video tearing when composite is enabled

[pro711]

Hello,

After upgrading to Ubuntu 9.10 beta recently, I found serious image tearing during video playback. I use a laptop with a 9300m gs card. The tearing mostly occur at the top 1/4 part of the screen, especially when there is a horizontally moving object in the video. The tearing position is not steadily moving up or down but jumping randomly. The tearing occurs with any vo, including xv,vdpau,gl,x11. Perhaps there was also video tearing when I was using Jaunty, but not obvious enough. I've tried to set "Sync to VBlank" in nvidia-settings and compiz config settings manager, and also the correct refresh rate in compiz, but none helped. I also have these environment variables set __VDPAU_NVIDIA_SYNC_DISPLAY_DEVICE, __GL_SYNC_TO_VBLANK, __GL_SYNC_DISPLAY_DEVICE according to this thread but they don't change the situation either. I included a screenshot to show the tearing problem. Note that I only see the tearing marked with red in video playback, the tearing marked with blue only appears in screenshots.

When metacity is used instead of compiz, the tearings are still there. And I tried nvidia drivers 173,185,190, the results are the same. Later I found by disabling composite in xorg.conf, the tearing is gone. But then I won't be able to use compiz. So I think the problem lies in composite extension of nvidia driver.

I've previously filed a bug on launchpad but got no response. So I think this map be a better place for me to get help. Below is the additional software and hardware information I copied from the launchpad bug report. More detailed information and logs can be found at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...80/+bug/448440

Does anyone know how to fix this problem?

Thanks!


--------------------------
ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
CheckboxSubmission: 4b1f7cb9d4a347d4f4732ef8b266b061
CheckboxSystem: 425f2b13f62e035c9c858016dd99e2d4
Date: Sun Oct 11 11:02:24 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
MachineType: Quanta TW8/SW8/DW8
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: nvidia-glx-185 185.18.36-0ubuntu4
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-13-generic root=UUID=a405134b-cddd-45ad-8961-293324a810d3 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
LANGUAGE=zh_CN.UTF-8
LANG=zh_CN.UTF-8
SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-13.43-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
xserver-xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu5
libgl1-mesa-glx 7.7.0~git20091009.db828ed7-0ubuntu0tormod
libdrm2 2.4.15~git-0ubuntu0tormod
xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.0-1ubuntu1
xserver-xorg-video-ati N/A
SourcePackage: nvidia-graphics-drivers-180
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-13-generic x86_64
dmi.bios.date: 01/12/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: INSYDE
dmi.bios.version: Q3C61
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: TW8/SW8/DW8
dmi.board.vendor: Quanta
dmi.board.version: 03
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Chassis Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 1
dmi.chassis.vendor: Quanta
dmi.chassis.version: US
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnINSYDE:bvrQ3C61:bd01/12/2009:svnQuantanTW8/SW8/DW8vrTBD:rvnQuanta:rnTW8/SW8/DW8:rvr03:cvnQuanta:ct1:cvrUS:
dmi.product.name: TW8/SW8/DW8
dmi.product.version: TBD
dmi.sys.vendor: Quanta
fglrx: Not loaded
system:
distro: Ubuntu
architecture: x86_64kernel: 2.6.31-13-generic

[hl_]

I can confirm this, but it only seems to happen at 1/10 of the height top area, so it is not very noticeable. This is on Ubuntu 8.04.

[pro711]

Originally Posted by hl_

I can confirm this, but it only seems to happen at 1/10 of the height top area, so it is not very noticeable. This is on Ubuntu 8.04.

That's right. That's the situation when I was using Ubuntu 9.04. My screen aspect ratio is 16:10, so while playing videos of 16:9 aspect ratio the top part of the screen is black background thus tearing is not visible. But while playing 16:10 videos the tearing become apparent. Now with Ubuntu 9.10 the tearing part seems to become larger and as a result I got considerable tearing even with 16:9 videos.

nvidia-bug-report.log.gz included.

[davelaser]

I get this problem on a laptop with a 7400M in it. It seems any video blitting method whether compiz is enabled or not causes some tearing right at the top of the screen. This also happens with opengl applications that should be vsynced as well. I've had this problem for a fair few driver releases, possibly even from 177.x and before. I just never felt it was enough of a big deal to complain about.

Sam

[alanw]

Same with my Ubuntu 9.10 Beta, with opengl renderer. Terrible tearing even with fullscreen video.

[davelaser]

Alanw be careful to stay on topic, the other reports have been about a specific instance of tearing occuring in the very top part of the screen consistently.

This is likely to be a specific issue, whereas generally tearing everywhere is likely to be an unrelated problem.

Sam

EDIT: disregard that, the OP has tearing everywhere. Maybe I should start a new thread about the tearing at the top of the screen problem.

[a369700]

Hi,
Someone on https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...iz/+bug/151674 found a solution for the video tearing (he was referring to the video on TV but it's the same fix for using a monitor only)

"I had same issue with tearing on TV, but it disappeared after launching the Compiz settings manager (ccsm) on the secondary (TV) screen using alt + f2 and ccsm.
Relevant settings are:
-detect refresh rate off
-refresh rate fixed to 60
-vsync enabled"

So run ccsm on the xscreen where you see the tearing, that is if the tearing happens on your TV and you use the "separate x screen option" in nvidia-settings, run ccsm on that screen and enable "vsync to vblack" ("general options", then go to "display settings" tab)

This fix worked for me on ubuntu 9.10 (karmic koala) - mplayer
No need for you to disable compiz in order to get rid of that annoying video tearing.

[alanw]

Originally Posted by a369700

"I had same issue with tearing on TV, but it disappeared after launching the Compiz settings manager (ccsm) on the secondary (TV) screen using alt + f2 and ccsm.
Relevant settings are:
-detect refresh rate off
-refresh rate fixed to 60
-vsync enabled"

So run ccsm on the xscreen where you see the tearing, that is if the tearing happens on your TV and you use the "separate x screen option" in nvidia-settings, run ccsm on that screen and enable "vsync to vblack" ("general options", then go to "display settings" tab)

I found this solution too, but for me with full screen opengl applications still have tearing (xbmc in my case) The tearing happens to be only on a specific height of the screen, like it was syncing to vblank, but in a wrong time (a little bit always delayed)

[hepaly]

Hello,
This bug (xvideo and opengl tearing) does not occur after these steps:
Put the mark to sync to vblank in nvidia-settings (xvideo and opengl) and compiz.
After:
-open compizconfig settings manager
-uncheck the "detect_refresh_rate" in displays settings
-open nvidia-settings
-change refresh rate (for example: from auto to 60Hz or from 60 to auto)
-close nvidia-settings
-check the "detect_refresh_rate" in displays settings in compiz.
After these steps, everything is working well.
os: Ubuntu 9.10 released
hw: Acer Aspire 5720ZG GF9300MG
driver: 190.42
(sorry for my english)