Linux - 6 - tv out

i have a nVidia GForce 2 MX400 with TVout graphics card. i would like very much to take advantage of the tv out feature so that i can watch films on the nice large TV downstairs rather than my 17 inch monitor.

i downloaded the nvidia drivers and installed them. i then adjusted my /etc/X11/XF86Config file to the following code. i doubled up on everything to allow a choice between using tv out, or not using tv out - that is the question.

There are two devices, one first doesn't support tvout, the second does. Next, the screen sections; one running 1024x768 and one running at 800x600. The lower screen resolution is needed for tv out since the tv out hardware is only capable of outputing 800x600. If a higher resolution is used then the screen is cropped to 800x600, the affect being you loose the edges off a film.

There are two server layout sections, the purpose of these is to allow me to choose whether to use tv out or not. The first layout is the default one, this does not use tv out. This is simply loaded using xinit. The second layout, using tv out is loaded using xinit -- -layout tvout

Section "Device"
   Identifier  "GForce2AGP"
   VendorName "nvidia"
   Driver      "nvidia"
   BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
   Option "NoLogo" "TRUE"
EndSection


Section "Device"
   Identifier  "GForce2AGPtvout"
   VendorName "nvidia"
   Driver      "nvidia"
   BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
   Option "TwinView" "TRUE"
   Option "NoLogo" "TRUE"
   Option "TwinViewOrientation" "Clone"
   Option "SecondMonitorHorizSync"  "30.0-50.0"
   Option "SecondMonitorVertRefresh" "60"
   Option "MetaModes" "800x600, 800x600;"
   Option "TVStandard" "PAL-I"
   Option "TVOutFormat" "COMPOSITE"
   Option "ConnectedMonitor" "crt,tv"
EndSection


Section "Screen"
   Identifier  "Screen1"
   Device      "GForce2AGP"
   Monitor     "XIOD 17inch monitor"
   DefaultDepth 24
   Subsection "Display"
      Depth       24
      Modes "1024x768"
   EndSubsection
EndSection
   

Section "Screen"
   Identifier  "Screen2"
   Device      "GForce2AGPtvout"
   Monitor     "XIOD 17inch monitor"
   DefaultDepth 16
   Subsection "Display"
       Depth       16
       Modes "800x600"
   EndSubsection
EndSection

    
Section "ServerLayout"
   Identifier  "default"
   Screen "Screen1"
   InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
   InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection


Section "ServerLayout"
   Identifier  "tvout"
   Screen "Screen2"
   InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
   InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Please note these settings may not work for your system. You may need to fiddle, esp if your not using a UK tv connected via a composite cable.

Problems

i found that i cannot run tvout setting after firstly loading X windows without tv out in the same boot. If i load X window normally, then quit it and try to use tv out the kernel goes into panic mode (flashing keyboard lights) and the system freezes. i assume this is a bug, and have learnt to avoid it occuring!