no video overlay on external monitor

[Tomek Bury]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-video-ati

I could watch video on laptop's panel and on external monitor connected to laptop's VGA output in fiesty. After upgrading to gutsy the video overlay stopped working on the external monitor (internal panel shows video, external shows only the key colour). Downgrading xserver-xorg-video-ati to fiesty version fixes problem.

My HW: Dell Latitude C660 laptop with 32" HDTV connected to the VGA output.

lspci | grep VGA:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility M7 LW [Radeon Mobility 7500]

xorg.conf comes from distro, I haven't modify it. If you need any further info, please let me know.

Cheers,
Tomek

[Tomek Bury (tomek-bury)]

FYI:
1:6.6.2-0ubuntu4 (edgy) is fine
1:6.7.195-1ubuntu2 (gutsy) is broken

[SteveGotthardt (gotthardt)]

I have the same video card - lspic:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility M7 LW [Radeon Mobility 7500]
I no longer can watch video: movies (avi, etc) and mythtv no longer work - I just see the key color (all blue) where the video should be displayed. The audio is fine and the player counts the time passing.
regards,
Steve

[Peter Clifton (pcjc2)]

Can you post the /var/log/Xorg.0.log from the running server and the config files please /etc/X11/xorg.conf

I'm not running ATI hardware at the moment, but suspect the video overlay can only be active on one pipeline at once. The fact that it worked in Fiesty may suggest there was fallback to software drawing, or some other subtle driver configuration at play.

If you still have access to the Fiesty install (live CD perhaps if you upgraded from Fiesty already), could you also post the xorg.conf and Xorg.0.log from that configuration.

[SteveGotthardt (gotthardt)]

Here is my xorg.conf
Ill attach the log

Section "Files"
        FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
        FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
        FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
        FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
        FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
        FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
        FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
        FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
        # path to defoma fonts
        FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
        Load "i2c"
        Load "bitmap"
        Load "ddc"
        Load "dri"
        Load "extmod"
        Load "freetype"
        Load "glx"
        Load "int10"
        Load "type1"
        Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
        Driver "kbd"
        Option "CoreKeyboard"
        Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
        Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
        Option "XkbLayout" "us"
        Option "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier "Configured Mouse"
        Driver "mouse"
        Option "CorePointer"
        Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
        Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
        Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
        Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
        Driver "synaptics"
        Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
        Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
        Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
        Option "HorizScrollDelta" "0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Screen 0
        Identifier "ATI0"
        Driver "ati"
        BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
        Option "AGPMode" "4"
EndSection

#Laptop Display
Section "Monitor"
        Identifier "Laptop Display"
        Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Default Screen"
        Device "ATI0"
        Monitor "Laptop Display"
        DefaultDepth 16
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 1
                Modes "1400x1050"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 4
                Modes "1400x1050"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 8
                Modes "1400x1050"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 15
                Modes "1400x1050"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 16
                Modes "1400x1050"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth 24
                Modes "1400x1050"
        EndSubSection
EndSec...

[ArtM (lazyart)]

Confirming this bug as I have same video card, same issue-- no video in Totem/xine/VLC.

[Binil Thomas (binil-thomas-public)]

Confirming the same issue on my laptop too, after upgrading to Gusty.

When I use Totem to take a screenshot, I get a regular screenshot though.

[SteveGotthardt (gotthardt)]

I was able to get my video to work again by using the synaptic package manager to reinstall the xserver-xorg-video-ati and then do a sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg. Seem to be ok now.

[SteveGotthardt (gotthardt)]

Rats, when I switch to 16bit, the overlay stop working again - I guess I can switch to 24bit to play vids

[Tomek Bury (tomek-bury)]

Hi,

I can't do anything at the moment. My laptop's power supply just broke down,
I have to wait for a replacement.

Cheers,
Tomek

2007/10/26, SteveGotthardt <email address hidden>:
>
> Rats, when I switch to 16bit, the overlay stop working again - I guess I
> can switch to 24bit to play vids
>
> --
> no video overlay on external monitor
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/155157
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[eliza (frithjof-hammer)]

> Rats, when I switch to 16bit, the overlay stop working again - I guess I
 > can switch to 24bit to play vids

I can confirm this: Videos are playing in 24bit color mode, but not in 16bit.

Both the radeon and the ati driver are showing the same behaivour.

[Samme (316097)]

I have this problem too with the Radeon Mobility 7500, does anyone have a clue what to do to make it work again?

[desperately-trying-to-go-ubuntu (djordi)]

i have the same problem. multi monitors in linux has always been a reason i never went 100% linux in the house. i have the exact same issue described here. the external monitor drives a projector and that won't show the video, just black in that box. i have not tried a screen capture. i tried to reinstall and reconfigure xserver-xorg-video-ati as above but that did not help, possibly because i am not in 24 bit color mode but i don't know how to change that. one thread i tried indicated editing the xorg.conf file but that had no section in it for color depth. why isn't color depth just part of the screen resolution tool as one would expect?

speaking of the screen resolution tool: if i uncheck "clone displays" or whatever, it still only shows the one display. "detect" does nothing either, but when i try to change the resolution after unchecking clone, then suddenly it shows the other display as "unknown". i can change the resolution of that seperately and that actually widens my projector display (though it doesn't stretch the taskbar to fit). now i am from the windowsXP familiarity so i expect a button to "make primary", so that you could at least watch video on the external but not the internal.

another question i have related to this is why does my Fn key to switch between int/ext/both do NOTHING? in windows you have to be set to "both" before it even sees the displays seperately, else if set to int it clones to the ext. what i want to do in ubuntu is just set it to EXT only because i have a hunch that would be a workaround to this bug but i can't even do that because of what appears to be another bug related to Fn keys. i tried using that xev tool to see if i just have a x keyboard congfig issue, but pressing Fn or Fn+ext display key does not indicate any activity is happening at all.

AND, at no point after the booting-up screen is the S-video output detected or displaying anything. on boot up it shows a clone of the main screen, after that it is disabled and i can't find any info on activating this. i windows you used an ATI tool to switch between no more than TWO of: INT, EXT, S-Video in various combinations of cloning and multi-displays.

anyway, this is the ONLY thing i do with this laptop: display movies to a projector from a network with the occassional browse of the net, so it seems like a real shame that i have to run windows to accomplish something that Macs could do 16 years ago.

can someone resume this thread and help us start working through these issues until they are resolved? i would be happy to post any debug info or config info to help. i am running a compaq evo N610c, but i have seen that Fn keys and external/multi monitor issues are a common problem on many laptops.

[desperately-trying-to-go-ubuntu (djordi)]

running ubuntu 8.04

[desperately-trying-to-go-ubuntu (djordi)]

flash videos like youtube work.
is there a software video player that would not try to use overlay?

[desperately-trying-to-go-ubuntu (djordi)]

just to confirm, the Fn/int/ext key works without windows (i heard toshiba fn keys required special windows drivers) because i can force to external display during the boot up sequence, even during the ubuntu load screen. but once X starts it takes control and activates both displays again. how rude. after that the key does nothing.

i also noticed that the internal display does not power down when the screen goes blank after several minutes to save power -- just black (not off).

i know these are all different bugs.

trying downgrade xserver-xorg-video-ati to fiesty version...

[desperately-trying-to-go-ubuntu (djordi)]

i have no option in hardy to use a lower version of xserver-xorg-video-ati
also, having successfully set color depth to 24 bit i still have no working video overlay on external monitor.

[desperately-trying-to-go-ubuntu (djordi)]

wonder if this would help
http://gatos.sourceforge.net/
at least for the svideo-out

[Tomek Bury (tomek-bury)]

Hi all,

I'm affraid my old laptop died and the new one doesn't have ATI card.
In my case downgrading to xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.6.2-0ubuntu4 (edgy)
fixed the problem.

Cheers,
Tomek

2008/5/24 desperately-trying-to-go-ubuntu <email address hidden>:

> wonder if this would help
> http://gatos.sourceforge.net/
> at least for the svideo-out
>
> --
> no video overlay on external monitor
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/155157
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Roy Kimbrell (roy-kimbrell)]

If the external monitor is showing a blue rectangle where the video is supposed to be, this is probably a video overlay problem associated with the driver for the particular graphics chips. I obtained this info from here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=123082

I have the same problem with a Thinkpad X60s - Intel graphics. I did what anewguy suggested and was able to display videos on an external monitor. This will work, he says, if you have an overlay problem. You start the video with one instance of the player (e.g., mplayer). It should show a blue rectangle on the external monitor. Pause it and minimize it. Then start the video again with another instance of a player. I had to use a different program because the default program would just start the video all over again. So I started with mplayer, paused it. Then I started the video again with vlc. This worked. The video showed up on the external monitor.

So at least on a Thinkpad X60s, there's an overlay problem in the graphics drivers.

Roy

[tgwit (tgwit)]

Why to use overlay?

Hardy with default settings on ThinkPad T40. Video player: Kaffeine (xine engine). Cloned display (projector) did not show video (just darkness ..and subtitles). VLC and MPlayer works fine (on both displays).

Here's my solution: In Kaffeine: Settings / xine Engine Parameters / video / set the videodriver to xshm.

[Roy Kimbrell (roy-kimbrell)]

That worked. Thank you. Installed xine-ui, set experience level to advanced. Changed video codec to xshm. Nice workaround. Again - thanks.

Roy

[Dorgendubal (svenwerlen)]

Try also the following:

1) Connect your projector/beamer or external monitor:
2) You might need to change your screen resolution to avoid problems
3) Execute the following command
aticonfig --enable-monitor=auto

OR

3) Check which are the monitors connected to your notebook by executing:
aticonfig --query-monitor
4) For the connected monitors (ex: lvds,crt1), enable them by executing:
aticonfig --enable-monitor=lvds,crt1

It's an ugly workaround but it works on my notebook.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Thanks for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. In the development cycle for Intrepid there have been some vast improvements in the open source ati video driver and we could use your help testing them. Could you please download the latest Alpha CD image of Intrepid and test this particular bug just using the Live CD? You can find the latest image at http://www.ubuntu.com/testing . Your testing can help make Ubuntu and the open source ati driver even better! Thanks in advance.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Heya tomek.bury,

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.

[Tomek Bury (tomek-bury)]

Hiya,

I'm the original reporter but I can't tell whether the issue still exist
because my old laptop with this ATI card has died some time ago.

Cheers,
Tomek

2008/10/17 Bryce Harrington <email address hidden>

> Heya tomek.bury,
>
>
> We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from
> the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free
> to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test
> against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the
> bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.
>
>
> ** Changed in: xserver-xorg-video-ati (Ubuntu)
> Status: Incomplete => Invalid
>
> --
> no video overlay on external monitor
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/155157
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Roy Kimbrell (roy-kimbrell)]

I still have a laptop that's affected by this problem. I'll get the beta and see what I can find out.

Roy

[Roy Kimbrell (roy-kimbrell)]

Good news.

I ran a test of the current Ubuntu 8.10 beta (Intrepid Ibex) and the results are highly promising.

the test machine was an IBM Thinkpad X60s w/2GB RAM. I downloaded the current Ubuntu 8.10 beta (Intrepid) from http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/intrepid/beta on Friday, 17 October and burned a CD with the image. I also downloaded a test video (F-18A_Active_Aeroelastic_Wing_flight_test.ogg) onto another machine, because I needed an open source format for the test to preclude having to load a bunch of codecs. I wanted to use just the default Intrepid environment.

I booted the Thinkpad with the Intrepid image and copied the test video (via sftp) from the other machine. I then connected an external monitor to the Thinkpad and configured it with the default application (I think it was Screen Resolution in Preferences). I took the default desktop, which spanned both the laptop's screen and the external monitor. I restarted X (logged out and back in). Finally I double clicked on the video icon. It DID DISPLAY on the external monitor. Yeah!

I shut down the laptop and rebooted it's native OS: Ubuntu 7.10, Gutsy. (I use Gutsy because of some other problems with 8.04, Hardy.) The external monitor was still connected. In this configuration, it mirrored the laptop's screen. (I checked the Administration>>Screen and Graphics and verified that that's how it was configured.) I copied the same test video to this machine and double-clicked on it. The video displayed on the Thinkpad screen but DID NOT DISPLAY on the external monitor.

So there you go. This is NOT a complete test of the display functionality, but it is certainly encouraging.

Thanks to everyone for all their hard work.

Roy

[desperately-trying-to-go-ubuntu (djordi)]

the cd drive on my laptop died so i was unable to test intrepid.

[tc10b (tconnolly2005)]

I am running Intrepid on my T40. This bug is still present as I was unable to watch DVDs in Xine until I used the xshm method as detailed above by tgwit.

[tc10b (tconnolly2005)]

BTW Kudos to all for their suggestions on how to fix this problem.

Tom