Sony VPC-F11 (VPCF11GGX) Totem and other gstreamer apps have a black screen unless No Xv is selected in gstreamer-properties under Video Default Output

[Derek]

This is a default Natty install. I'm filing these bugs against the laptop due to the current lack of a Laptop compatibility database for Ubuntu. Also, since Launchpad appears to not do hierarchies like Bugzilla, I can't link them together as a set of problems with this model, assuming this was considered appropriate.
The other bug I've filed so far against this model is bug #791898

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GT218 [GeForce 310M] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
        Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device 9067
        Kernel driver in use: nvidia

[Shimi Chen (shimi-chen)]

Are you using Compiz(Unity or Classic session) or Metacity(Classic(No Effects) session)?

[Derek (bugs-m8y)]

Compiz with classic. However. Main issue seems to be I was using the nouveau driver - not nvidia as I had thought. I reinstalled nvidia, and everything seems fine now. Can close this out I think.

[Derek (bugs-m8y)]

Well. I sincerely apologise.
I *was* on nouveau and I saw this behaviour.

I used gstreamer-properties under nvidia and thought I saw an ok test screen, but I must have screwed up somehow? 'cause now I'm back to blackness in nvidia as well.

The only thing I can think of is it is related to suspend on closed lid, which seems to occasionally muddle brightness.

I'm going to reboot now, and see if I still get a black screen on vids.

At this instant though, it appears the behaviour is the same regardless of whether I am using nouveau or nvidia.

[Derek (bugs-m8y)]

Ok. Problem persisted after reboot. So apparently it is independent of video driver.

BTW, external VGA monitor *did* fail until I used nvidia driver, but I didn't file that since nvidia fixed.

[Shimi Chen (shimi-chen)]

Try this please:
Alt+F2
gconf-editor
Uncheck /apps/metacity/general/capture_before_unmap
Restart your session.

[Shimi Chen (shimi-chen)]

I apologize, I got confused with the session.

Please do try this:
1. Check if this also happens using Metacity("No Effects" session)
2. If it doesn't, try the fix mentioned above(still with Metacity)

[Derek (bugs-m8y)]

Behaviour unchanged with that metacity pref flipped, however, I *did* discover that gstreamer-properties is misleading. I have to test with totem.

If I switch in gstreamer-properties (no Xv to Xv) the test button *sometimes* succeeds (shows test pattern instead of blackness).
However, if I go into totem, the videos still fail to play until I switch back to no Xv in gstreamer-properties.

Restart of gstreamer-properties pretty much always confirms the blackness w/ test button. Probably some gui bug in application. One guess, the switch of gui pref not instantly applied so when I hit test I'm still on No Xv.
Perhaps the Test button should be greyed if the option has been changed until it is confirmed it is updated in system or something.

[Shimi Chen (shimi-chen)]

Not driver-specific and not wm-specific.

[Derek (bugs-m8y)]

Oh, and performance of video playback is horrible with No Xv, so that's hardly an ideal workaround.

Fortunately mplayer has more options for video output methods.

[Derek (bugs-m8y)]

Problem still occurs with Oneiric.
Driver is still nvidia current.