[Izumi Konata]

When I login in a XBMCbuntu session, I can adjust the overscan to the desired level using nvidia-settings. However, when I log off and go back to the XBMC session it resets the overscan I set in XBMCbuntu. How can I tell the XBMC session to use the same overscan settings as in the XBMCbuntu session? The overscan function in XBMC somehow won't let me select my desired amount of overscan.

Thank you in advance!

[nickr]

Turn overscan off on your TV.

[Izumi Konata]

Turn overscan off on your TV.

Thank you for your reply!

I wish I could, I only have limited access to the TV's menu's. I got this TV for free from my bro when I moved here last December, but he lost the remote so I had to buy a universal remote. The TV is expecting 4 color buttons for example, which the universal remote doesn't have. I can get to the main menu, switch channels and put the volume up and down and that's it.

I found a workaround though, if I boot into the XBMCbuntu session, set overscan to 11 with nvidia-settings and then run XBMC from the start menu in that session it works (though then I get regular linux popups if I put in a USB stick for exaple, which puts XBMC out of focus). Still, I'd rather have the real XBMC session use the same overscan, so I could boot it off the bat rather then 1st having to login XBMCbuntu n then running XBMC from there.

But as I said, if I use the overscan function in XBMC all it'll do is "pull it under" the black borders instead of use them, while with nvidia-settings overscan it works fine.

Any help or ideas on how to get the XBMC session to have the same overscan als my XBMCbuntu session 'd be greatly appreciated, it's the only thing now keeping me from fully enjoying new setup.

[nickr]

I suspect it is something to do with the fact that the XBMC session doen't run any window manager or desktop, whereas the XBMCbuntu session does (and I think it runs openbox).

Quite how to fix it I am unsure. What make and model is the TV? The quality will be a lot better if we can turn off overscan on the TV.

[Izumi Konata]

I'll have to look up the model number on the back of the TV, all I know atm is it's a Panasonic Quintrix ... I'll get back to you on which model exactly (I'll do that 2morrow, it's 4.41am here atm and I need to go to bed soon, and the TV is quite heavy...) because I noticed there are multiple Panasonic Quintrix models, some look way older then mine.

Then again, this one is also pretty old according to wiki as it suffers from blooming. Well I got it for free can't complain I guess. I'd get a decent flatscreen if I had some spare money but no such luck atm, instead bills keep haunting me.

[nickr]

Ahh OK so it is a CRT by the looks of things, you may not be able to turn overscan off anyway. Maybe we'll forget that path...

I assume you ARE saving the nvidia-settings in the xbmcbuntu session?

[Ned Scott]

In XBMC: Settings -> System -> Video output -> Video calibration

[Izumi Konata]

In XBMC: Settings -> System -> Video output -> Video calibration

If you had read my 2nd post you would've known that's not working properly on my tv. It just "pulls" the image under the unused pixel lines, without activating them, kinda like the unused pixel lines are actually the physical borders of my TV screen (but they are not). But when I use nvidia-settings from a XBMCbuntu session it works. That's exactly my problem right there.

[Ned Scott]

Sorry, I was thrown by the talk of turning overscan off, when it's actually needed.

The Lbuntu desktop is using a window manager, while XBMC directly is not. I believe you'll need to modify the "xorg.conf" file: Configuring resolution via xorg.conf (wiki)

I don't know exactly what the setting would be, though, but that might point you in the right direction.

[Izumi Konata]

Ahh OK so it is a CRT by the looks of things, you may not be able to turn overscan off anyway. Maybe we'll forget that path...

I assume you ARE saving the nvidia-settings in the xbmcbuntu session?

I forgot to mention it's a CRT, my bad.

Come to think of it, I had problems saving. I tried Save to X Configuration file under X Server Display Configuration, but upon viewing the preview, it left me to conclude it wouldn't add anything related to the overscan. So then under nvidia-settings Configuration, when I clicked Save current configuration it asked me to save nvidia-settings-rc.

After I did, it never appeared in my home directory. Even if it would have I would have no idea how to make XBMC use it. So perhaps the latter is where the problem lies. The XBMCbuntu session seems to have saved/remembered the overscan, so I assumed it got saved somehow just by adjusting the slider and quitting... So ehm ... How would I go about saving those settings "for real" ?

Sorry, I was thrown by the talk of turning overscan off, when it's actually needed.

The Lbuntu desktop is using a window manager, while XBMC directly is not. I believe you'll need to modify the "xorg.conf" file: Configuring resolution via xorg.conf (wiki)

I don't know exactly what the setting would be, though, but that might point you in the right direction.

I was thinking of that, but my knowledge of manually editing xorg.conf is very limited, and unfortunately the link you sent doesn't cover the lines needed for overscan. I did a google search for xorg nvidia overscan but to no avail.

[FernetMenta]

have you tried nvidia-settings -l before launching xbmc?

[Izumi Konata]

have you tried nvidia-settings -l before launching xbmc?

I assume I'd run nvidia-settings from the XBMCbuntu session in a terminal? If so, I just tried, it has no effect on the XBMC session unfortunately.

[FernetMenta]

You have to load the setting when starting the session. Place that command just before launching xbmc.

[Izumi Konata]

You have to load the setting when starting the session. Place that command just before launching xbmc.

I guess my linux knowledge is lacking too much T_T . Where exactly would I place that command? I assume in some sort of autoboot file for the XBMC profile? Where would I find that file?

So far I used linux quite a bit, but they were all full distros with all kinds of tools to help me out. Here, all I have to edit textfiles is vi in the console (which I find pretty hard to use). I do know how to get root though (it would suck if I didn't) and if I try I can out work vi, I've fixed a broken xorg.conf using it before. So if you could point me to where n what what needs to be edited that'd be great.

Thanks in advance!

[nickr]

don't use vi, use nano, it is far easier. vi is powerful but hard for beginners.