LinuxMCE - User contributions [en]

User:Bernz

2007-11-12T06:38:36Z

Bernz: Created page with link to usertalk page

Please see http://wiki.linuxmce.com/index.php/User_talk:Bernz

HarmanKardon AVR245

2007-08-24T23:22:51Z

Bernz:

* 2 x HDMI-in to HDMI-out (selectable)
* OSD setup
* hard power-switch (in/out toggle) next to soft power switch (push button)
* RS232 port on rear is only for firmware upgrades, according to manual, however there is an external IR input jack, so external control via PC will just require a little more "glue"
* dim/night mode for display, which dims the VFD, and shuts off the inner blue glow of the volume control
* There is an ''A/V Delay'' setting, which can be used to add latency to the audio in order to sync with other audio output devices. I noticed that my LG 42LB5D has a bit of audio latency on its speakers, and until I figure out how to eliminate it, I have set my AVR245 to 80ms of delay, which syncs it up nicely with the TV.
[[Category: Audio]]

Talk:Installation Guide

2007-07-20T23:57:25Z

Bernz:

Download links lead to Ubuntu 7.04, which doesn't seem to be supported. Thanks for wasting my bandwidth. --[[User:Elbekko|Elbekko]] 10:02, 25 April 2007 (MST)

http://nl2.releases.ubuntu.com/6.10/

--

Step 7 needs clarification. If one selects "I already have DHCP going", is the other value (the base IP) still used in some way?

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-17T05:41:11Z

Bernz: /* Annoyances (and Maybe Solutions) */

I discovered LinuxMCE via one of the newsaggs (I think it was reddit). I had been searching for a whole-home multimedia and automation setup, and this looks like one of the best bundles out there.

I'm slowly (and I stress that) building a multimedia extravaganza in my home. I intend to have everything automated as much as possible, mainly because it's possible -- I mean, we stopped living in caves, even though they were a reasonable form of shelter, right?

Anyway, I think it would be great to build a knowledge store about how well various hardware works with LinuxMCE. I call it the [[Suggested hardware]] page.

I am going to record my experiences installing Kubuntu Feisty (7.04) on an Epia CN100000EG Mini-ITX PC, with an LG 42LB5D LCD TV as the main display device, and a Harman/Kardon AVR245 receiver for audio. I'm starting to suspect the CN10000EG is a little underpowered for my purposes, although I don't intend to do anything much more CPU-intensive than playing DVDs, or digitized video or music. If you have a suggestion for a better motherboard that is fanless, please email me about it. Cheers!

Scratch pad:
* I browsed through /var/log/Xorg.0.log, and discovered a few modelines that are compatible with the TV, including one that looks promising: <pre>Modeline "1920x1080" 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1124 +hsync +vsync</pre> Okay, this modeline doesn't work perfectly; the image is off-center to the right, so I will have to keep playing with it. Unfortunately, '''xvidtune''' does not support my video hardware (the UniChrome).
* I've tried my laptop with the TV, using the VGA-out. Windows XP Home is able to provide relatively good image quality at 1360x768, a resolution which the TV can match perfectly as a full 16:9 wide-screen format (you've GOTTA see full-screen media player visualizers like this!). I can also run at 1920x1080, but for my setup, there are two drawbacks:
*# the amount of video swim, despite being fairly small, exceeds my personal tolerance
*# the video hardware is a little too slow to watch full-screen video at full frame rate

==== Annoyances (and Maybe Solutions) ====
* '''Misaligned/badly sized text mode(s)''': The combination of TV and PC has resulted in the first (and maybe last) column of characters in text mode to be off-screen. This isn't horrible, but annoying to be sure.
** There is an easy, sure-fire fix for this one: ''Menu'' (button on remote) -> ''Picture'' (sub-menu) -> ''Screen'' -> ''Position''. Move the screen right (or wherever else necessary) to bring the hidden pixels into view. It is possible to center the screen perfectly; I leave it to your imagination to figure out a way (there's more than one ;-).
* '''Counter-intuitive OSD behaviour(s)''': The menu buttons on the remote feel good, and I often hit the desired one accidentally when guessing (still learning the feel of it). The menu layouts are pretty awesome, too, but I've found one quirk when I adjust picture mode settings for User#. Once I've reached a specific field, if I want to decrease the value (usually "arrow-left" on the remote), pressing left jumps back up the menu stack. I would prefer this solution (other ideas are welcomed):
** (Suggested fix for manufacturer) Change the UI on the picture mode User1/User2 control panel (Contrast, Brightness, etc), so that "arrow-left" begins to adjust the selected item, just as "arrow-right" does. In addition, change "Press [MENU] to confirm" to "Press [ENTER] to confirm or [MENU] to cancel" and change/add functionality to match the new text. That would perfect the OSD UI! :-)
* '''Video swim''': in higher-resolution modes, vertical lines may have a shimmer caused by the tiny sinusoidal horizontal oscillation of their component pixels, so the vertical edges of windows and other lines appear to have a slight shimmer/instability
** I'm not sure there's a proper fix, but the effect can be reduced by using high quality, shielded cables, as short as possible, with no loops, and applying general electrical noise abatement techniques
** Generally, swim increases as with resolution; often, even a slightly lower resolution can offer a great improvement in stability
** Using a video card with better output options (DVI/HDMI) could be the best overall solution, but I have yet to try it

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-17T05:32:28Z

Bernz:

I discovered LinuxMCE via one of the newsaggs (I think it was reddit). I had been searching for a whole-home multimedia and automation setup, and this looks like one of the best bundles out there.

I'm slowly (and I stress that) building a multimedia extravaganza in my home. I intend to have everything automated as much as possible, mainly because it's possible -- I mean, we stopped living in caves, even though they were a reasonable form of shelter, right?

Anyway, I think it would be great to build a knowledge store about how well various hardware works with LinuxMCE. I call it the [[Suggested hardware]] page.

I am going to record my experiences installing Kubuntu Feisty (7.04) on an Epia CN100000EG Mini-ITX PC, with an LG 42LB5D LCD TV as the main display device, and a Harman/Kardon AVR245 receiver for audio. I'm starting to suspect the CN10000EG is a little underpowered for my purposes, although I don't intend to do anything much more CPU-intensive than playing DVDs, or digitized video or music. If you have a suggestion for a better motherboard that is fanless, please email me about it. Cheers!

Scratch pad:
* I browsed through /var/log/Xorg.0.log, and discovered a few modelines that are compatible with the TV, including one that looks promising: <pre>Modeline "1920x1080" 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1124 +hsync +vsync</pre> Okay, this modeline doesn't work perfectly; the image is off-center to the right, so I will have to keep playing with it. Unfortunately, '''xvidtune''' does not support my video hardware (the UniChrome).
* I've tried my laptop with the TV, using the VGA-out. Windows XP Home is able to provide relatively good image quality at 1360x768, a resolution which the TV can match perfectly as a full 16:9 wide-screen format (you've GOTTA see full-screen media player visualizers like this!). I can also run at 1920x1080, but for my setup, there are two drawbacks:
*# the amount of video swim, despite being fairly small, exceeds my personal tolerance
*# the video hardware is a little too slow to watch full-screen video at full frame rate

==== Annoyances (and Maybe Solutions) ====
* '''Misaligned/badly sized text mode(s)''': The combination of TV and PC has resulted in the first (and maybe last) column of characters in text mode to be off-screen. This isn't horrible, but annoying to be sure.
** There is an easy, sure-fire fix for this one: ''Menu'' (button on remote) -> ''Picture'' (option) -> ''Screen'' -> ''Position''. Move the screen right (or wherever else necessary) to bring the hidden pixels into view. It is possible to center the screen perfectly; I leave it to your imagination to figure out a way (there's more than one ;-).
* '''Counter-intuitive OSD behaviour(s)''': The menu buttons on the remote feel good, and I often hit the desired one accidentally when guessing (still learning the feel of it). The menu layouts are pretty awesome, too, but I've found one quirk when I adjust picture mode settings for User#. Once I've reached a specific field, if I want to decrease the value (usually "arrow-left" on the remote), pressing left jumps back up the menu stack. I would prefer this solution (other ideas are welcomed):
** (Suggested fix for manufacturer) Change the UI on the picture mode User1/User2 control panel (Contrast, Brightness, etc), so that "arrow-left" begins to adjust the selected item, just as "arrow-right" does. In addition, change "Press [MENU] to confirm" to "Press [ENTER] to confirm or [MENU] to cancel" and change/add functionality to match the new text. That would perfect the OSD UI! :-)
* '''Video swim''': in higher-resolution modes, vertical lines may have a shimmer caused by the tiny sinusoidal horizontal oscillation of their component pixels, so the vertical edges of windows and other lines appear to have a slight shimmer/instability
** I'm not sure there's a proper fix, but the effect can be reduced by using high quality, shielded cables, as short as possible, with no loops, and applying general electrical noise abatement techniques
** Generally, swim increases as with resolution; often, even a slightly lower resolution can offer a great improvement in stability
** Using a video card with better output options (DVI/HDMI) could be the best overall solution, but I have yet to try it

Display Drivers

2007-07-16T16:03:00Z

Bernz: /* Refresh rate */

A short (and incomplete) HowTo on updating LMCE (1.1 Beta2) to the latest display drivers.

== ATI Chipsets ==

I'm writing these from memory more or less so it probably needs to be tested and updated, don't be shy.
For more information, see also the [http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Main_Page Unofficial ATI Linux Driver Wiki].

=== Installation ===

There are many ways to do this, two ways are described on the site above, you can read them in the [http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubuntu_Feisty_Installation_Guide Ubuntu Feisty Installation Guide].

=== Configuration ===

The main configuration file for the X-server is /etc/X11/xorg.conf, you should start by making a backup copy of this file (even if it doesn't work it might contain settings you could need). In this example we will start from scratch and edit the configuration file step by step to get the main display setup.

Some of these steps require that there will be no X-server active on the system, the easiest way to achieve this is to boot in ''rescue-mode'', just hit [Esc] when [[Grub]] tells you to during the startup of your machine and select the right line from the menu. Another way is to go to a text-mode console (aka. terminal) with [CTRL]-[ALT]-[F1], log in, become root and issue the command:
telinit 1
This wil stop the running X-server and drop you into rescue mode as well. One of the advantages is that now you can start and stop the X-server by hand with an alternative configuration file and without having to reboot or even start an entire desktop environment.

'''While there is no (other) X-server running''' you can create a template configuration file by running:
X -configure
This will create a file called xorg.conf.new in the current directory, test it with the following command and hit [CTRL]-[ALT]-[Backspace] when done:
X -config ./xorg.conf.new
Within a few seconds a gray bitpattern should show up with an 'X' shaped mouse cursor. If the screen is distorted or reports the refresh rate to be out of range you will have to either specify the proper refreshrate limitations for your screen or insert "modelines" for the resolution(s) you want to use (see below). When you're satisfied you can overwrite /etc/X11/xorg.conf with this file to make it the default, once you have done that you can use "startx" to test and have the use of your desktop as well.

Here is an example of such a generated file:

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "X.org Configured"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
RgbPath "/etc/X11/rgb"
ModulePath "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "extmod"
Load "record"
Load "xtrap"
Load "dri"
Load "glx"
Load "dbe"
Load "GLcore"
Load "type1"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Monitor Model"
EndSection

Section "Device"
### Available Driver options are:-
### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz"
### [arg]: arg optional
#Option "ShadowFB" # [<bool>]
#Option "DefaultRefresh" # [<bool>]
#Option "ModeSetClearScreen" # [<bool>]
Identifier "Card0"
Driver "vesa"
''VendorName "ATI Technologies Inc"''
''BoardName "ATI Radeon Xpress 1200 Series"''
''BusID '''"PCI:1:5:0"'''''
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 1
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 4
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 8
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 15
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 16
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Note that the only thing specific to my setup in this config file is "BusID", if you only have one graphics adapter in your system this value can be omitted, otherwise the value(s) can be found with:
X -scanpci
Where each card will need it's own Device Section in the config file. The "VendorName" and "BoardName" settings are just labels and serve no real purpose other then being able to identify this particular device, which is usefull if you have more then one.

We'll be using this sample configuration as a starting point in the other examples below.

==== Refresh rate ====

The easiest way to sort this problem is to let the X-server figure this out by not specifying the limits of your screen. However this often fails, leaving you with an unusable display. Simply look up '''your screen''''s refresh rates in the documentation and add them like this:

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Monitor Model"
''HorizSync '''27-102''' # kHz''
''VertRefresh '''50-160''' # Hz''
EndSection

Alternatively you could specify a "ModeLine" for each resolution you want to use. Search the web for a "modeline generator", and many of these will include instructions on how to add the modeline, but briefly, you just add it to the "Monitor" section. Read the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modeline wikipedia entry] to learn how to use modelines.
* http://koala.ilog.fr/cgi-bin/nph-colas-modelines
* http://xtiming.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/xtiming.pl
* http://www.bohne-lang.de/spec/linux/modeline/
* http://amlc.berlios.de/
If one modeline doesn't work perfectly, try another, perhaps from another generator, because they can vary so much.

==== Colordepth and resolution ====

Specify the colordepth and resolution(s) you would like to use, like this:

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
''DefaultDepth '''24'''''
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
''Virtual '''1600 1200'''''
''Modes '''"1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" "512x384" "400x300" "320x240"'''''
EndSubSection
EndSection

As most people will only be using 24 bits anyway, I have removed the other redundant subsections. "Virtual" is the size of your desktop and "Modes" are physical resolutions, you can flip through these by holding [CTRL]-[ALT] and pressing the plus or minus on the numeric keypad. These are just examples, most people will only want to specify the resolution they actually use.

==== DRI device permissions ====

Aparently this section is needed to have the X-server set the proper permissions on the DRI device during startup. Simply add it to the end of the /etx/X11.xorg file if it isn't there already.

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

==== Disable composite ====

Aparently the fglrx driver does not yet support composite with DRI. So if you are using the fglrx driver, disable it by adding this to the end of the /etx/X11.xorg file if it isn't there already.

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection

==== Changing the driver ====

Change "'''''vesa'''''" to "'''''fglrx'''''" (or even "'''''ati'''''", depending on which drivers you installed earlier), as shown below, the old line is left as a comment in this example for clarity, but it's better to remove it as some scripts seem to find it confusing.

Section "Device"
### Available Driver options are:-
### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz"
### [arg]: arg optional
#Option "ShadowFB" # [<bool>]
#Option "DefaultRefresh" # [<bool>]
#Option "ModeSetClearScreen" # [<bool>]
Identifier "Card0"
''# Driver "'''vesa'''"''
''Driver "'''fglrx'''"''
VendorName "ATI Technologies Inc"
BoardName "ATI Radeon Xpress 1200 Series"
BusID "PCI:1:5:0"
EndSection

If your X-server was running you will have to restart it completely for the changes to take effect, the easiest and most thorough way to do this is to reboot.

==== Additional options ====

To be continued, I don't think this is enough to get UI2 (medium/masking) going yet. Feel free to jump in anytime...

Things still to sort out amongst others (i.e. what is it, do we need it and what are the settings if any):

Section "Module"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "freetype"
Load "int10"
Load "vbe"
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
Load "dbe"
Load "glx"
Load "v4l"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AIXGL" "off"
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Disable"
# Option "RENDER" "true"
EndSection

Option "PseudoColorVisuals" "off"
Option "OpenGLOverlay" "off"
Option "VideoOverlay" "off"
Option "DesktopSetup" "clone"

TV-out options, 2nd display, etc.

== NVidia Chipsets ==

Again, I'm mostly writing these from memory so it probably needs to be tested and updated, don't be shy.

=== Installation ===

1. Go to a console (text) terminal by holding [CTRL]-[ALT] and pressing the [F1] key simultaneously, log in with the user account you have created during the Kubuntu install and become root, if you haven't done so already.
'''<you>@dcerouter:~$''' sudo -s
2. Download the latest [http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html linux drivers from NVidia] (depending [http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_32667.html on your hardware], one of versions: 100.14.11, 1.0-9639 or 1.0-7185 currently), if you haven't done so already.
'''root@dcerouter:~#''' wget <nowiki>http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/100.14.11/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-</nowiki>''<version>''<nowiki>-pkg1.run</nowiki>
3. Go to runlevel 1 to stop the currently running X-server.
'''root@dcerouter:~#''' telinit 1
4. Execute the installer and follow instructions. Ignore the warning about runlevel 1 and don't bother looking for precompiled drivers.
'''root@dcerouter:~#''' sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-''<version>''-pkg1.run
5. Now it needs to be configured. There are a lot of ways to do that.

=== Configuration ===

To be continued, see ATI chipsets for now, it's very similar and both instructions might be joined.

== Troubleshooting ==

=== X-windows won't start anymore at all ===

Reboot into rescue-mode if needed (hit [Esc] when [[Grub]] tells you to), and restore a working copy of your /etc/X11/xorg.conf, or edit it by hand to fix the problem. Test it with the command "X" and press [CTRL]-[ALT]-[Backspace] simultaneous to quit (alternative: use "startx" and get the full desktop, if any), then reboot when it works and you're done.

[[Category: Tutorials]]
[[Category: Hardware]]

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-16T15:42:29Z

Bernz: /* Annoyances (and Maybe Solutions) */

I discovered LinuxMCE via one of the newsaggs (I think it was reddit). I had been searching for a whole-home multimedia and automation setup, and this looks like one of the best bundles out there.

I'm slowly (and I stress that) building a multimedia extravaganza in my home. I intend to have everything automated as much as possible, mainly because it's possible -- I mean, we stopped living in caves, even though they were a reasonable form of shelter, right?

Anyway, I think it would be great to build a knowledge store about how well various hardware works with LinuxMCE. I call it the [[Suggested hardware]] page.

I am going to record my experiences installing Kubuntu Feisty (7.04) on an Epia CN100000EG Mini-ITX PC, with an LG 42LB5D LCD TV as the main display device, and a Harman/Kardon AVR245 receiver for audio. I'm starting to suspect the CN10000EG is a little underpowered for my purposes, although I don't intend to do anything much more CPU-intensive than playing DVDs, or digitized video or music. If you have a suggestion for a better motherboard that is fanless, please email me about it. Cheers!

Scratch pad:
* I browsed through /var/log/Xorg.0.log, and discovered a few modelines that are compatible with the TV, including one that looks promising: <pre>Modeline "1920x1080" 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1124 +hsync +vsync</pre> Okay, this modeline doesn't work perfectly; the image is off-center to the right, so I will have to keep playing with it. Unfortunately, '''xvidtune''' does not support my video hardware (the UniChrome).
* I've tried my laptop with the TV, using the VGA-out. Windows XP Home is able to provide relatively good image quality at 1364x768, a resolution which the TV can match perfectly as a full 16:9 wide-screen format (you've GOTTA see full-screen media player visualizers like this!). I can also run at 1920x1080, but for my setup, there are two drawbacks:
*# the amount of video swim, despite being fairly small, exceeds my personal tolerance
*# the video hardware is a little too slow to watch full-screen video at full frame rate

==== Annoyances (and Maybe Solutions) ====
* '''Misaligned/badly sized text mode(s)''': The combination of TV and PC has resulted in the first (and maybe last) column of characters in text mode to be off-screen. This isn't horrible, but annoying to be sure.
** There is an easy, sure-fire fix for this one: ''Menu'' (button on remote) -> ''Picture'' (option) -> ''Screen'' -> ''Position''. Move the screen right (or wherever else necessary) to bring the hidden pixels into view. It is possible to center the screen perfectly; I leave it to your imagination to figure out a way (there's more than one ;-).
* '''Counter-intuitive OSD behaviour(s)''': The menu buttons on the remote feel good, and I often hit the desired one accidentally when guessing (still learning the feel of it). The menu layouts are pretty awesome, too, but I've found one quirk when I adjust picture mode settings for User#. Once I've reached a specific field, if I want to decrease the value (usually "arrow-left" on the remote), pressing left jumps back up the menu stack. I would prefer this solution (other ideas are welcomed):
** (Suggested fix for manufacturer) Change the UI on the picture mode User1/User2 control panel (Contrast, Brightness, etc), so that "arrow-left" begins to adjust the selected item, just as "arrow-right" does. In addition, change "Press [MENU] to confirm" to "Press [ENTER] to confirm or [MENU] to cancel" and change/add functionality to match the new text. That would perfect the OSD UI! :-)
* '''Video swim''': in higher-resolution modes, vertical lines may have a shimmer caused by the tiny sinusoidal horizontal oscillation of their component pixels, so the vertical edges of windows and other lines appear to have a slight shimmer/instability
** I'm not sure there's a proper fix, but the effect can be reduced by using high quality, shielded cables, as short as possible, with no loops, and applying general electrical noise abatement techniques
** Generally, swim increases as with resolution; often, even a slightly lower resolution can offer a great improvement in stability
** Using a video card with better output options (DVI/HDMI) could be the best overall solution, but I have yet to try it

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-16T15:40:38Z

Bernz:

I discovered LinuxMCE via one of the newsaggs (I think it was reddit). I had been searching for a whole-home multimedia and automation setup, and this looks like one of the best bundles out there.

I'm slowly (and I stress that) building a multimedia extravaganza in my home. I intend to have everything automated as much as possible, mainly because it's possible -- I mean, we stopped living in caves, even though they were a reasonable form of shelter, right?

Anyway, I think it would be great to build a knowledge store about how well various hardware works with LinuxMCE. I call it the [[Suggested hardware]] page.

I am going to record my experiences installing Kubuntu Feisty (7.04) on an Epia CN100000EG Mini-ITX PC, with an LG 42LB5D LCD TV as the main display device, and a Harman/Kardon AVR245 receiver for audio. I'm starting to suspect the CN10000EG is a little underpowered for my purposes, although I don't intend to do anything much more CPU-intensive than playing DVDs, or digitized video or music. If you have a suggestion for a better motherboard that is fanless, please email me about it. Cheers!

Scratch pad:
* I browsed through /var/log/Xorg.0.log, and discovered a few modelines that are compatible with the TV, including one that looks promising: <pre>Modeline "1920x1080" 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1124 +hsync +vsync</pre> Okay, this modeline doesn't work perfectly; the image is off-center to the right, so I will have to keep playing with it. Unfortunately, '''xvidtune''' does not support my video hardware (the UniChrome).
* I've tried my laptop with the TV, using the VGA-out. Windows XP Home is able to provide relatively good image quality at 1364x768, a resolution which the TV can match perfectly as a full 16:9 wide-screen format (you've GOTTA see full-screen media player visualizers like this!). I can also run at 1920x1080, but for my setup, there are two drawbacks:
*# the amount of video swim, despite being fairly small, exceeds my personal tolerance
*# the video hardware is a little too slow to watch full-screen video at full frame rate

==== Annoyances (and Maybe Solutions) ====
* '''Misaligned/badly sized text mode(s)''': The combination of TV and PC has resulted in the first (and maybe last) column of characters in text mode to be off-screen. This isn't horrible, but annoying to be sure.
** There is an easy, sure-fire fix for this one: ''Menu'' (button on remote) -> ''Picture'' (option) -> ''Screen'' -> ''Position''. Move the screen right (or wherever else necessary) to bring the hidden pixels into view. It is possible to center the screen perfectly; I leave it to your imagination to figure out a way (there's more than one ;-).
* '''Counter-intuitive OSD behaviour(s)''': The menu buttons on the remote feel good, and I often hit the desired one accidentally when guessing (still learning the feel of it). The menu layouts are pretty awesome, too, but I've found one quirk when I adjust picture mode settings for User#. Once I've reached a specific field, if I want to decrease the value (usually "arrow-left" on the remote), pressing left jumps back up the menu stack. I would prefer this solution (other ideas are welcomed):
** (Suggested fix for manufacturer) Change the UI on the picture mode User1/User2 control panel (Contrast, Brightness, etc), so that "arrow-left" begins to adjust the selected item, just as "arrow-right" does. In addition, change "Press [MENU] to confirm" to "Press [ENTER] to confirm or [MENU] to cancel" and change/add functionality to match the new text. That would perfect the OSD UI! :-)
* '''Video swim''': in higher-resolution modes, vertical lines may have a shimmer caused by the tiny sinusoidal horizontal oscillation of their component pixels, so the vertical edges of windows and other lines appear to have a slight shimmer/instability
** I'm not sure there's a proper fix, but the effect can be reduced by using high quality, shielded cables, as short as possible, with no loops, and applying general electrical noise abatement techniques
** Generally, swim increases as with resolution; often, even a slightly lower resolution can offer a great improvement in stability

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-16T15:35:35Z

Bernz:

I discovered LinuxMCE via one of the newsaggs (I think it was reddit). I had been searching for a whole-home multimedia and automation setup, and this looks like one of the best bundles out there.

I'm slowly (and I stress that) building a multimedia extravaganza in my home. I intend to have everything automated as much as possible, mainly because it's possible -- I mean, we stopped living in caves, even though they were a reasonable form of shelter, right?

Anyway, I think it would be great to build a knowledge store about how well various hardware works with LinuxMCE. I call it the [[Suggested hardware]] page.

I am going to record my experiences installing Kubuntu Feisty (7.04) on an Epia CN100000EG Mini-ITX PC, with an LG 42LB5D LCD TV as the main display device, and a Harman/Kardon AVR245 receiver for audio. I'm starting to suspect the CN10000EG is a little underpowered for my purposes, although I don't intend to do anything much more CPU-intensive than playing DVDs, or digitized video or music. If you have a suggestion for a better motherboard that is fanless, please email me about it. Cheers!

Scratch pad:
* I browsed through /var/log/Xorg.0.log, and discovered a few modelines that are compatible with the TV, including one that looks promising: <pre>Modeline "1920x1080" 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1124 +hsync +vsync</pre> Okay, this modeline doesn't work perfectly; the image is off-center to the right, so I will have to keep playing with it. Unfortunately, '''xvidtune''' does not support my video hardware (the UniChrome).
* I've tried my laptop with the TV, using the VGA-out. Windows XP Home is able to provide relatively good image quality at 1364x768, a resolution which the TV can match perfectly as a full 16:9 wide-screen format. I can also run at 1920x1080, but for my setup, there are two drawbacks:
*# the amount of video swim, despite being fairly small, exceeds my personal tolerance
*# the video hardware is a little too slow to watch full-screen video at full frame rate

==== Annoyances (and Maybe Solutions) ====
* '''Misaligned/badly sized text mode(s)''': The combination of TV and PC has resulted in the first (and maybe last) column of characters in text mode to be off-screen. This isn't horrible, but annoying to be sure.
** There is an easy, sure-fire fix for this one: ''Menu'' (button on remote) -> ''Picture'' (option) -> ''Screen'' -> ''Position''. Move the screen right (or wherever else necessary) to bring the hidden pixels into view. It is possible to center the screen perfectly; I leave it to your imagination to figure out a way (there's more than one ;-).
* '''Counter-intuitive OSD behaviour(s)''': The menu buttons on the remote feel good, and I often hit the desired one accidentally when guessing (still learning the feel of it). The menu layouts are pretty awesome, too, but I've found one quirk when I adjust picture mode settings for User#. Once I've reached a specific field, if I want to decrease the value (usually "arrow-left" on the remote), pressing left jumps back up the menu stack. I would prefer this solution (other ideas are welcomed):
** (Suggested fix for manufacturer) Change the UI on the picture mode User1/User2 control panel (Contrast, Brightness, etc), so that "arrow-left" begins to adjust the selected item, just as "arrow-right" does. In addition, change "Press [MENU] to confirm" to "Press [ENTER] to confirm or [MENU] to cancel" and change/add functionality to match the new text. That would perfect the OSD UI! :-)
* '''Video swim''': in higher-resolution modes, vertical lines may have a shimmer caused by the tiny sinusoidal horizontal oscillation of their component pixels, so the vertical edges of windows and other lines appear to have a slight shimmer/instability
** I'm not sure there's a proper fix, but the effect can be reduced by using high quality, shielded cables, as short as possible, with no loops, and applying general electrical noise abatement techniques
** Generally, swim increases as with resolution; often, even a slightly lower resolution can offer a great improvement in stability

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-14T21:02:37Z

Bernz:

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-12T05:46:20Z

Bernz: /* Annoyances & Solutions */

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-12T05:29:21Z

Bernz:

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-11T15:35:14Z

Bernz:

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-11T15:34:48Z

Bernz: /* Annoyances */

Hi, I'm Bernie.

I discovered LinuxMCE via one of the newsaggs (I think it was reddit). I had been searching for a whole-home multimedia and automation setup, and this looks like one of the best bundles out there.

I'm slowly (and I stress that) building a multimedia extravaganza in my home. I intend to have everything automated as much as possible, mainly because it's possible -- I mean, we stopped living in caves, even though they were a reasonable form of shelter, right?

Anyway, I think it would be great to build a knowledge store about how well various hardware works with LinuxMCE. I call it the [[Suggested hardware]] page.

I am going to record my experiences installing Kubuntu Feisty (7.04) on an Epia CN100000EG Mini-ITX PC, with an LG 42LB5D LCD TV as the main display device, and a Harman/Kardon AVR245 receiver for audio. I'm starting to suspect the CN10000EG is a little underpowered for my purposes, although I don't intend to do anything much more CPU-intensive than playing DVDs, or digitized video or music. If you have a suggestion for a better motherboard that is fanless, please email me about it. Cheers!

==== Annoyances & Solutions ====
* The combination of TV and PC has resulted in the first (and maybe last) column of characters in text mode to be off-screen. This isn't horrible, but annoying to be sure.
** There is an easy, sure-fire fix for this one: in TV's picture settings, you can adjust the size and position. (Detailed instructions will be added here in the near future).

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-09T21:38:43Z

Bernz:

Hi, I'm Bernie.

I discovered LinuxMCE via one of the newsaggs (I think it was reddit). I had been searching for a whole-home multimedia and automation setup, and this looks like one of the best bundles out there.

I'm slowly (and I stress that) building a multimedia extravaganza in my home. I intend to have everything automated as much as possible, mainly because it's possible -- I mean, we stopped living in caves, even though they were a reasonable form of shelter, right?

Anyway, I think it would be great to build a knowledge store about how well various hardware works with LinuxMCE. I call it the [[Suggested hardware]] page.

I am going to record my experiences installing Kubuntu Feisty (7.04) on an Epia CN100000EG Mini-ITX PC, with an LG 42LB5D LCD TV as the main display device, and a Harman/Kardon AVR245 receiver for audio. I'm starting to suspect the CN10000EG is a little underpowered for my purposes, although I don't intend to do anything much more CPU-intensive than playing DVDs, or digitized video or music. If you have a suggestion for a better motherboard that is fanless, please email me about it. Cheers!

==== Annoyances ====
* The combination of TV and PC has resulted in the first and last columns of characters in text mode to be off-screen. This isn't horrible, but annoying to be sure.

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-09T21:38:21Z

Bernz:

Hi, I'm Bernie.

I discovered LinuxMCE via one of the newsaggs (I think it was reddit). I had been searching for a whole-home multimedia and automation setup, and this looks like one of the best bundles out there.

I'm slowly (and I stress that) building a multimedia extravaganza in my home. I intend to have everything automated as much as possible, mainly because it's possible -- I mean, we stopped living in caves, even though they were a reasonable form of shelter, right?

Anyway, I think it would be great to build a knowledge store about how well various hardware works with LinuxMCE. I call it the [[Suggested hardware]] page.

I am going to record my experiences installing Kubuntu Feisty (7.04) on an Epia CN100000EG Mini-ITX PC, with an LG 42LB5D LCD TV as the main display device, and a Harman/Kardon AVR245 receiver for audio. I'm starting to suspect the CN10000EG is a little underpowered for my purposes, although I don't intend to do anything much more CPU-intensive than playing DVDs, or digitized video or music. If you have a suggestion for a better motherboard that is fanless, please email me about it. Cheers!

==== Annoyances ====
The combination of TV and PC has resulted in the first and last columns of characters in text mode to be off-screen. This isn't horrible, but annoying to be sure.

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-09T21:36:44Z

Bernz:

User talk:Bernz

2007-07-07T19:47:40Z

Bernz: