[MPlayer-users] Tearing with a laptop with a Savage IX video chipset

[Jonathan Rogers]

Brandt Dusthimer wrote:
> [Automatic answer: RTFM (read DOCS, FAQ), also read DOCS/bugreports.html]
> Alright.  I've read all the FAQs, read the mailing list archives, and have
> tried nearly every combination of video output options.  Horrible,
> horrible tearing continues to occur on my laptop when I use mplayer. 
> After spending countless hours trying to fix the problem and spending only
> a few nights in a dark room weeping all alone over it, I have finally came
> for help.

Your condition sounds dire indeed! ;) From what I understand, double 
buffering (using two frame buffers, one for display and one for drawing) 
is necessary to avoid tearing. XFree has a module called the 
"DOUBLE-BUFFER" extension, which I've always had turned on.

 From my XFree86Config (for X 4.3):
---------------------------snip------------------------------
Section "Module"
         Load  "xie"
         Load  "pex5"
         Load  "glx"
#       Load  "dri"
         Load  "dbe"
         Load  "record"
         Load  "extmod"
         Load  "type1"
EndSection
---------------------------snip------------------------------

I believe the "dbe" module is for the "DOUBLE-BUFFER" extension. I get 
this line in my XFree log:
---------------------------snip------------------------------
(II) Loading extension DOUBLE-BUFFER
---------------------------snip------------------------------

I hope this helps.

Jonathan Rogers