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    Please do not post a support request without first reading and following the advice in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

    Raspberry Pi 4 HDMI to Component (DAC) garbled image at Emulation Station/Controller Setup Screen

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    • AshpoolA
      Ashpool @aerosheik
      last edited by

      @aerosheik Most propably this won't help, but out of interest: which hdmi port are you using? If you don't specify a port for some hdmi options within the boot/config.txt, they will be set for port 0 (from the docs).

      A 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • A
        aerosheik @mitu
        last edited by aerosheik

        @mitu As a comparison, and to make sure that the TV and everything else was still working, I plugged up my RPi3 B+ and got the tvservice -s entry as follows:

        state 0xa [HDMI CEA (6) RGB lim 4:3 x2], 720x480 @ 60.00Hz, interlaced

        Edit: Looking at the config.txt on the RPi3 I have the following settings:

        hdmi_group=1
        hdmi_mode=6

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        • A
          aerosheik @Ashpool
          last edited by

          @Ashpool I'm using port 0, the one closest to the USB-C power connection. I am seeing changes in output when I make changes to the config.txt file, so I want to believe that the port is good, but I will keep an eye on it. Thanks for the recommendation!

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          • A
            aerosheik @mitu
            last edited by aerosheik

            @mitu said in Raspberry Pi 4 HDMI to Component (DAC) garbled image at Emulation Station/Controller Setup Screen:

            In this case, disable the auto-start of EmulationStation and see which video mode gets set during boot. Edit /opt/retropie/configs/all/autostart.sh and comment out the emulationstation line (add an # at the beginning of the line).

            After the RetroPie Joystick splash screen, the image goes black, and I have no prompt. Just a dark screen.

            Edit: typing tvservice -s via SSH after the commenting out the emulation station auto start gives this info:

            state 0xa [HDMI CEA (6) RGB lim 4:3 x2], 720x480 @ 60.00Hz, interlaced

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            • mituM
              mitu Global Moderator
              last edited by mitu

              Try with the following option in config.txt:

              hdmi_group=2
              hdmi_mode=87
              hdmi_timings=640 0 16 88 64 480 0 6 5 13 0 0 0 60 1 12700000 1
              

              replacing the existing hdmi_ options.

              Note: spotted in https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopic.php?t=304378.

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              • A
                aerosheik @mitu
                last edited by aerosheik

                @mitu That did something. Not quite what I was looking for, but what you can't tell from the video is the color is blinking in and out, so as the RetroPie Joystick splash screen is scrolling down it will flicker a hint of color and then go back to black and white.

                I'll look through the thread you linked and see if there's anything else I can try.

                Thank you for all your help!

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                • A
                  aerosheik
                  last edited by aerosheik

                  @mitu An update, and another road block.

                  I have tried a few different config settings now, and this is what is getting me close (I think).
                  My current config.txt is this:

                  hdmi_ignore_edid=0xa5000080
                  hdmi_ignore_cec=1
                  
                  hdmi_group=1
                  hdmi_mode=6
                  ...
                  # Enable audio (loads snd_bcm2835)
                  dtparam=audio=on
                  
                  [pi4]
                  # Enable DRM VC4 V3D driver on top of the dispmanx display stack
                  dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d
                  max_framebuffers=2
                  
                  [all]
                  #dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d
                  overscan_scale=1
                  

                  Only to look good going into loading Emulation Station where I get this from the command line:
                  tvservice_state.JPG

                  and this image in the center of the television screen:
                  After Full Boot of RetroPie 4.8

                  I then use the following command line to force CEA mode 6(480i):
                  tvservice_explicit.JPG

                  Then the screen is updated and looks like this:
                  After tvservice --explicit="CEA 6"

                  Any additional ideas on what I should try and do next? Thanks in Advance!

                  mituM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • mituM
                    mitu Global Moderator @aerosheik
                    last edited by

                    @aerosheik said in Raspberry Pi 4 HDMI to Component (DAC) garbled image at Emulation Station/Controller Setup Screen:

                    Then the screen is updated and looks like this:
                    After tvservice --explicit="CEA 6"

                    Setting the video mode with tvservice does not work correctly on a Pi4, it hasn't the same effect and functionality as on a Pi3.

                    A 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • A
                      aerosheik @mitu
                      last edited by aerosheik

                      @mitu said in Raspberry Pi 4 HDMI to Component (DAC) garbled image at Emulation Station/Controller Setup Screen:

                      it hasn't the same effect and functionality as on a Pi3

                      Ah, okay.

                      So from what I can tell, when Emulation Station starts, the HDMI output changes, somehow, to HDMI CUSTOM RGB lim 16:9, 1920x1080p...from the config.txt specified 480i (ie hdmi_group=1, hdmi_mode=6).

                      This would lead me to believe, if I could just change the resolution/refresh rate after Emulation Station starts, I could potentially, just reset the video output to the proper setting.

                      setting the hdmi_timings, or hdmi_cvt settings in the config.txt is just going to get blown away once Emulation Station starts. -Edit- This might not be entirely true.

                      If the 'tvservice' command is different from the Pi3 to Pi4, do you have any recommendations on what I should look into, as far as commands or configuration changes go?

                      Do I just need to find the proper arguments for tvservice for the RPi4?

                      And thanks again!

                      mituM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • mituM
                        mitu Global Moderator @aerosheik
                        last edited by

                        @aerosheik said in Raspberry Pi 4 HDMI to Component (DAC) garbled image at Emulation Station/Controller Setup Screen:

                        Do I just need to find the proper arguments for tvservice for the RPi4?

                        No, as I said tvservice is not working properly on a Pi4 so don't rely on it for changing resolutions after boot.

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                        • R
                          rsseguel
                          last edited by rsseguel

                          @aerosheik I'm with the same issue using the RP4 and I just can see the boot secuence until the RetroPie logo in my CRT TV appears and then I lose signal cos probably Emulation Station has another resolution and is not the same as when the system boots.

                          Di you fixed or is impossible use RP4 with Retropie in a CRT TV using HDMI to a components transcoder? With a RPZero I can do that wihtout problems just changing the hdmi_mode and group like this:

                          hdmi_mode=1
                          hdmi_group=6

                          But I still can't use my CRT TV under Retropie with a 480i output and idk what can I do right now.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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