Problems Using HDMI TV as Primary Monitor

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tiny.acorn

Problems Using HDMI TV as Primary Monitor

Post by tiny.acorn »

Hi all,

I'm trying to set up my Linux Mint 17.2 XFCE to use an HDMI TV as the primary display and it's giving me some trouble.
First, when the tv is the only display device connected, it will work fine on startup, but if I turn the tv off for a bit and turn it back on later, there will be no signal. The only way I could solve it was to reboot, and then it would work fine again.

Next, I tried plugging an extra monitor into the VGA port to see whats going on. It looks like when I turn the TV off, Mint no longer sees it as a display device and reconfigures the display settings to use the VGA monitor as primary display. So when I turn the TV back on, I have to go into display settings to re-activate it.

Is there a way I can get Mint to remember the display settings for my tv and automatically use those whenever it detects that the tv is connected?

Here is the output of inxi -Fxz

Code: Select all

System:    Host: CoolerMaster Kernel: 3.16.0-38-generic i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.8.2) 
           Desktop: Xfce 4.12.2 (Gtk 2.24.23) Distro: Linux Mint 17.2 Rafaela
Machine:   Mobo: ASUSTeK model: M3A78-EM version: Rev X.0x Bios: American Megatrends version: 0407 date: 07/02/2008
CPU:       Dual core AMD Athlon 4850e (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB flags: (lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 svm) bmips: 4017.98 
           Clock Speeds: 1: 1000.00 MHz 2: 1000.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RS780 [Radeon HD 3200] bus-ID: 01:05.0 
           X.Org: 1.15.1 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1280x1024@60.0hz, 1280x720@60.0hz 
           GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on AMD RS780 GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.1.3 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RS780 HDMI Audio [Radeon (HD) 3000 Series] 
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 01:05.1 
           Card-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA) driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:14.2 
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.16.0-38-generic
Network:   Card: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller 
           driver: r8169 ver: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e800 bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 3000.6GB (28.7% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD10EACS size: 1000.2GB 
           2: id: /dev/sdb model: WDC_WD1002FAEX size: 1000.2GB 3: id: /dev/sdc model: WDC_WD10EALS size: 1000.2GB 
Partition: ID: / size: 65G used: 6.9G (12%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 4.00GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap 
RAID:      No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 34.0C mobo: 38.0C 
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 2250 psu: 0 sys-1: 914 
Info:      Processes: 209 Uptime: 13:53 Memory: 1766.2/3795.0MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.4 
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.11) inxi: 1.9.17 
Thanks in advance.
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roblm
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Re: Problems Using HDMI TV as Primary Monitor

Post by roblm »

tiny.acorn wrote:Is there a way I can get Mint to remember the display settings for my tv and automatically use those whenever it detects that the tv is connected?
There is a method that may work which involves saving the TV's EDID data to a file, but not with your present configuration. The fglrx or nvidia driver needs
to be enabled, but you're stuck with the radeon driver with Mint 17. There is no proprietary driver support for the Radeon HD 3000 series graphics cards.
So you would need to do one of these methods:

1. Install Mint 13, which should have a fglrx driver available.
2. Replace your current graphics card with a Radeon HD 5000 series card, such as the HD 5450.
3. Replace your card with an Nvidia card, such as the GeForce 210.

Both cards are available for $35 on Newegg and use a PCI express slot. However, there is a PCI version of the Radeon card.
MtnDewManiac
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Location: United States

Re: Problems Using HDMI TV as Primary Monitor

Post by MtnDewManiac »

Could it be something as simple as a television that is using an old version of the HDMI standards (or the person is using an old cable that doesn't have full compliance with the newer/current version), thereby causing the computer to never get the signal that the television is "back online and ready," as it were? Seems like I read that the first version (or few versions?) lacked some of the communication that is useful when using an HDMI as a computer monitor, but I do not remember specifics (being somewhat afflicted with CRS :roll: ).

Regards,
MDM
Mint 18 Xfce 4.12.

If guns kill people, then pencils misspell words, cars make people drive drunk, and spoons made Rosie O'Donnell fat.
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