Full screen or black border issue..has it been solved?

[redheat]

Hi everyone

I posted this question few weeks agao, but before I begin here's my configuration:

Sony PS3 60GB
an HDMI-to-HDMI monstrously priced "mosnter" cable
Sony Bravia KLV-V200a 32" HDTV tv that supports WXGA, 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i
Yellow Dog Linux Version 5.0.1 (newest version)

The problem as most of you have experienced it is the black borders that go all around the user's interface on YDL 5.0, has it been solved does anyone know how to get rid of it..

I've tried full screen with all different modes and still I either got an overstretched screen, and I tried to work that out using my tv controls but of no use.. the problem persisted...any workaround for that problem...

any help would be appreciated...
regards
redheat..

[Dr.Gringo]

Please search next time...

Originally Posted by cyanide

Okay. Open the file kboot.conf in the /etc folder (/etc/kboot.conf) using an editor in Linux (from the gui itself, check the start-like menu for a list of apps).

Then, go to the last line. It will look something like this:
linux="/boot/vmlinux-2.6.16 initrd=/boot/initrd.img video=ps3fb:mode:3"
It might look a little different, you don't have to worry. Just look at the mode:3 at the end. That parameter tells the bootloader what resolution it's supposed to use. Now there is a list of different modes for different resolutions.

0: auto mode , default value
YUV 60Hz 1:480i 2:480p 3:720p 4:1080i 5:1080p
YUV 50Hz 6:576i 7:576p 8:720p 9:1080i 10:1080p
RGB 60Hz 33:480i 34:480p 35:720p 36:1080i 37:1080p
RGB 50Hz 38:576i 39:576p 40:720p 41:1080i 42:1080p
VESA 11:WXGA 12:SXGA 13:WUXGA

So suppose you want a resolution of 1080p, here's what you have to change the last line to:
linux="/boot/vmlinux-2.6.16 initrd=/boot/initrd.img video=ps3fb:mode:5"

Make sure not to put it at a resolution which your monitor doesn't support. If you get stuck, you'll have to waste another 10 minutes going back to the command line mode and doing the changes.

If you want to test the different resolutions before you use one, open a terminal and type this:
ps3videomode -v <mode id>
eg: ps3videomode -v 3

There are other options when using that command, type ps3videomode --help to look at the list of different switches it accepts.

[redheat]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gringo

Please search next time...

First of all thank you for replying, and secondly and with all due respect, I have already searched everywhere, and I have applied the "infamous" kboot and xorg.conf changes but of no use...

None of them work in the sense that even if I choose the highest resolution supported by my TV which is 1080i, I get that resolution but still with blackborder all around the GUI..simple..The "GUI" rectangle is enclosed by a black rectangle and the resolution for the inside rectangle changes according to the way I set it let it be 480p, 720p or 1080i...

I'm open to any further suggestion?

I have a question regarding the xorg file regarding the three mode lines there can someone just reiterate them here

regards
redheat...

again thank you for your reply.

[Dr.Gringo]

Hmm... I must say I'm not very familiar with Yellow Dog Linux, but you might try typing this at the kboot prompt if you havent already done so.

ydl1080i

Another piece of advice I can give you is to install GNOME or KDE, GUI's for Linux. In Gentoo we use the command "emerge" to install applications, but I believe you are smart enough to find the correct way to install software using YDL. Good Luck!

These should eliminate the black boarder around the gui if you have a tv whose maximum resolution is 1080i. However, as i already stated, I'm no expert at Yellow Dog and this is probably the best advice I can give you. If you are unable to solve your problem you might want to try Gentoo on your PS3. It is very easy to use once you go through the installation process. I'm typing to you from my PS3 running Gentoo right now. If you become interested and would like to change to Gentoo go HERE for a complete set of instructions. If you need any further help I'm willing to guide you through the process.

EDIT:

I just found this link HERE it should help you out with your black border issue.

-Cheers, Dr.Gringo

[redheat]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gringo

Hmm... I must say I'm not very familiar with Yellow Dog Linux, but you might try typing this at the kboot prompt if you havent already done so.

ydl1080i

Another piece of advice I can give you is to install GNOME or KDE, GUI's for Linux. In Gentoo we use the command "emerge" to install applications, but I believe you are smart enough to find the correct way to install software using YDL. Good Luck!

These should eliminate the black boarder around the gui if you have a tv whose maximum resolution is 1080i. However, as i already stated, I'm no expert at Yellow Dog and this is probably the best advice I can give you. If you are unable to solve your problem you might want to try Gentoo on your PS3. It is very easy to use once you go through the installation process. I'm typing to you from my PS3 running Gentoo right now. If you become interested and would like to change to Gentoo go HERE for a complete set of instructions. If you need any further help I'm willing to guide you through the process.

EDIT:

I just found this link HERE it should help you out with your black border issue.

-Cheers, Dr.Gringo

Again, thank you Dr. Gringo for replying back and for the URLs. regarding the first part about typing ydl1080i at kboot, tried that didn't solve the black border problem.

regarding the second part about the GUI Gnome or KDE, its the first time I hear about this. Does installing a different GUI solve an overscan problem? but still thanks..

regarding Gentoo and Ubunto, I was actually thinking about moving to one of them once I can't get myself untangled from YDL's "unimgainative" problems. Yet, I think that YDL is not bad, I've seen some screenshots of Ubunto and Gentoo at work and read a lot of "testimonials" saying that the two OS' rock.. oh by the way go to this website:

http://distrowatch.com/

it has the latest news on all the latest ditributions and packages..

now regarding that ps3news website, been there and tried that solution still of no use whatsoever. Whether you keep the "modes" line or delete it..no use..

hey also try this website if you have an appetite for carrying a good portable apps with you everywhere:

http://portableapps.com/

Finally, thank you again, and I wish you believe me when I tell you that "I've searched everywhere"...by the way this "black border" crappy problem is surfacing everywhere and many people are taking for granted sort of a "collateral damage" for using a linux system on a ps3..thank again my friend..

regards
redheat..


p.s. "smart" ....don't be silly... when it comes to linux, I"m linus himself

[Dr.Gringo]

Haha, Yeah i noticed that problem was emerging everywhere. Well if u don't fix it you can always install Gentoo or any other distro of your liking. Which you good luck my friend, anything else you need just PM me...

[hexonn]

you can only use fullscreen, really, if your TV supports 'full over scan'

otherwise your screen will be larger than your tv can show. atm, there is no fix around this, however you can try using 720p at fullscreen and see if that works, otherwise there's no way of change, unless Sony does something about it

[redheat]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gringo

Haha, Yeah i noticed that problem was emerging everywhere. Well if u don't fix it you can always install Gentoo or any other distro of your liking. Which you good luck my friend, anything else you need just PM me...

Thanks Doc, I'm on this problem till either I buy a new tv set, not in my dreams cause I just bought this tv set, or ...I'm installing gento or ubuntu..

Thank you so much my friend...

regards
redheat.
-= Double Post =-

Originally Posted by hexonn

you can only use fullscreen, really, if your TV supports 'full over scan'

otherwise your screen will be larger than your tv can show. atm, there is no fix around this, however you can try using 720p at fullscreen and see if that works, otherwise there's no way of change, unless Sony does something about it

Thanks for replying hexonn, you know my tv set is brand new, I mean I just bought one month ago, and it does support...too many things you know.. I mean it has to be a problem and you know where? if you go here to this URL: http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/su...o-config.shtml

and I followed all the things they wrote, and you know what for a second I got a fullscreen display, without even writing a fullscreen mode, that is I choose, for example 720, and I wrote its level number which is 3 without adding 128 to it, you know the famous fullscreen mode, and there it was the screen was filled but, unfortunately, it was overstretched..

I know there's a solution for this from terrasoft, but no one, is answering us, and I mean the guys who developed the program..unless you want full support in this case be ready to dispense, and I mean dispense, 60 bucks for a "free" software turned "bad ass" "trialware"...

I'll keep my eyes on a solution for that problem...

regards and thanks
redheat..

[fer]

Posted this awhile ago, seems to be what you're looking for. From http://forums.qj.net/f-ps3-linux-283...lem-82164.html

I'm pleased to say that I've got my fullscreen resolution tweaked on my old Panasonic HDTV, supporting only 480i/480p/1080i, and with Fedora Core 6. By default in non-fullscreen mode, I had the black bars (as expected), but "fullscreen" resolution was just too oversized. I modified the code (the const ps3fb_res res table) in the PS3 framebuffer driver (drivers/video/ps3fb.c) to add a small margin when in fullscreen 480p. I left the other modes untouched as a fallback in case of problems. After rebuilding the kernel using guesstimates for the border size (I used half of what the border was in non-fullscreen, 36 and 29), my screen was perfect vertically, and still slightly oversized horizontally. Tweaking the x-border value and rebuilding got me to a sweet spot that perfectly fills the screen. Of course, values will vary for different TVs, as hsize/vsize will vary and can typically be changed from factory settings (the joys of manual convergence, argh). 1080i was the same process.

I used the provided 2.6.16 kernel as the base, and patched it to 2.6.16.36, with most config settings kept from the original 2.6.16 build.

Moral of the story: tweak the framebuffer driver (drivers/video/ps3fb.c) and rebuild your kernel. Been running fullscreen for months.

[fer]

Not having the best of luck with the new fb driver in the 2.6.21 kernel, however. Same technique is not working right anymore. I'll post my answer when I figure it out sometime, as I'm in no rush to run a newer kernel until WPA is implemented in the new wireless driver, or something cooler. Good old 2.6.16 with no bars and fullscreen I value much more. Then again, I could just use the old framebuffer driver I modified in the 2.6.21 kernel perhaps...

[zoyano]

So the new Kernel support WiFi?

[FF4N4TIC]

Yes, it does support wifi.

[fer]

I've got the black bars removed in 2.6.21 now as well, though the changes to ps3fb.c were a little more involved than with the old kernel. I'm thinking of starting a new thread that will detail exactly how I'm doing it, as I'm quite surprised that this board and others still believes that it is impossible until "Sony does something about it ".

[EvaDAD]

If you could give us a detailed explanation of how to get rid of the black borders I would appreciate it very much for sure. Those black borders are very annoying! BTW: If someone could get wifi working under Gentoo that would be great also AND if sony would let us access the 3d graphics (or at least the extra 256 MB memory) than I would go out and buy some playstations!

[zmathue]

The black bars don't really bother me, the only thing that does is the "start bar" (too used to windows) at the bottom is either behind or on top of your windows. I would like it if the windows couldn't be lowered any lower than the top of the bar or even better if the bar hide's itself when not scrolled over.

[Jebus Christ]

Im using Ubuntu and attempted to get rid of the bars using what was on the front page but it was different. How exactly do you get rid of them on Ubuntu? Im using an SD tv.