NVidia binary driver wrongly has been displaying 50Hz since 9xxx drivers

[robvdl]

Hi, I am posting this bug here, because I don't know where else to, and believe this bug has been around for far too long now. I have noticed this bug appear ever since the release of the 9xxx Linux drivers, and it has been there in every subsequent release thereafter. The bug still exists in the latest 100.14.11 drivers.

Ok, so first of all, here are some things I have observed:

I use Ubuntu, the refresh rate used to read properly when you go to "System->Preferences->Screen Resolution" with the older 8xxx drivers on Dapper. It used to read something like 85Hz, and my monitor itself would confirm this too.

As soon as I started using the 9xxx drivers (this was still on Dapper at the time), my monitor itself would properly read it was running at 85Hz, but when opening "System->Preferences->Screen Resolution", it started reading the wrong refresh rate of 50hz.

I have observed this bug on a number of different machines, and on the following cards: GeForce FX 5600, GeForce FX 5200, GeForce 7600 GS AGP, GeForce 7950 GT, and onboard GeForce 6100 on the NForce 430 based boards, so it definitely seems to happen on a wide range, possibly all GeForce based cards.

I have observed this bug on the binary NVidia drivers since the 9xxx series, in Dapper with a custom kernel module compiled, the binary driver in the Ubuntu Edgy repository, the binary driver in the Ubuntu Feisty repository, and even on the latest 100.14.11 drivers with a plain vanilla kernel, compiled from source. Which indicates to me the problem is most definitely with the NVidia drivers, and not Ubuntu.

The reason why this bug is so annoying, is because if you run the Beryl or Compiz Fusion 3D desktop, everything is very jumpy, as Compiz thinks the monitor is running at 50hz, so tries to sync to that framerate. Off course you can fix this by unticking "detect refresh rate" in Compiz, but not everybody would know this.

Come'on NVidia, fix this bug please, it's been broken for far too long now.

Attached is a screenshot that shows the NVidia control panel reading 60Hz for my digital flat panel, but the screen resolution applet reading 50hz. This is using the latest 100.14.11 drivers. Note that Compiz also detects 50hz, so it's not just the "screen resoltion" applet doing it.

[rakshasa]

I've got basically the same problem, except; My computer is connected to the vga-in of the 27" Samsung lcd-tv, and when using any drivers 9xxx+ the refresh rate is 54hz. And the refresh really _is_ 54hz considering the flickering, so it's not just a problem in refresh rate reporting.

Using 8xxx drivers the refresh rate is 60hz and the flickering goes away. I haven't touched the xorg configuration, so the display mode is set to 1360x768_60. I've tried to use different modelines, but using them renders the 1360x768 resolution unusable by the xserver and forces the use of 1024x768 mode.

[robvdl]

Oh! I found a solution here http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=1557092 to fix, I had to add Option "DynamicTwinView" "False" to my xorg.conf file. Makes me wonder why all those tutorials I find around the net on "how to install nvidia driver in ubuntu" fail to mention this, even though it seems like quite a critical setting. I am just wondering though, should the NVidia drivers not return the correct refresh rate, regarding of this setting?

[rakshasa]

Hey, thanks a bunch robvdl, that fixed my little problem too. ^^

[netllama]

Also see the driver README's discussion of DynamicTwinview which explains this behavior and why its expected.

[DebianCoder]

Originally Posted by netllama

Also see the driver README's discussion of DynamicTwinview which explains this behavior and why its expected.

This hack is bad. Most people do not have two monitors. The default should be FALSE without user intervention in xorg.conf.

Monitor modes are one of the most critical settings in xorg.conf and playing with them like this is just extremely bad. Those who need fancy dual- or multi-monitor setups should be the ones who need to fiddle, not everyone else.

[netllama]

The DynamicTwinview option is not specific to using multiple display devices. As I recommended earlier, please see the driver README for more information (or search this forum, as this topic has been discussed many times in the past).

[DebianCoder]

Then the option is misnamed.

Users do not want, and should not be asked, to become xorg.conf and nVidia News Forum experts. Many things have been discussed before - but even I get confused by all the nVidia developments and options. And I am a developer. So in short you expect too much of users.

The defaults in the driver should be sensible for "most" users, not developers.

[netllama]

I'm sorry that you feel that way, however the overwhelming majority of NVIDIA customers are quite pleased with the DynamicTwinview option.

I regret that you're in the small minority that dislike this option. You can certainly disable it at your convenience.

I have nothing further to add on this topic.

[Dr. Tyrell]

To NVidia:
Thanks for this and the growing number of options.

Satisfied so far,
The Doctor

[DebianCoder]

Originally Posted by netllama

I'm sorry that you feel that way, however the overwhelming majority of NVIDIA customers are quite pleased with the DynamicTwinview option.

I regret that you're in the small minority that dislike this option. You can certainly disable it at your convenience.

I have nothing further to add on this topic.

That's too much psychology (I do not "feel" anything, I made a rational point of business success) and wrong (everyone enjoys features). Saying defaults should make sense for the majority of average users is helping that majority. People who need to activate special configurations can become xorg.conf and nVidia news forum experts.

Average users should not be asked to decipher weird sub-options. They only need their one monitor to function and report correct values to GNOME/KDE. How does an average person make sense of these two options with almost identical names but different defaults?

1.0-9639

Originally Posted by nVidia

Option "TwinView" "boolean"

Default: off (TwinView is disabled).

Option "DynamicTwinView" "boolean"

Default: DynamicTwinView is enabled.

[Gusar]

Originally Posted by DebianCoder

They only need their one monitor to function and report correct values to GNOME/KDE.

Why do they need that exactly? Why does an average user need to know the refresh rate of their monitor? And even if they do need to know, they don't have to become xorg.conf experts, they just need to open nvidia-settings, the correct rate is printed there.

Think about it this way: before, users needed to be xorg.conf experts if they wanted to plug in their TV and watch a movie on it. Now, they just plug the TV in and DinamicTwinView will do its thing. It's definitely better for this to be on by default.