Pi4 unable to display >640x480 on Sony Bravia KDL-26ex550

YFZdude

@mmajd80 If you have a SD card reader you should be able to edit the config.txt from another computer. If I'm not mistaken the config.txt should be in the /boot partition that is formatted as FAT32 so even Windows can read it.

mmajd80

@YFZdude

Dude, I think I love you?

That was genius, the fix did work, though not quite as I expected. These are the new results from tvservice:

Group CEA has 4 modes:
mode 4: 1280x720 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
mode 16: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:148MHz progressive
mode 95: 3840x2160 @ 30Hz 16:9, clock:297MHz progressive
mode 97: 3840x2160 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:594MHz progressive

Group DMT has 2 modes:
mode 4: 640x480 @ 60Hz 4:3, clock:25MHz progressive
(prefer) mode 16: 1024x768 @ 60Hz 4:3, clock:65MHz progressive

state 0xa [HDMI CUSTOM RGB full 4:3], 1024x768 @ 60.00Hz, progressive

Notice that the DMT group has a new mode (and is also the one that is used). I changed the config.txt file to read "hdmi_mode = 16", thinking that it would use the mode 16 from Group CEA, but it created that new one instead.

I feel like this is the very last thing to be done. How do I either switch to Group CEA or add another (functional) mode to DMT?

mmajd80

I don't know if this helps, but for reference, under raspi-config, it shows me the following modes:

4, 9, 16, 85, 35, 51, 82

but I don't trust it, since 82 damn near gave me a heart attack.

mitu

See this page for a list of supported video modes, there's no 1024x768 mode for CEA.

Why are you forcing a 4:3 video mode when your display is 16:9 ? You can 'create' a new mode - see here, but if you already have it working, that would be redundant.

dankcushions

@YFZdude said in Pi4 unable to display >640x480 on Sony Bravia KDL-26ex550:

@mmajd80 said in Pi4 unable to display >640x480 on Sony Bravia KDL-26ex550:

tvservices:

Group CEA has 4 modes:
mode 4: 1280x720 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
mode 16: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:148MHz progressive
mode 95: 3840x2160 @ 30Hz 16:9, clock:297MHz progressive
mode 97: 3840x2160 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:594MHz progressive

Group DMT has 1 modes:
(prefer) mode 4: 640x480 @ 60Hz 4:3, clock:25MHz progressive

state 0xa [HDMI CUSTOM RGB full 4:3], 640x480 @ 60.00Hz, progressive

Call me crazy, but doesn't the above indicate that your TV won't fully support the "mode 85" (1280x768) settings you are trying to force it to use?

i am not sure. if you set hdmi_safe it may list differently, hence i asked @mmajd80 to repost both the config.txt and output of that command again, after making suggested changes...

mmajd80

@mitu

As you can see from above, the "prefer" is pointing to a DVT setting, so while the CEA setting exists for 1920x1080, I cannt use it. In the DVT list, there are only two options (640x480 and my current 1028x768). I am not trying to force anything, but rather figure out how to get hdmi_mode = [SOME VALUE THAT RUNS AND IS BIG].

mitu

@mmajd80 said in Pi4 unable to display >640x480 on Sony Bravia KDL-26ex550:

As you can see from above, the "prefer" is pointing to a DVT setting

This may be because you've manually added the mode to the config.txt.

so while the CEA setting exists for 1920x1080, I cannt use it

Why ?

mmajd80

@mitu

Group CEA has 4 modes:
mode 4: 1280x720 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:74MHz progressive
mode 16: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:148MHz progressive
mode 95: 3840x2160 @ 30Hz 16:9, clock:297MHz progressive
mode 97: 3840x2160 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:594MHz progressive

Group DMT has 2 modes:
mode 4: 640x480 @ 60Hz 4:3, clock:25MHz progressive
(prefer) mode 16: 1024x768 @ 60Hz 4:3, clock:65MHz progressive

state 0xa [HDMI CUSTOM RGB full 4:3], 1024x768 @ 60.00Hz, progressive

I don't know why, but you'll notice above that there are 2 modes with value = 16. If you look at the config.txt embed in the link, you'll see that I have set hdmi_mode = 16, hoping it was 1920x1080, but it is outputting 1024x768. I don't know why.

mitu

@dankcushions said in Pi4 unable to display >640x480 on Sony Bravia KDL-26ex550:

hdmi_group=2

If you take a look at the video configuration page I posted earlier, you'd see that 1080p (CEA) is:

hdmi_group=1
hdmi_mode=16

you have

hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=16

which forces the DMT-16 mode - 1024x768

mmajd80

@mitu

Making that change resulted in the Check Device Output error I encountered above. I changed nothing else in the config, only that value from 2 --> 1.

mitu

That's strange, since the TV reports it supports the mode:

 mode 16: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz 16:9, clock:148MHz progressive

Try maybe with 720p (hdmi_mode=4) ?

dankcushions

i would also comment out

hdmi_drive=2

it's not on by default, and is only needed to fix sound issues AFAIK. it can have detrimental effects: https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3975/hdmi_drive-2-fixing-audio-but-affecting-picture

mmajd80

@dankcushions @mitu

Would it surprise you to know that I had audio troubles as well? Commenting out that line has resulted in no sound again. Unfortunately, it did not resolve the video issue, either with mode=4 or 16.

I got the same error with group = 1 and mode = 4. The issue seems to be with the group.

Not sure if this helps, but here is a screenshot from Advanced Settings --> Resolutions:
Advanced Settings.jpg

Setting mode = 82 (and 85) resulted in the error as well. It seems like I need to force the tvservice to include this mode somehow...

I should have warned you guys that nothing wrt me and technology work easily. I am probably on hour 25 of configuration.

dankcushions

since 82 damn near gave me a heart attack.

what do you mean by this? corruption in the image? it could be your HDMI cable is crapping out once more bandwidth is being asked of it. i would get a new micro hdmi cable (anecdotally, the first cheap one i bought didn't work properly)

mitu

@mmajd80 said in Pi4 unable to display >640x480 on Sony Bravia KDL-26ex550:

Would it surprise you to know that I had audio troubles as well

No, but that's expected when using a DMT mode - since the Pi thinks you have PC monitor connected, not a TV. Should be fixable if you add hdmi_force_edid_audio=1 to force audio via HDMI.

mmajd80

@dankcushions

No, I just meant that the error that changing it to an unsupported mode gave me the Check Display Output error and I was afraid I was going to have to start over AGAIN.

The cable is from Pi itself, as is the power source. I will try the other cable it came with, but I don't think that's the issue.

mmajd80

@mitu

If I want to use the create new mode function that you linked to earlier, do I just need to put in the line:

hdmi_cvt=1920 1080 60 3 0 0 1

?

Or do I need to define these variables with the code at the top as well?

dankcushions

@mmajd80 said in Pi4 unable to display >640x480 on Sony Bravia KDL-26ex550:

@dankcushions

No, I just meant that the error that changing it to an unsupported mode gave me the Check Display Output error and I was afraid I was going to have to start over AGAIN.

that's exactly the error i got with my bad micro hdmi cable, fwiw.

i think we need and updated copy of config.txt for what you're trying. we've not seen one that looks right so far.

mmajd80

@dankcushions

Lol, if all this pain was over a freaking cable...

dankcushions

@mmajd80

hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=16

which will force 1024x768 (not what you want)

you still have hdmi_drive=2 set (mitu has posted a workaround for your sound issue)

what is the config.txt that you think should work but is not?