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Diffstat (limited to 'doc/README.syncfb')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/README.syncfb | 68 |
1 files changed, 34 insertions, 34 deletions
diff --git a/doc/README.syncfb b/doc/README.syncfb index fc90ff586..be8c2565d 100644 --- a/doc/README.syncfb +++ b/doc/README.syncfb @@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ * WHAT IS THIS PLUGIN ABOUT and WHY SHOULD I EVEN CONSIDER TO USE IT? :) - + This xine video output plugin uses the so called SyncFB driver (from the Teletux project) which provides special hardware features of Matrox G200 and newer cards like hardware deinterlacing, scaling and @@ -14,19 +14,19 @@ available to xine and because all this tasks are done by the graphic card there is no need for xine to do them in software -- so you save precious CPU time which you may gonna need for other things. :-) - + Ok ok -- why should you want to have your video output synchronized to something called the vertical retrace of your monitor?! Well... :) - + In order to have an optimal DVD playback the update of the image needs to be syncronized with the vertical refresh of the screen. Otherwise you will sometimes see part of frame n and part of frame n+1 during playback of a movie. Resulting in tearing artefacts on moving objects. - + When using this plugin the update of the screen is done during the vertical retrace of your monitor and those tearing artefacts are gone forever. - + Also the SyncFB kernel module and this plugin totally by-pass XFree86 for anything else but some data gathering routines needed to place the overlay at the right spot. So on some machines you will gain some @@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ Last but not least, you may ask what's so special about deinterlacing? There are already several deinterlacing methods available in xine and why should you care about another one? Well (again)... ;-)) - + All current deinterlacers in xine are done in software and therefore will cost you some CPU power. The SyncFB video out plugin will use the hardware deinterlacing support of your graphic card, thus saving your @@ -48,16 +48,16 @@ So far the plugin and the kernel module itself are only being tested on G400 cards by its developers thus we cannot tell about newer or older generation chips. - + Nevertheless we have received positive feedback that the SyncFB kernel module and this plugin work fine with G450 cards too. - + If you have got things working on older/newer chips, please let us know about your success and we will place a note here... :-) - + * AND HOW DOES IT WORK? - + The SyncFB driver is a kernel module you will have to load that makes a special device (e.g. /dev/syncfb) available which is opened by the plugin and controlled with certain ioctl calls. Easy, isn't it? ;-) @@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ Back to the original subject. In order to install and use the SyncFB kernel module, you *will* need a fresh CVS checkout of the sources because the last official release is rather outdated. - + This sounds more complicated than it actually is. You will only have to execute the following two commands to get the sources in a sub-dir called teletux. When you are asked for password, just press return. @@ -90,14 +90,14 @@ Now enter the directory teletux/syncfb, that's where the actual kernel modul sources are located. Before you can compile the module, you will have to change two lines in the Makefile itself to make it work. - + In the second line, there is a phrase like "-I/usr/include" which you have to change to "-I/usr/src/linux/include". In line seven, you need to remove syncfbtv and syncfb_test from the OBJ list. Now execute a "make" and the module will be compiled. Place the resulting syncfb.o in your modules dir which is usually... - + /lib/modules/KERNEL_VERSION/ ... and issue a "depmod -a" after it. That's it - the kernel module is @@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ required /dev/syncfb device if you have devfs support, otherwise you need to issue a "mknod /dev/syncfb c 178 0" once to create the device yourself permanently. - + Once the module is loaded, you can start xine with the "-V SyncFB" option to use this plugin. xine automatically remembers the video out plugin you last used, so you only have to use this option once too. :) @@ -125,14 +125,14 @@ refresh rates (e.g. 50/75/100 Hz for PAL, 60/90/120 Hz for NTSC). You will need to add so called modelines to your XFree86 config to make those modes available, if you don't already have them. - + Here is is a short listing of some sample modelines. Please add only those two lines (for NTSC and PAL) which exactly fit the screensize you are running your X Server with. You need to add those lines to the monitor section of your XF86Config file as well as include their names in the screen section (subsection display of the color depth your are using). - + USE THE FOLLOWING MODELINES AT YOUR OWN RISK. THEY COULD DAMAGE YOUR MONITOR PERMANTELY - PLEASE TAKE CAUTION AND DON'T BLAME US. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. @@ -141,22 +141,22 @@ Note: If you want to be on the safe side, generate your very own modelines with an application like kvideogen for example. - + Also the modelines may need some fine tuning for your setup. You can use xvidtune (comes with XFree86) to do that. - + # 1024x768 - + Modeline "1024x768pal" 64.94 1024 1040 1216 1328 768 768 775 802 - Modeline "1024x768ntsc" 54.32 1024 1040 1216 1328 768 768 774 802 - + Modeline "1024x768ntsc" 54.32 1024 1040 1216 1328 768 768 774 802 + # 1152x864 - + Modeline "1152x864pal" 68.82 1152 1168 1384 1496 864 864 871 902 - Modeline "1152x864ntsc" 80.93 1152 1168 1384 1496 864 864 872 902 + Modeline "1152x864ntsc" 80.93 1152 1168 1384 1496 864 864 872 902 # 1280x1024 - + none yet - might be added in the future So before you run xine just turn to the appropriate refresh rate and @@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ * WHAT SCREENSIZE SHOULD I PREFER? - + Well. It is important that the screensize you choose for DVD playback is exactly the same screensize you're starting up your X Server with if you are not using the XF86VidMode extension which will properly do @@ -192,18 +192,18 @@ Pressing 'i' during playback will toggle hardware deinterlacing. A decrease in picture quality is a known side effect, yet you won't see any artefacts caused by interlacing anymore. :-) - + One more note, hardware deinterlacing uses BOB as deinterlacing method and is totally independent from the software deinterlacing in xine. So specifing a different deinterlacing method in your .xinerc won't have any effect on this feature. - + Nevertheless we are thinking about making software deinterlacing also available as an option. It's on the TODO list... :) * HEY! THE OVERLAY TURNS OFF WHEN THE WINDOW IS PARTLY OFF THE DESKTOP!? - + That's done on purpose. It prevents possible yet harmless screen corruption. And by the way - why would you want to see a movie just partly?! ;-) @@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ the actual overlay from SyncFB is being displayed because this area in your video memory is constantly over written - so are the changes done by your X Server (like a window graphic that is placed there). - + This is just cosmetical and harmless, so no need to worry. If you want to do something with the xine panel when the video overlay is taking all your screen, just switch back to window mode and do what you have @@ -257,20 +257,20 @@ * WHAT IS ON THE TODO LIST? + fix above listed bugs in the SyncFB kernel module - + + make software deinterlacing available as an option - + + RGB support (unlikely at the moment because there is no need for it) - + + check if the video source is not too big in terms of dimensions for the video memory left (video memory - X reserved video memory) - + + bug fixes + more sanity checks + new features + optimizations - + * CONTACTS and FEEDBACK |