Update of /cvsroot/mplayer/main/DOCS In directory mplayer:/var/tmp.root/cvs-serv26702/DOCS Modified Files: documentation.html video.html Log Message: 'vesa' vo driver added. By Nick Kurshev. (spellchecked, fixed, mplayerdoxized) Index: documentation.html =================================================================== RCS file: /cvsroot/mplayer/main/DOCS/documentation.html,v retrieving revision 1.91 retrieving revision 1.92 diff -u -r1.91 -r1.92 --- documentation.html 23 Oct 2001 09:43:55 -0000 1.91 +++ documentation.html 24 Oct 2001 13:03:56 -0000 1.92 @@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ <LI><A HREF="video.html#2.2.1.9">2.2.1.9 3dfx YUV support (tdfxfb)</A></LI> <LI><A HREF="video.html#2.2.1.10">2.2.1.10 OpenGL output</A></LI> <LI><A HREF="video.html#2.2.1.11">2.2.1.11 AAlib - text mode displaying</A></LI> + <LI><A HREF="video.html#2.2.1.12">2.2.1.12 VESA - output to VESA BIOS</A></LI> <LI><A HREF="video.html#2.2.1.A">2.2.1.A TVout</A></LI> <UL> <LI><A HREF="video.html#2.2.1.A.1">2.2.1.A.1 Matrox cards</A></LI> Index: video.html =================================================================== RCS file: /cvsroot/mplayer/main/DOCS/video.html,v retrieving revision 1.23 retrieving revision 1.24 diff -u -r1.23 -r1.24 --- video.html 23 Oct 2001 08:51:00 -0000 1.23 +++ video.html 24 Oct 2001 13:03:56 -0000 1.24 @@ -24,6 +24,7 @@   <CODE>1.2.0:</CODE> supports AAlib (-vo aa is very recommended, see below!)</TD><TR> <TD></TD><TD VALIGN=top><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>ggi</TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>similar to SDL</TD><TR> <TD></TD><TD VALIGN=top><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>aa</TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>textmode rendering with AAlib</TD><TR> +<TD></TD><TD VALIGN=top><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><a href="video.html#2.2.1.12">vesa</a></TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Output to VESA BIOS.</TD><TR> <TD COLSPAN=4><P><B><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Card specific:</B></P></TD><TR> @@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ disabling VSYNC somehow, or set refresh rate to n*(fps of the movie) Hz.</LI> <LI>Radeon VE - currently only XFree86 CVS has driver for this card, version -4.1.0 doesn't. No TV-out support.</LI> +4.1.0 doesn't. No TV-out support. (But see <a href="video.html#2.2.1.12">VESA</a> sections).</LI> </P> @@ -263,7 +264,7 @@ If you want to run it as user, then install <B>MPlayer</B> SUID root:</P> <P><CODE> -    <CODE>chown root /usr/local/bin/mplayer<BR> +    chown root /usr/local/bin/mplayer<BR>     chmod 750 /usr/local/bin/mplayer<BR>     chmod +s /usr/local/bin/mplayer</CODE></P> @@ -617,6 +618,90 @@ That isn't autodetected by aalib, bu vo_aa tries to find the best mode. See <A HREF="http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/tune/">http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/tune/</A> for further tuning issues.</P> +<P><B><A NAME=2.2.1.12>2.2.1.12. VESA - output to VESA BIOS</B></P> +<P> +This driver was designed and introduced as <b>generic driver</b> for any video +card which has VESA VBE 2.0 compatible BIOS. But exists still one reason of +developing of this driver - it's multiple troubles with displaying movie on TV.<BR> +<b>VESA BIOS EXTENSION (VBE) Version 3.0 Date: September 16, 1998</b> (Page 70) +says: +</P> + +<P> +<code><i> +<b>Dual-Controller Designs</b><br> +VBE 3.0 supports the dual-controller design by assuming that since both +controllers are typically provided by the same OEM, under control of a +single BIOS ROM on the same graphics card, it is possible to hide the fact +that two controllers are indeed present from the application. This has the +limitation of preventing simultaneous use of the independent controllers, +but allows applications released before VBE 3.0 to operate normally. The +VBE Function 00h (Return Controller Information) returns the combined +information of both controllers, including the combined list of available modes. +When the application selects a mode, the appropriate controller is activated. +Each of the remaining VBE functions then operates on the active controller. +</i></code> +</P> + +<P> +So you have chances to get working tv-out by using this driver. +<br>(I guess that TV-out frequently is standalone head or standalone output +at least.) +</P> + +<P> +<b>What are pluses:</b><BR> + - You have chances to watch movies <b>if Linux even doesn't know</b> your video hardware.<BR> + - You don't need to have installed any graphics' related things on your Linux +(like X11 (aka XFree86), fbdev and so on). This driver can be run from +<b>text-mode</b>.<BR> + - You have chances to get <b>working TV-out</b>. (It's known at least for ATI's cards).<BR> + - This driver calls <b>int 10h</b> handler thus it's not an emulator - it +calls <b>real</b> things of <b>real</b> BIOS in <b>real</b>-mode. (Finely - +in vm86 mode).<BR> + - Most important :) You can watch <b>DVD at 320x200</b> if you don't have a powerful CPU.<BR> +</P> + +<P> +<b>What are minuses:</b><BR> + - It works only on <b>x86 systems</b>.<BR> + - <b>It's the slowest driver</b> from all the available ones for MPlayer.<BR> + - It can be used only by <b>ROOT</b>.<BR> + - Currently it's available only for <b>Linux</b>.<BR> + - It <b>doesn't use</b> any <b>hardware accelerations</b> (like YUV overlay or hw scaling).<BR> +</P> + +<P> +<TABLE BORDER=0> +<TD COLSPAN=4><P><B><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>These switches of command line currently are available for VESA:</B></P></TD><TR> +<TD>  </TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>-vo vesa:opts</TD><TD>  </TD><TD> +<FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>will be implemented soon. (Will specify mode parameters such as refresh rate, interlacing, doublescan and so on. Samples: i43, 85, d100)</TD><TR> +<TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>-screenw, -screenh, -bpp</TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>force userdefined mode</TD><TR> +<TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>-x, -y</TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>set userdefined prescaling</TD><TR> +<TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>-zoom</TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>enables userdefined prescaling</TD><TR> +<TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>-fs</TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>scales image to fullscreen</TD><TR> +<TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>-fs -zoom</TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>scales userdefined prescaling to fullscreen</TD><TR> +</TABLE> +</P> + +<P> +<b>Known problems and workaround:</b><br> + - If you have installed <b>NLS</b> font on your Linux box and run VESA driver +from text-mode then after terminating mplayer you will have <b>ROM font</b> loaded instead +of national. You can load national font again by using <b><i>setsysfont</i></b> utility +from for example Mandrake distribution.<br> +(<b>Hint</b>: The same utility is used for localizating fbdev).<br> + - Some <b>Linux graphics drivers</b> don't update active <b>BIOS mode</b> in DOS memory. So if you have such +problem - always use VESA driver only from <b>text-mode</b>. Otherwise text-mode (#03) will be +activated anyway and you will need restart your computer.<br> + - Often after terminating VESA driver you get <b>black screen</b>. To return your screen +to original state - simply switch to other console (by pressing <b>Alt-Fx</b>) then switch +to your previous console by the same way.<br> + - To get <b>working TV-out</b> you need have plugged tv-connector in before booting +your PC since video BIOS initializes itself only once during POST procedure. +</P> + + <P><B><A NAME=2.2.1.A>2.2.1.A. TV-out support</A></B></P> <P><B><A NAME=2.2.1.A.1>2.2.1.A.1. Matrox cards</A></B></P> @@ -762,13 +847,29 @@ <LI><b>Radeon VE</b> and <b>Rage PRO LT</b> have <i>ImpacTV2+</i> which is not supported under Linux.</P> <P> -From other side - we could have a chance to have TV-out support through -<b>VESA drivers</b> on x86 systems but since Linux has too limited <i>vm86 syscall</i> -- it's unreachable on practice. Finely every access to IO space causes exception -and driver attempts to emulate even VESA calls instead passing them to native -int_10h handler. +Fortunately, owners of fast enough CPUs (Duron, Celeron2 and better) <b>can watch +movies on their TV</b> through <a href="video.html#2.2.1.12">VESA drivers</a>. </P> +<P> +I should say good words into address of ATI Inc. too:<br> +<b>it produces top quality BIOSes.</b> +</P> + +<P> +<b>VESA drivers</b> don't use any hardware acceleration but it simulates +<b>DGA</b> through 64K window, which is configured through 32-bit mode +functions of BIOS. ATI cards have enough <b>fast video memory</b> (DIMM or DDR +chips with 64 - 128-bit access) so it's not bottleneck for them. There are no +limitations on which video mode can be displayed on your TV (like on other +cards) so you can use <b>any video mode</b> on your <b>TV</b> (from +<b>320x200</b> up to <b>1024x768</b>). <br>Only thing you need to do - <b>have +plugged tv-connector in before booting your PC</b> since video BIOS initializes +itself only once during POST procedure. +</P> + +<P> +For detail see <a href="video.html#2.2.1.12">VESA</a> sections of this documentation. </P> </BODY>