[clug] I need to borrow a monitor with HDMI input to help solve a configuration issue

[Rodney]

On Sat, 15 Mar 2014 12:00:01 linux-request at lists.samba.org wrote:
> Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 19:44:51 +1100
> From: Paul Leopardi <paul.leopardi at anu.edu.au>
> To: <linux at lists.samba.org>
> Cc: Paul Leopardi <paul.leopardi at anu.edu.au>
> Subject: [clug] I need to borrow a monitor with HDMI input to help
>         solve a configuration issue
> Message-ID: <2445015.u06EzsQctS at linfinit>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Hi all,
> I attended BarCamp Canberra at Gungahlin Library today, and could not
> succeed in  connecting my laptop (ASUS eee PC 1215B running Kubuntu 13.04)
> via HDMI to the supplied TV set. I'm thinking that there is a specific
> issue with the modelines. Xorg.0.log claims to see
> EDID vendor "SAM", prod id 2315
> but xrandr and the Samsung TV both claimed that the HDMI cable is
> disconnected.
> 
> Since it is unlikely that I can just lob up to Gungahlin Library and keep
> testing until I  find out what went wrong, and I don't own a monitor with a
> HDMI input, does anyone know where I can borrow one? If it helps, I work at
> ANU.
> All the best, Paul
> -- 
> Paul Leopardi
> http://www.maths.anu.edu.au/~leopardi

Paul,

You probably don't need a HDMI monitor to resolve the issue(s).

Firstly, there are a couple of procedural issues to be checked before
seeking additional hardware items.

(1) most laptops default the external video out to DISABLED, in order to save 
power.  First check is to enable that.  It could have resulted in the error 
message that you saw.

(2) the sets of resolutions used by TV channels & PC monitors are 
somewhat disparate and PC tend to support mainly the latter.  If xrandr 
reports compatible resolutions then that might well be zero, on a HDMI input 
which is intended for TV style signals.

Much depends on the vintage of the TV.  If it has a VGA input - then that is 
what is intended for connection to PC.  So better to use a common VGA cable 
and until you have done that then it's not worth pursuing the HDMI issue.

BTW, older TV in particular, support mainly 4:3 PC resolutions.  A good choice 
would be (say) 1024 x 768 resolution. which most TV as well as virtually any 
monitor are likely to support.


HTH,


Rod