Bug 23535 - Can't out the composite video output on my Macbook Pro
Summary: Can't out the composite video output on my Macbook Pro
Status: RESOLVED INVALID
Alias: None
Product: xorg
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Driver/Radeon (show other bugs)
Version: 7.3 (2007.09)
Hardware: Other All
: medium normal
Assignee: xf86-video-ati maintainers
QA Contact: Xorg Project Team
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2009-08-26 13:43 UTC by monnier
Modified: 2018-06-12 19:07 UTC (History)
0 users

See Also:
i915 platform:
i915 features:


Attachments
Xorg.log (94.34 KB, text/plain)
2009-08-26 13:43 UTC, monnier
no flags Details

Description monnier 2009-08-26 13:43:29 UTC
Created attachment 28935 [details]
Xorg.log

I'm trying to connect my Macbook Pro to my old TV (whose sole input is composite video).  This is done using Apple's "DVI to Video adapter" which has both an S-video and a composite output.  The video card itself is a Radeon mobility X1600.

Running the "radeon" driver without any special options, xrandr gives me 2 entries: one for LVDS and one for DVI-0 (which seems to work for all output on this connector, at least it works as well for a DVI monitor as for a VGA monitor plugged via Apple's DVI->VGA adapter.  When I plug my "DVI to video" adapter, "xrandr" tells me that DVI-0 is connected but it has no modes.  I tried to add modes manually (including some copied from http://www.nexusuk.org/projects/vga2scart/ which seemed credible) and I do get some kind of output on my TV, but it's not syncing.

I then tried to enable ATOMTvOut and such options, but all it did was add an "S-video" entry which didn't seem to help.  It always says it's disconnected.  It may correctly control the S-video output, actually, but I don't have an S-video thingy to connect to it to try it out.  In any case, forcing "ForceTVOut" did not help: xrandr says that the S-video is then connected (of course) and I can select a mode, but no matter what mode I select, my TV (connected via the composite, remember) stays desperately black.  With ATOMTvOut set, the DVI-0 situation stays the same: its connectedness status reflects the fact that the "DVI to Video" adapter is connected, and if I enable it with some ntsc-ish mode, I do get some kind of output on my TV, tho it's out of sync.

I've attached the Xorg.log from one such run.
Comment 1 Alex Deucher 2009-09-02 22:08:00 UTC
tv-out only works with the ATOMTvOut option.  Please try xf86-video-ati git master.  It looks like Apple has a fake edid for tv-out.  To work around it.  start with the ATOMTvOut option and the tv disconnected.  Then force tv-out on using driver options or xrandr; finally plug in the tv.
Comment 2 Johannes Kulick 2010-02-03 08:30:48 UTC
I have exactly the same problem here. I even tried it with the git-master version, but the problem still exists.

Also if I force xrandr to set the output without the connector pluged in and plugging it in afterwards doesn't help. ATOMTvOut is enebled.
Comment 3 monnier 2010-03-31 13:57:43 UTC
> tv-out only works with the ATOMTvOut option.  Please try
> xf86-video-ati git master.  It looks like Apple has a fake edid for
> tv-out.  To work around it.  start with the ATOMTvOut option and the
> tv disconnected.  Then force tv-out on using driver options or xrandr;
> finally plug in the tv.

[ Still trying to get it to work :-( ]

I'm afraid the above instructions aren't detailed enough for my little head.

IIUC, "start with the ATOMTvOut option and the tv disconnected" means
I should start with

        Option          "ATOMTvOut" "TRUE"

and with the DVI->video adapter disconnected.  What about the other options:

        Option          "AccelMethod"   "EXA"
        Option          "TVDACLoadDetect" "off"
        Option          "TVStandard" "ntsc"
        Option          "ForceTVOut" "true"

Then comes: "Then force tv-out on using driver options or xrandr".
Now I do not know what that means.  I don't think I have much control
over driver options once the X server is started, and I see nothing in
xrandr that would allow me to "force tv-out" in xrandr.

Finally: "finally plug in the tv", I guess that means to plug both the
DVI->video adapter and the TV, right?


        Stefan
Comment 4 Alex Deucher 2010-03-31 19:26:31 UTC
The problem is the mac tv adapter provides a fake edid for TV.  The driver needs to special case that edid for tv since no tv's provide edids normally.
Comment 5 Adam Jackson 2018-06-12 19:07:09 UTC
Mass closure: This bug has been untouched for more than six years, and is not
obviously still valid. Please reopen this bug or file a new report if you continue to experience issues with current releases.


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