HDTV supports 1366x768, can only get 1024x768

luminarycrush · #1 22nd December 2009, 12:25 AM

Hi, I have an older ASUS Digimatrix with an SiS315 graphics chipset. I am connecting this to an HDTV (720p) which has HDMI, VGA and composite/etc input. The TV specs show it supports 1366x768, but I can only get 1024x768 at 75Hz mode.

This is a new install, FC12. 2.6.30.9-102.fc11.i686.PAE #1 SMP Fri Dec 4 00:19:26 EST 2009 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux.

The HTPC is connected to the TV via DVI-to-HDMI cable. I don't have the option to run a VGA cable to where the TV will mount (cable already in the wall). I am unsure if this makes a difference as to what video modes are available. I know the ASUS supports 1080i via the component-out, but that's another troubling cabling option.

Xorg can't identify the monitor - it comes up as 'unknown monitor' and only allows 1024x768 selection, max, in the dialog for Pref -> Display.

I have generated an xorg.conf using Xorg -configure (as there is no default one) and tried editing the file to add a mode for 1366 x 768 but that did not work. I'll include the xorg.conf below.

Any thoughts?

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

Section "Files"
ModulePath "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
FontPath "catalogue:/etc/X11/fontpath.d"
FontPath "built-ins"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "record"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "dri2"
Load "glx"
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 "Dynex"
ModelName "32 inch 720p HDTV"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Card0"
Driver "sis"
VendorName "Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS]"
BoardName "65x/M650/740 PCI/AGP VGA Display Adapter"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
Modes "1366x768" "1280x768" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Here is output from "xdpyinfo", concatenated a bit:

[root@mythtv2 X11]# xdpyinfo
name of display: :0.0
version number: 11.0
vendor string: The X.Org Foundation
vendor release number: 10603901
X.Org version: 1.6.3.901
maximum request size: 16777212 bytes
motion buffer size: 256
bitmap unit, bit order, padding: 32, LSBFirst, 32
image byte order: LSBFirst
number of supported pixmap formats: 7
supported pixmap formats:
depth 1, bits_per_pixel 1, scanline_pad 32
depth 4, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
depth 8, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
depth 15, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
depth 16, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
depth 24, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
depth 32, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
keycode range: minimum 8, maximum 255
focus: window 0x3c00004, revert to Parent
number of extensions: 27
BIG-REQUESTS
Composite
DAMAGE
DOUBLE-BUFFER
DPMS
DRI2
GLX
Generic Event Extension
MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
MIT-SHM
RANDR
RECORD
RENDER
SGI-GLX
SHAPE
SISCTRL
SYNC
X-Resource
XC-MISC
XFIXES
XFree86-DGA
XFree86-VidModeExtension
XINERAMA
XInputExtension
XKEYBOARD
XTEST
XVideo
default screen number: 0
number of screens: 1

screen #0:
dimensions: 1024x768 pixels (703x390 millimeters)
resolution: 37x50 dots per inch
depths (7): 24, 1, 4, 8, 15, 16, 32
root window id: 0x10c
depth of root window: 24 planes
number of colormaps: minimum 1, maximum 1
default colormap: 0x20
default number of colormap cells: 256
preallocated pixels: black 0, white 16777215

.... etc etc....

luminarycrush · #2 24th December 2009, 05:01 AM

Weird, I received an email saying there was a reply to my thread but... nothing is here in the thread?

Here was what was emailed to me:

***************
are you sure your video card will support 1366x768. SiS says on their website
that they have to have the later video bios version to support those
resolutions.

check to make sure your video bios is version 2.28.00 or later.
***************

I can say that no, I do not know the version of the video bios. However, the reference the above person made is to this note on the SIS website:

SIS integrated chipset FAQ

I then found this web page about upgrading the video BIOS:
Howto Replace integrated chipset video bios
Which I spent some time messing around with... none of the BIOS utilities could tell me what version of SIS BIOS I have... so, I still don't know exactly.

However, on the release notes of the ASUS Digimatrix BIOS I saw this:
DiGiMatrix BIOS version 1004
Update VGA BIOS to V 1.5.20.
Fix glittering display on ViewSonic N1700W when it is connected via DVI interface and the resolution is set to 1280X768.
Show warning message when Willamette CPU or Northwood CPU higher than 2.66GHz is installed.
Revise radio code for "East Europe" area.

So, I should at least be able to get 1280x768, right? That is BIOS 1004 and I have 1006 installed! So, what gives?

# xrandr -q
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1024 x 768, maximum 1024 x 768
default connected 1024x768+0+0 0mm x 0mm
1024x768 75.0* 70.0 60.0
800x600 75.0 72.0 60.0 56.0
640x480 60.0 75.0 73.0
1024x576 75.0 60.0
768x576 60.0
720x576 60.0
800x480 75.0 60.0
720x480 61.0
640x400 72.0
400x300 60.0
320x240 61.0
320x200 71.0

Something is preventing me from getting better than 1024x768 when I should be able to get higher resolution, and while it's perhaps true that my BIOS does not support 1366x768 if I could get 1280 I would probably just call it a day rather than hack BIOS at that level.

Any suggestions?

luminarycrush · #3 24th December 2009, 05:24 AM

I scanned my Xorg.0.log. I noticed a few things:

(II) SIS(0): Not using built-in mode "1360x768" (unknown reason)
(II) SIS(0): Not using mode "1366x768" (no mode of this name)
(II) SIS(0): Not using mode "1280x768" (no mode of this name)
(--) SIS(0): Virtual size is 1024x768 (pitch 1024)
(**) SIS(0): *Driver mode "1024x768": 78.8 MHz, 60.0 kHz, 75.0 Hz
(II) SIS(0): Modeline "1024x768"x75.0 78.75 1024 1040 1136 1312 768 769 772 800 +hsync +vsync (60.0 kHz)

Is there somewhere I need to define a mode of that name so it will work? The mfg says it supports 1366x768.. but then I see this, actually earlier in the log file:

(II) SIS(0): (Re)-detecting LCD/plasma panel, sensing via DDC
(--) SIS(0): Non-standard LCD/DVI-D timing data no. 0:
(--) SIS(0): HDisplay 1360 HSync 1616 HSyncEnd 1728 HTotal 1792
(--) SIS(0): VDisplay 768 VSync 786 VSyncEnd 792 VTotal 795
(--) SIS(0): Pixel clock: 85.500Mhz
(II) SIS(0): To use this, add "1360x768" to the Modes list in the Screen section
(--) SIS(0): Non-standard LCD/DVI-D timing data no. 1:
(--) SIS(0): HDisplay 640 HSync 648 HSyncEnd 744 HTotal 800
(--) SIS(0): VDisplay 480 VSync 482 VSyncEnd 484 VTotal 525
(--) SIS(0): Pixel clock: 25.180Mhz
(II) SIS(0): To use this, add "640x480" to the Modes list in the Screen section
(--) SIS(0): Detected LCD/Plasma panel (max. X 1360 Y 768, pref. 1360x768, RGB24)
(--) SIS(0): Detected YPbPr TV (by default 480i)

What exactly do I need to add to my xorg.conf? I simply added the 1360x768 line (see attached). I previously added 1366x768 and it didn't do anything (nor did 1280x768). Is there something with the refresh rate I need to adjust in the conf file?

rfs613 · #4 25th December 2009, 07:27 PM

I'm using BIOS 1004 as well, haven't managed to figure out how to flash a newer one under Linux (built-in EZ-flash wants to read from A: drive which does not exist!)

I had a similar problem as you, resolution was 1024x768, but I wanted 848x480 (widescreen version of 640x480) to match projector. All it took was one line in the xorg.conf, but it looks like you already tried that.

Anyhow I'm attaching my xorg.conf in hopes that it might help you...

luminarycrush · #5 26th December 2009, 05:42 PM

I flashed both my Digimatrix's (I picked up one from Ebay for $100 a few months ago, such great little boxes :-) ) to 1006 - you can boot from USB and do it (though the box seems very picky about which USB it will boot from) or you can use a USB floppy disk.

1006 did not fix anything for me over 1004 so probably not worth your time anyway..

I am convinced it's an Xorg problem (we) are having, at least getting to 1280. When I boot and the box starts to come up text mode the HTDV flashes that it's in 1280x768 mode - great! Then Xorg starts and it kicks it down to 1024x768. Argh!

I still don't get the option in "Display->Preferences" to choose higher than 1024x768, and it comes up 'unknown monitor'. How do I tell Xorg?? It seemed to ignore my entry in xorg.conf....

When it switches from 1280 mode to 1024 mode the Xorg screen just blacks out the left part of the HDTV. If I turn the TV off/on it then comes up full-screen 1024x768 (TV must not resync correctly down from 1280).