Radeon Driver Gets Tear-Free X-Video

[hobbes]

Not really; DRI2 (actually RDR, built on DRI2) will help to solve the flicker problems when direct-rendering 3D apps run under Compiz, but flickering and tearing are really two completely different problems.

What is really needed is for Compiz to synchronize *it's* drawing operations to vertical retrace (rather than the individual driver stacks like Xv) and for it to have a flow control mechanism to tell the individual apps when to start and stop drawing. My guess is that most of what is needed is in place but nobody is looking at the end-to-end solution.

I just tested without using compiz and the video playback is AWESOME. Really AWESOME.

Thanks to everyone involved!

Oh man, I hope the compiz devs (anyone here?) get into it ASAP, because a tear-free experience running compiz is a MUST.

I can't live without compiz and switching on/off compiz is not a solution

Just visualize you or somebody else trying to explain that to all new users who tests Ubuntu every new release.

Think about them!

[bridgman]

In the short term, *if* you are playing video full screen then the "don't redirect full screen windows" option in Compiz will help. It also relieves the heartbreak of flickering 3d (again, only when fullscreen) so is a Good Thing to turn on.

It's only a workaround, of course, but it's a lot easier to remind someone to "make it fullscreen" than to explain that they have to turn visual effects on and off.

[gordboy]

Tear-free works good for me

x1650 with xorg 1.5.3/radeon 6.10 and all the trimmings. The video playback is nice, and so is 2D/3D. I don't use AIGLX or Composite, and all the VT switching etc is fine.

Relevant options in xorg.conf -

################################################## #

Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AIGLX" "off"
Option "AllowEmptyInput" "off"
Option "AutoAddDevices" "off"
Option "AutoEnableDevices" "off"
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "disable"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "radeon"
VendorName "ATI"
BoardName "ATI Radeon X1650"
Option "EnablePageFlip" "on"
Option "AccelMethod" "EXA"
Option "AccelDFS" "on"
Option "EXAVSync" "on"
EndSection

###############################################

Of course, all the children absolutely *need* compiz and fancy see-thru X terminals, but us old-timers are more than happy with the progress thus far. Keep up the good work.