New linux video problem

[darkzar99]

ok i got linux all set up on my computer now, and I downloaded the latest drivers from ATI for my card, and also installed them, but when i watch video in VLC in full screen mode, the video plays as if there are no dirvers installed. how can i check to see if i have the latest drivers? or is there a different set of drivers that are recommended to be used in linux?

[Sparda]

You shouldn't need ATIs drivers to watch video, you only need them if you want to have OpenGL hardware accelerated.

[cooper]

Not true. ATI's 'drivers' are pretty much an accelerated X server. You need to configure your X to make proper use of them. See /etc/X11/xorg.conf look for a Section "Device" and the Driver field it contains.

When you know the Section "Device" that has your ATI driver in it, note the Identifier that section uses. Make sure that the Section "Screen" uses that exact value for its Device setting.

Sometimes, shitty sound drivers can cause choppy playback too.

[darkzar99]

here is the device and screen sections, im not really sure what im looking for, or if it is all correct, like i said before, when playing video in vlc media player at normal size the video is almost as good quality as playing in windows (not 100% best though) and when i full screen or change size it starts looking like lagging streaming video

heres the two sections:

Section "Device"

    Identifier  "ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon X700 Pro (RV410)"

    Driver      "vesa"

    BusID       "PCI:6:0:0"

EndSection



Section "Device"

    Identifier  "aticonfig-Device[0]"

    Driver      "fglrx"

EndSection



Section "Screen"

    Identifier "Default Screen"

    Device     "ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon X700 Pro (RV410)"

    Monitor    "SDM-S74"

    DefaultDepth     24

    SubSection "Display"

        Depth     1

        Modes    "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"

    EndSubSection

    SubSection "Display"

        Depth     4

        Modes    "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"

    EndSubSection

    SubSection "Display"

        Depth     8

        Modes    "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"

    EndSubSection

    SubSection "Display"

        Depth     15

        Modes    "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"

    EndSubSection

    SubSection "Display"

        Depth     16

        Modes    "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"

    EndSubSection

    SubSection "Display"

        Depth     24

        Modes    "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"

    EndSubSection

EndSection



Section "Screen"

    Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]"

    Device     "aticonfig-Device[0]"

    Monitor    "aticonfig-Monitor[0]"

    DefaultDepth     24

    SubSection "Display"

        Viewport   0 0

        Depth     24

    EndSubSection

EndSection

[Sparda]

and what does the layout section say?

[darkzar99]

Section "ServerLayout"

    Identifier     "Default Layout"

    Screen      0  "aticonfig-Screen[0]" 0 0

    InputDevice    "Generic Keyboard"

    InputDevice    "Configured Mouse"

    InputDevice    "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"

    InputDevice    "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"

    InputDevice    "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"

EndSection

if you need the code from the xorg.conf.original file i can post that too

[Sparda]

It appears that it is using the ATI drivers, so it is a safe presumption that 3D hardware acceleration is functionaining.

So what exacly do you mean by "when i watch video in VLC in full screen mode, the video plays as if there are no dirvers installed."?

[darkzar99]

it is choppy, or i guess you could say that the framerate appears to be super low, i guess you would say that it is rendering the frames too slowly so it ends up skipping some, the audio is fine but the video looks horrible, like i said before this video plays fine in windows, im thinking that it has to have something to do with the drivers because the screensavers are running extremely slow too

[Sparda]

You should test hardware acceleration. The easist way is probably to install a game that requiers it, x-moto would be one that you could try it with.

[darkzar99]

ok i installed x-moto and the game does play, but it is extremely slow, its like trying to play tuxracer on an old pc, the sound in the game skips a lot too

[Sparda]

So hardware accelerated OpenGL is not working. What distro are you using?

[darkzar99]

Ubuntu, so how can i determine what is causing it or how can i fix it

[Sparda]

This is where I get stuck when doing stuff in Linux, things that don't work and don't give errors. Did you install the drivers using the instructions on the ubuntu wiki?

[darkzar99]

no from ati.com, if i reinstall the drivers according to the ubuntu wiki would that make a difference?

edit: i will try this: https://help.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/desktopguide/C/hardware.html

i ran the first command and it said that 3d accelleration was not enabled so something isnt right

[darkzar99]

You were correct Sparda, it was the hardware rendering not being used, i used the guide i posted before and now x-moto runs great and the video is like it should, thanks! however i am not using the ati drivers, its the fglrx i believe is what its called

[Sparda]

You were correct Sparda, it was the hardware rendering not being used, i used the guide i posted before and now x-moto runs great and the video is like it should, thanks! however i am not using the ati drivers, its the fglrx i believe is what its called, the video is stretched a little so its not as smooth as i would like it but it iwll do

fglrx is the ATI driver, I suppose it's not too obviuse though...

[dirty D]

in the Device section the line reading Driver "vesa" should be Driver "fglrx"

[Sparda]

in the Device section the line reading Driver "vesa" should be Driver "fglrx"

No it shouldn't, that device isn't used, it's the second device that is in use, and that dose say fglrx.

[Erroneous]

I know the problem is solved, but this may help out next time. ATI drivers are sticky in Linux. An easy way to tell if your ATI drivers were installed correctly and are working fine (after restarting X of course) is to run the ATI control panel. It sould say which drivers are in use.

Also, to check that 3D is working on an ATI system, run fgl_glxgears. If it is more than 300 fps, it is probably working. Sometimes, however, you cannot get ATI drivers working in Linux. I have a Toshiba notebook, where you have to download the Windows drivers from Toshiba since ATI won't touch it. Tried every method I could to get the drivers working, and it would not work. Best advice for Linux+ATI is get nVidia.