How to Enable SVideo Out

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theinfamousj
Posts: 88
Joined: Sun 03 Sep 2006, 12:54

How to Enable SVideo Out

#1 Post by theinfamousj »

If you are like me, you have an SVideo port on your laptop and you need it to be able to teach, because your underfunded public school system still has the LCD screens that you have to put on top of your overhead projector in order to project any sort of image, and they only take RCA in. And you went out and bought a SVideo-to-RCA cable. :wink:

-or-

You want to be able to use all of the ports on your computer. Which is more likely the case. Because who wouldn't want to use all of the ports on their computer?

I'm a Linux newbie, brought to the penguin by Puppy. One of the things I appreciated most about Puppy was the incredible support through these forums. I'm a teacher, so I'm used to presenting material. Hopefully, I will be able to de-geek these instructions enough so that other newbies to both Linux and Puppy will be able to follow them.

There are three steps to enabling SVideo on your machine. The first is to make sure that you have a graphics card that will work, the second is downloading some files, and the third is using a program to install some more files. Then you restart your machine and all should be well. If you want to permanently enable SVideo-out (as I do because the students start tearing up my classroom if there is even the slightest moment of hesitation in my patter), then there is a fourth step, which will be presented here, as well.

Ready?

====================
Step 1: Do I have the correct video card?
====================

1. Was your video card made by ATI? If the answer to this question is "yes", please continue on to question 2.

If you don't know what graphics card you have, and you have XP on your machine, the first suggestion on this website will help you figure out what card you have. For me, I just googled the model of my computer and found a product page with all of the specs. I'm running an ATI 9600.

2. Is your video card an NVIDIA card? If the answer to this question is "no", please continue on to question 3.

3. Is your Puppy version 2.00 or higher? If the answer to this question is "yes", please continue on to Step 2.

====================
Step 2: Downloading some files.
====================

We are now going to install an application called the 3D Control Center. This is only for Puppy versions 2.00 (occasionally called Puppy2 on this forum) or greater. This is why you answered "yes" to question number three.

There are three different download locations for the setup files depending on which Puppy version you are actually running. For Puppy 2.00, 2.01, and 2.02, you want to download the setup files from here.

If you are running Puppy 2.10, or 2.11, your files are located here. For those of you who wish to follow my system specs, I am running Puppy 2.11 which is, I strongly believe, the best Puppy to date.

However, if you have the latest version, Puppy 2.12, you can find your installation files here.

Once you have downloaded the dotpups and run them, by clicking the downloaded dotpups, and all has been setup. Then BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. After that, restart your machine and come back to this bookmarked page. From there, go to step 3.

====================
Step 3: Using a program to install some more files.
====================

Welcome back. Please open up your Puppy menu and prepare for the final lesson.

Once your Puppy menu is open, please go to the "Dotpups' menu. From there, please select the entry entitled 3DCC (this stands for 3D Control Center). Inside of the control center you will need to do the following things:

1. Install the DRM Kernelmodules -- Click on "DRM Kernelmodules" and click "Go".
2. Click on "DRI-Graficscard-drivers" and then select "Go". Choose "ATI-fglrx-8.28.8" from the list that pops up. It should be the top option. Then click "Install".
3. Restart your machine, making sure to plug in your SVideo cable before Puppy boots up.

That's it. You are done. Go forth and watch much computer-on-TV-ness.

====================
Step 4: Always-on SVideo Port
====================

Open xorg.conf from /etc/X11/xorg.conf. You might have to right-click the file and choose "Open as Text" in Rox.

Find the part of your file where it reads:

Code: Select all

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "aticonfig-Device[0]"
	Driver      "fglrx"
EndSection
Change this to read:

Code: Select all

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "aticonfig-Device[0]"
	Driver      "fglrx"
	Option  "ForceMonitors" "lvds,tv"
EndSection
You added the "Option" line. This enables the SVideo-out portion all the time. Skip this step if you want the SVideo port to become active only on bootups with something in the port. The SVideo port is NOT hot swappable, meaning that whatever you want plugged in, has to be plugged in when you boot up the machine.
Attachments
screenshot01.png
Where to find the 3D Control Panel.
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giac_fab
Posts: 113
Joined: Thu 25 Jan 2007, 23:15

#2 Post by giac_fab »

On my laptop I have an rca tv-out, but I haven't an ATI or an NVIDIA.......

How to make video out usable ???'

My card is (from 3dcc):

Your /var/log/Xorg.0.log reports you have this card:

(--) PCI:*(0:2:0) Intel Corporation 82830 CGC [Chipset Graphics Controller] rev 3, Mem @ 0xe8000000/27, 0xe0000000/19

Your current Xserver uses this standard-driver:
i810

Thank You
:oops: I know, my english is very bad :oops:
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Lobster
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#3 Post by Lobster »

I did this output to TV from a Puppy PC but would of course work from a laptop

http://tmxxine.com/tv/

I am now working on webcam to TV - via Puppy maybe - not sure if possible . . .
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Pence
Posts: 200
Joined: Sat 30 Jul 2005, 13:27

#4 Post by Pence »

If your tv has a svideo port , you should get a better picture with a svideo to svideo cable.

giac_fab
Posts: 113
Joined: Thu 25 Jan 2007, 23:15

#5 Post by giac_fab »

Lobster wrote:I did this output to TV from a Puppy PC but would of course work from a laptop

http://tmxxine.com/tv/

I am now working on webcam to TV - via Puppy maybe - not sure if possible . . .
...... the link don't help me ......

Ok, I did a similar thing on my home-pc .... I connected a cable to my ati radeon and automatically Tv = monitor (with lower quality ).

On laptop it's not so simple ......
:oops: I know, my english is very bad :oops:
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.

Gurglin
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu 13 Nov 2008, 19:26

#6 Post by Gurglin »

Does anybody know if those workarounds (including extra software installation?) work for 4.x series?
[url=http://gurgleitaly.wordpress.com/2008/07/01/open-letter-to-open-source-community/]Open Letter to the Open Source Community[/url]

mrreality13
Posts: 93
Joined: Sat 04 Oct 2008, 03:24
Location: arlington texas

#7 Post by mrreality13 »

Id like to use my s-vid too in pup 5?any ideas?

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