Comparing the xvinfo output without and with nVidia proprietary driver: nVidia driver disabled: raffa@raffa-laptop:~$ xvinfo X-Video Extension version 2.2 screen #0 no adaptors present nVidia driver enabled: raffa@raffa-laptop:~$ xvinfo X-Video Extension version 2.2 screen #0 Adaptor #0: "NV17 Video Texture" number of ports: 32 port base: 280 operations supported: PutImage supported visuals: depth 24, visualID 0x21 depth 24, visualID 0x24 depth 24, visualID 0x25 depth 24, visualID 0x26 depth 24, visualID 0x27 depth 24, visualID 0x28 depth 24, visualID 0x29 depth 24, visualID 0x2a depth 24, visualID 0x2b depth 24, visualID 0x2c depth 24, visualID 0x2d depth 24, visualID 0x2e depth 24, visualID 0x2f depth 24, visualID 0x30 depth 24, visualID 0x31 depth 24, visualID 0x32 depth 24, visualID 0x33 depth 24, visualID 0x34 depth 24, visualID 0x35 depth 24, visualID 0x36 depth 24, visualID 0x37 depth 24, visualID 0x38 depth 24, visualID 0x39 depth 24, visualID 0x3a depth 24, visualID 0x3b depth 24, visualID 0x3c depth 24, visualID 0x3d depth 24, visualID 0x3e depth 24, visualID 0x22 depth 24, visualID 0x3f depth 24, visualID 0x40 depth 24, visualID 0x41 depth 24, visualID 0x42 depth 24, visualID 0x43 depth 24, visualID 0x44 depth 24, visualID 0x45 depth 24, visualID 0x46 depth 24, visualID 0x47 depth 24, visualID 0x48 depth 24, visualID 0x49 depth 24, visualID 0x4a depth 24, visualID 0x4b depth 24, visualID 0x4c depth 24, visualID 0x4d depth 24, visualID 0x4e depth 24, visualID 0x4f depth 24, visualID 0x50 depth 24, visualID 0x51 depth 24, visualID 0x52 depth 24, visualID 0x53 depth 24, visualID 0x54 depth 24, visualID 0x55 depth 24, visualID 0x56 depth 24, visualID 0x57 depth 24, visualID 0x58 depth 24, visualID 0x59 number of attributes: 7 "XV_SET_DEFAULTS" (range 0 to 0) client settable attribute "XV_ITURBT_709" (range 0 to 1) client settable attribute client gettable attribute (current value is 0) "XV_SYNC_TO_VBLANK" (range 0 to 1) client settable attribute client gettable attribute (current value is 1) "XV_BRIGHTNESS" (range -512 to 511) client settable attribute client gettable attribute (current value is 0) "XV_CONTRAST" (range 0 to 8191) client settable attribute client gettable attribute (current value is 4096) "XV_SATURATION" (range 0 to 8191) client settable attribute client gettable attribute (current value is 4096) "XV_HUE" (range 0 to 360) client settable attribute client gettable attribute (current value is 0) maximum XvImage size: 2046 x 2046 Number of image formats: 4 id: 0x32595559 (YUY2) guid: 59555932-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71 bits per pixel: 16 number of planes: 1 type: YUV (packed) id: 0x32315659 (YV12) guid: 59563132-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71 bits per pixel: 12 number of planes: 3 type: YUV (planar) id: 0x59565955 (UYVY) guid: 55595659-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71 bits per pixel: 16 number of planes: 1 type: YUV (packed) id: 0x30323449 (I420) guid: 49343230-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71 bits per pixel: 12 number of planes: 3 type: YUV (planar)