can be configured, with finer granularity, through the ViewPortIn and ViewPortOut MetaMode attributes. See "Configuring Multiple Display Devices on One X Screen" in the README for details.

Wow. What a completely ridiculous thing to do... now instead of being able to easily adjust the overscan on my second display with the following in a script at the start of my X session (or a slider via nvidia-settings):

nvidia-settings -a [gpu:0]/OverscanCompensation[DFP-2]=105

I have to physically modify xorg.conf multiple times using badly documented metamodes which have no gui configuration equivalent available in the nvidia-settings application. Seriously, what the hell?

If anyone can tell me the exact modes I need to use to substitute a 105 overscan compensation on a 1360x768 hdmi display it would be greatly appreciated. The devs on the other hand really need to make sure that reasonable configurability is in place for things like this before removing a long standing and perfectly working setting in the future..

[Plagman]

We're working on making the front-end for all of this a little more wieldy and add support to tools such as nvidia-settings; for now, this beta driver only allows you to test the functionality using the MetaMode syntax.

With that said, do keep in mind that you don't have to change xorg.conf or restart your X server to test new MetaModes. You can add them through nvidia-settings and the "CurrentMetaMode" NV-CONTROL attribute.

[hikaricore]

Well I got it working, but nvidia-settings has to be executed on the display in question for the change to take place... CurrentMetaMode has no effect on the screen otherwise unlike the overscan functions which worked regardless. For anyone else having this sort of issue with an overscan on a 1360x768 display I was able to almost perfectly resolve it via the following metamode:

DISPLAY=:0.1 nvidia-settings --assign CurrentMetaMode="DFP-2: 1360x768 { ViewPortIn=1360x768, ViewPortOut=1260x708+50+30 }"

It's a little off, but tolerable.. and again you have to export this to the display in question since nvidia-settings is currently useless.

[alan242]

I'd like to add too that the new implementation seems to force scaling that visibly exists to the application. In prior versions, it was transparent to the application. With it being visible to the application, it causes bad things in MythTV as it thinks the screen size has changed and tries to scale the theme and other things.

I have a GT 430 connected via HDMI to a Pioneer VSX-919 and that's connected to a Samsung LNS-4692.

In drivers before 302.07 (currently 290.10), I have a line in nvidia-settings.rc of

0/OverscanCompensation[DFP-1]=105

and Mythtv shows this in it's start up logs

2012-05-13 06:38:22.268 Using screen 0, 1920x1080 at 0,0
2012-05-13 06:38:22.276 Desktop video mode: 1920x1080 59.9988 Hz
2012-05-13 06:38:22.294 MythUI Image Cache size set to 20971520 bytes
2012-05-13 06:38:22.317 Enabled verbose msgs: important general
2012-05-13 06:38:22.321 Primary screen: 0.
2012-05-13 06:38:22.321 Using screen 0, 1920x1080 at 0,0

WIth 302.07, I removed the line from nvidia-settings and tried in xorg:

Option "MetaModes" "DFP-1: 1920x1080_60i_0 { ViewPortOut=1914x1074+5+5 }"

and MythTV now does not think the screen is 1920x1080 anymore

2012-05-04 20:07:09.625 Using screen 0, 1914x1074 at 0,0
2012-05-04 20:07:09.666 Desktop video mode: 1920x1080 59.9988 Hz
2012-05-04 20:07:09.694 MythUI Image Cache size set to 20971520 bytes
2012-05-04 20:07:09.726 Enabled verbose msgs: important general
2012-05-04 20:07:09.730 Primary screen: 0.
2012-05-04 20:07:09.731 Using screen 0, 1914x1074 at 0,0

It's noticeable as it causes a pause at MythTV startup as it stops to rescale the theme to the screen. And depending on elements in theme, it introduces graphical artifacts. I noticed it in text and other areas.

Alan

[AaronP]

@hikaricore,
You should be able to specify the display in the attribute syntax, which is documented in the nvidia-settings man page:

nvidia-settings --assign 1/CurrentMetaMode="DFP-2: 1360x768 { ViewPortIn=1360x768, ViewPortOut=1260x708+50+30 }"

Can you describe exactly what you mean by, "It's a little off"?

@alan242,
The old overscan compensation option was guaranteed to cause scaling artifacts because it caused the GPU hardware to scale the output. Using ViewPortOut gives you a 1:1 pixel mapping by actually resizing your desktop to take the border into account. If this causes MythTV to scale various UI elements because it's only designed to work when your desktop is actually 1920x1080, then that's a limitation in MythTV.

If you want the old-style scaling, specify ViewPortIn too:

nvidia-settings -a CurrentMetaMode="DFP-1: 1920x1080_60i_0 { ViewPortIn=1920x1080, ViewPortOut=1914x1074+5+5 }"

[hikaricore]

The syntax has changed so I wasn't aware of the exact way it needed done... and by a little off I mean it's a little off, there's still some overscan and I pretty much just said the hell with it when I got close since this is a completely asinine way of having to do it. I very much look forward to when there's a slider again or atleast a less complicated way of resolving overscan.

[rynosaur]

Originally Posted by hikaricore

The syntax has changed so I wasn't aware of the exact way it needed done... and by a little off I mean it's a little off, there's still some overscan and I pretty much just said the hell with it when I got close since this is a completely asinine way of having to do it. I very much look forward to when there's a slider again or atleast a less complicated way of resolving overscan.

Is it NVIDIA management that tell you guys to take an insouciant attitude toward your paying customers -- especially the ones who are tech saavy and eloquent enough to tell a thousand people on social media that you have a callous attitude toward users' device availability and value for money spent over the life of your products?

I created an account just to back up this (hikaricore's) statement. I've been a very long time NVIDIA enthusiast (i.e., since I chucked my last Diamond AGP 1.0 video card in the trash if that gives you any idea); I have purchased and used to the extreme at least 6 NVIDIA products and I have becoming increasingly skeptical of NVIDIA's attention to detail and concern for its customers, especially in the Linux world. Maybe I need to buy $1500 of 3D gear after all to be "satisfied", but my HDMI audio doesn't work properly in ANY flavor of Linux, and now the last vestiges of GUI friendliness toward odd-sized LCD displays disappears in a flash of "we'll get to that later". Meanwhile, the scaling/resizing feature, HDMI audio, and per user settings work flawlessly in Windows 7, which I avoid like the plague.

Why did you remove the slider? To perfect your vision of scaling? I can't see 25% of the desktop now. Why can't you get ALSA or Pulseaudio to work with your HDMI drivers? I went to "beta" 302.07 because my audio was broken in Debian Squeeze, Debian Lenny, Lubuntu, Linux Mint, Linux Mint Debian, Backbox, Fedora 17, and Xubuntu . . . . only to lose overscan correction. Why do I have become a Linux scripting guru just to correct these problems? Do you force Windows users to manually edit their registries or sys.ini or driverstore binaries just to get serviceable 2.0 or 5.1 audio more than once in a blue moon?

I'd have to see massive improvement in all these areas before ever purchasing another NVIDIA product (my current is a eVGA GT430 1gbDDR3, my last was a PnY 8600gts 512mbX16): you can see I've been less willing recently to shell out big bucks due to shoddy Linux driver coverage and unstable Windows driver performance) or recommending anyone else do the same.

Until then, AMD/ATI or Intel are getting my money. The same goes for tablets. I have an ASUS TF101 with a Tegra 2 which I mostly love, but since no one seems to be able to cure image tearing and overall Android compatibility, I'll wait for some else's latest and greatest.

/rant

[Deanjo]

Originally Posted by rynosaur

I created an account just to back up this (hikaricore's) statement.

So what you are saying is that you have never provided any logs or inquired about any of your issues but instead chose to whine about something you have done absolutely nothing to help your situation with in the first place. That makes me wonder if you even bothered reading the supplied documentation.

[IndyUK]

Originally Posted by hikaricore

Wow. What a completely ridiculous thing to do... now instead of being able to easily adjust the overscan on my second display with the following in a script at the start of my X session (or a slider via nvidia-settings):

Absolutely spot on! What a silly thing to do. My HTPC display is now too big and it's annoying. What I can't understand is what was the rationale behind this? You can't get it easier than a slider. When this was introduced some time ago I was over joyed, but now I have to get my head around the replacement technique. Personally until nVidia improve the UI for this I'm going to get the old driver back. There was no technical need for me to upgrade anyway.

[tiberius]

Originally Posted by AaronP

The old overscan compensation option was guaranteed to cause scaling artifacts because it caused the GPU hardware to scale the output.

I’m all for a newer and better way. Thanks Nvidia...

The foll worked for me on v304.51. GT430, Xubuntu 12.04.1 x32 clean install. ‘Peasants edition’ LG 50 inch Plasma on the DVI port with an HDMI adapter. I’m in PAL land. Please note the need for sudo bcos it does nada without root.

sudo nvidia-settings --assign 0/CurrentMetaMode="DFP-0: 1920x1080 { ViewPortIn=1920x1080, ViewPortOut=1840x1034+40+20 }"

However it was a bit ‘clunky’. I set the width size first and then the width offset wout a problem, however when it came to adjusting the height, which was overshrunk (too small/too narrow) any attempt to increase the 1034 upwards resulted in the width setting going back to default 1920 as well. I tried sticking to MOD 16, and/or keeping the height as an exact 16:9 ratio to the width but no...changing height always sent width back to 1920. In the end the height setting above fills about 95pct of the screen vertically so it’s good enough.

I was also unable to get the setting to stick, so I ended up running the above command at startup in a bash, which the system seems perfectly happy with.

Onwards we go...

T

[///MVinny]

Originally Posted by AaronP

The old overscan compensation option was guaranteed to cause scaling artifacts because it caused the GPU hardware to scale the output.

Although I've been content not having to return to the boards since my beloved Bugfix #309982 http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=90084 I regret to return and discover the beloved o/s compensation slider has been axed. God it. I'll be back later once I find something to smash into pieces.

[///MVinny]

Got beta NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-313.09.run

Then I put into Section "Screen"

Option "MetaModes" "DFP-0: 1920x1200 { ViewPortIn=1920x1080, ViewPortOut=1920x1080+0+60 }"

Looks better.

Come on you guys...

(Sony SXRD 50" HD HDMI -- DVI GTX 580.) Linux Mint 14.