Video options in config.

txt

Composite video mode options

sdtv_mode

The sdtv_mode command defines the TV standard used for composite video output. On the original
Raspberry Pi, composite video is output on the RCA socket. On other Raspberry Pi's, except for Pi
Zero and Compute Module, composite video is output along with sound on the 4 pole TRRS
("headphone") socket. On the Pi Zero, there is an unpopulated header labelled "TV" which outputs
composite video. On the Compute Module, composite video is available via the TVDAC pin. The
default value of sdtv_mode is 0 .

sdtv_mode result
0 Normal NTSC
1 Japanese version of NTSC – no pedestal
2 Normal PAL
3 Brazilian version of PAL – 525/60 rather than 625/50, different subcarrier
16 Progressive scan NTSC
18 Progressive scan PAL

sdtv_aspect

The sdtv_aspect command defines the aspect ratio for composite video output. The default value
is 1 .

sdtv_aspect result
1 4:3
2 14:9
3 16:9

sdtv_disable_colourburst

Setting sdtv_disable_colourburst to 1 disables colourburst on composite video output. The

picture will be displayed in monochrome, but it may appear sharper.

enable_tvout (Pi 4B only)

On the Raspberry Pi 4, composite output is disabled by default, due to the way the internal clocks are
interrelated and allocated. Because composite video requires a very specific clock, setting that clock
to the required speed on the Pi 4 means that other clocks connected to it are detrimentally affected,
which slightly slows down the entire system. Since composite video is a less commonly used
function, we decided to disable it by default to prevent this system slowdown.
To enable composite output, use the enable_tvout=1 option. As described above, this will
detrimentally affect performance to a small degree.

On older Pi models, the composite behaviour remains the same.

HDMI mode options

Note for Raspberry Pi4B users: Because the Raspberry Pi 4B has two HDMI ports, some HDMI
commands can be applied to either port. You can use the syntax <command>:<port> , where port is
0 or 1, to specify which port the setting should apply to. If no port is specified, the default is 0. If you
specify a port number on a command that does not require a port number, the port is ignored. Further
details on the syntax and alternatives mechanisms can be found in the HDMI section on
the conditionals page of the documentation.

In order to support dual 4k displays, the Raspberrry Pi 4 has updated video hardware, which imposes
minor restrictions on the modes supported. Please see here for more details.

hdmi_safe

Setting hdmi_safe to 1 will lead to "safe mode" settings being used to try to boot with maximum
HDMI compatibility. This is the same as setting the following parameters:

hdmi_force_hotplug=1
hdmi_ignore_edid=0xa5000080
config_hdmi_boost=4
hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=4
disable_overscan=0
overscan_left=24
overscan_right=24
overscan_top=24
overscan_bottom=24

hdmi_ignore_edid

Setting hdmi_ignore_edid to 0xa5000080 enables the ignoring of EDID/display data if your display
does not have an accurate EDID. It requires this unusual value to ensure that it is not triggered
accidentally.

hdmi_edid_file

Setting hdmi_edid_file to 1 will cause the GPU to read EDID data from the edid.dat file,
located in the boot partition, instead of reading it from the monitor. More information is available here.

hdmi_edid_filename

On the Raspberry Pi 4B, you can use the hdmi_edid_filename command to specify the filename of
the EDID file to use, and also to specify which port the file is to be applied to. This also
requires hdmi_edid_file=1 to enable EDID files.
For example:

hdmi_edid_file=1
hdmi_edid_filename:0=FileForPortZero.edid
hdmi_edid_filename:1=FileForPortOne.edid

hdmi_force_edid_audio

Setting hdmi_force_edid_audio to 1 pretends that all audio formats are supported by the display,
allowing passthrough of DTS/AC3 even when this is not reported as supported.

hdmi_ignore_edid_audio

Setting hdmi_ignore_edid_audio to 1 pretends that all audio formats are unsupported by the
display. This means ALSA will default to the analogue audio (headphone) jack.

hdmi_force_edid_3d

Setting hdmi_force_edid_3d to 1 pretends that all CEA modes support 3D, even when the EDID
does not indicate support for this.

hdmi_ignore_cec_init

Setting hdmi_ignore_cec_init to 1 will stop the initial active source message being sent during
bootup. This prevents a CEC-enabled TV from coming out of standby and channel-switching when
you are rebooting your Raspberry Pi.

hdmi_ignore_cec

Setting hdmi_ignore_cec to 1 pretends that CEC is not supported at all by the TV. No CEC
functions will be supported.

cec_osd_name

The cec_osd_name command sets the initial CEC name of the device. The default is Raspberry Pi.

hdmi_pixel_encoding

The hdmi_pixel_encoding command forces the pixel encoding mode. By default, it will use the
mode requested from the EDID, so you shouldn't need to change it.

hdmi_pixel_encoding result
0 default (RGB limited for CEA, RGB full for DMT)
1 RGB limited (16-235)
2 RGB full (0-255)
3 YCbCr limited (16-235)
 hdmi_pixel_encoding result
4 YCbCr full (0-255)

hdmi_max_pixel_freq

The pixel frequency is used by the firmware and KMS to filter HDMI modes. Note, this is not the
same as the frame rate. It specifies the maximum frequency that a valid mode can have, thereby
culling out higher frequency modes. The frequencies for all the HDMI modes can he found on the
Wiki page here, section "CEA/EIA-861 standard resolutions and timings".

So for example, if you wish to disable all 4K modes, you could specify a maximum frequency of
200000000, since all 4K modes have frequencies greater than this.

hdmi_blanking

The hdmi_blanking command controls what happens when the operating system asks for the
display to be put into standby mode, using DPMS, to save power. If this option is not set or set to 0,
the HDMI output is blanked but not switched off. In order to mimic the behaviour of other computers,
you can set the HDMI output to switch off as well by setting this option to 1: the attached display will
go into a low power standby mode.

On the Raspberry Pi 4, setting hdmi_blanking=1 will not cause the HDMI output to be switched
off, since this feature has not yet been implemented.

NOTE: This feature may cause issues when using applications which don't use the framebuffer, such
as omxplayer.

hdmi_blanking result
0 HDMI output will be blanked
1 HDMI output will be switched off and blanked

hdmi_drive

The hdmi_drive command allows you to choose between HDMI and DVI output modes.

hdmi_drive result
1 Normal DVI mode (no sound)
2 Normal HDMI mode (sound will be sent if supported and enabled)

config_hdmi_boost

Configures the signal strength of the HDMI interface. The minimum value is 0 and the maximum
is 11 .

The default value for the original Model B and A is 2 . The default value for the Model B+ and all later
models is 5 .
If you are seeing HDMI issues (speckling, interference) then try 7 . Very long HDMI cables may need
up to 11 , but values this high should not be used unless absolutely necessary.

This option is ignored on the Raspberry Pi 4.

hdmi_group

The hdmi_group command defines the HDMI output group to be either CEA (Consumer Electronics
Association, the standard typically used by TVs) or DMT (Display Monitor Timings, the standard
typically used by monitors). This setting should be used in conjunction with hdmi_mode .

hdmi_group result
0 Auto-detect from EDID
1 CEA
2 DMT

hdmi_mode

Together with hdmi_group , hdmi_mode defines the HDMI output format. Format mode numbers are
derived from the CTA specification found here

To set a custom display mode not listed here, see this thread.

Note that not all modes are available on all models.

These values are valid if hdmi_group=1 (CEA):

hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Screen Aspect Notes

1 VGA (640x480) 60Hz 4:3
2 480p 60Hz 4:3
3 480p 60Hz 16:9
4 720p 60Hz 16:9
5 1080i 60Hz 16:9
6 480i 60Hz 4:3
7 480i 60Hz 16:9
8 240p 60Hz 4:3
9 240p 60Hz 16:9
10 480i 60Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling
11 480i 60Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling
12 240p 60Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling
13 240p 60Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling
14 480p 60Hz 4:3 pixel doubling
15 480p 60Hz 16:9 pixel doubling
16 1080p 60Hz 16:9
17 576p 50Hz 4:3
hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Screen Aspect Notes
18 576p 50Hz 16:9
19 720p 50Hz 16:9
20 1080i 50Hz 16:9
21 576i 50Hz 4:3
22 576i 50Hz 16:9
23 288p 50Hz 4:3
24 288p 50Hz 16:9
25 576i 50Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling
26 576i 50Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling
27 288p 50Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling
28 288p 50Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling
29 576p 50Hz 4:3 pixel doubling
30 576p 50Hz 16:9 pixel doubling
31 1080p 50Hz 16:9
32 1080p 24Hz 16:9
33 1080p 25Hz 16:9
34 1080p 30Hz 16:9
35 480p 60Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling
36 480p 60Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling
37 576p 50Hz 4:3 pixel quadrupling
38 576p 50Hz 16:9 pixel quadrupling
39 1080i 50Hz 16:9 reduced blanking
40 1080i 100Hz 16:9
41 720p 100Hz 16:9
42 576p 100Hz 4:3
43 576p 100Hz 16:9
44 576i 100Hz 4:3
45 576i 100Hz 16:9
46 1080i 120Hz 16:9
47 720p 120Hz 16:9
48 480p 120Hz 4:3
49 480p 120Hz 16:9
50 480i 120Hz 4:3
51 480i 120Hz 16:9
52 576p 200Hz 4:3
53 576p 200Hz 16:9
54 576i 200Hz 4:3
55 576i 200Hz 16:9
56 480p 240Hz 4:3
57 480p 240Hz 16:9
58 480i 240Hz 4:3
hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Screen Aspect Notes
59 480i 240Hz 16:9
60 720p 24Hz 16:9
61 720p 25Hz 16:9
62 720p 30Hz 16:9
63 1080p 120Hz 16:9
64 1080p 100Hz 16:9
65 Custom
66 720p 25Hz 64:27 Pi 4
67 720p 30Hz 64:27 Pi 4
68 720p 50Hz 64:27 Pi 4
69 720p 60Hz 64:27 Pi 4
70 720p 100Hz 64:27 Pi 4
71 720p 120Hz 64:27 Pi 4
72 1080p 24Hz 64:27 Pi 4
73 1080p 25Hz 64:27 Pi 4
74 1080p 30Hz 64:27 Pi 4
75 1080p 50Hz 64:27 Pi 4
76 1080p 60Hz 64:27 Pi 4
77 1080p 100Hz 64:27 Pi 4
78 1080p 120Hz 64:27 Pi 4
79 1680x720 24Hz 64:27 Pi 4
80 1680x720 25z 64:27 Pi 4
81 1680x720 30Hz 64:27 Pi 4
82 1680x720 50Hz 64:27 Pi 4
83 1680x720 60Hz 64:27 Pi 4
84 1680x720 100Hz 64:27 Pi 4
85 1680x720 120Hz 64:27 Pi 4
86 2560x720 24Hz 64:27 Pi 4
87 2560x720 25Hz 64:27 Pi 4
88 2560x720 30Hz 64:27 Pi 4
89 2560x720 50Hz 64:27 Pi 4
90 2560x720 60Hz 64:27 Pi 4
91 2560x720 100Hz 64:27 Pi 4
92 2560x720 120Hz 64:27 Pi 4
93 2160p 24Hz 16:9 Pi 4
94 2160p 25Hz 16:9 Pi 4
95 2160p 30Hz 16:9 Pi 4
96 2160p 50Hz 16:9 Pi 4
97 2160p 60Hz 16:9 Pi 4
98 4096x2160 24Hz 256:135 Pi 4
99 4096x2160 25Hz 256:135 Pi 4
 hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Screen Aspect Notes
100 4096x2160 30Hz 256:135 Pi 4
101 4096x2160 50Hz 256:135 Pi 4
102 4096x2160 60Hz 256:135 Pi 4
103 2160p 24Hz 64:27 Pi 4
104 2160p 25Hz 64:27 Pi 4
105 2160p 30Hz 64:27 Pi 4
106 2160p 50Hz 64:27 Pi 4
107 2160p 60Hz 64:27 Pi 4

Pixel doubling and quadrupling indicates a higher clock rate, with each pixel repeated two or four
times respectively.

These values are valid if hdmi_group=2 (DMT):

Screen
hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Notes
Aspect
1 640x350 85Hz
2 640x400 85Hz 16:10
3 720x400 85Hz
4 640x480 60Hz 4:3
5 640x480 72Hz 4:3
6 640x480 75Hz 4:3
7 640x480 85Hz 4:3
8 800x600 56Hz 4:3
9 800x600 60Hz 4:3
10 800x600 72Hz 4:3
11 800x600 75Hz 4:3
12 800x600 85Hz 4:3
13 800x600 120Hz 4:3
14 848x480 60Hz 16:9
incompatible with the Raspberry
15 1024x768 43Hz 4:3
Pi
16 1024x768 60Hz 4:3
17 1024x768 70Hz 4:3
18 1024x768 75Hz 4:3
19 1024x768 85Hz 4:3
20 1024x768 120Hz 4:3
21 1152x864 75Hz 4:3
22 1280x768 60Hz 15:9 reduced blanking
23 1280x768 60Hz 15:9
24 1280x768 75Hz 15:9
25 1280x768 85Hz 15:9
26 1280x768 120Hz 15:9 reduced blanking
 Screen
hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Notes
Aspect
27 1280x800 60 16:10 reduced blanking
28 1280x800 60Hz 16:10
29 1280x800 75Hz 16:10
30 1280x800 85Hz 16:10
31 1280x800 120Hz 16:10 reduced blanking
32 1280x960 60Hz 4:3
33 1280x960 85Hz 4:3
34 1280x960 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking
35 1280x1024 60Hz 5:4
36 1280x1024 75Hz 5:4
37 1280x1024 85Hz 5:4
38 1280x1024 120Hz 5:4 reduced blanking
39 1360x768 60Hz 16:9
40 1360x768 120Hz 16:9 reduced blanking
41 1400x1050 60Hz 4:3 reduced blanking
42 1400x1050 60Hz 4:3
43 1400x1050 75Hz 4:3
44 1400x1050 85Hz 4:3
45 1400x1050 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking
46 1440x900 60Hz 16:10 reduced blanking
47 1440x900 60Hz 16:10
48 1440x900 75Hz 16:10
49 1440x900 85Hz 16:10
50 1440x900 120Hz 16:10 reduced blanking
51 1600x1200 60Hz 4:3
52 1600x1200 65Hz 4:3
53 1600x1200 70Hz 4:3
54 1600x1200 75Hz 4:3
55 1600x1200 85Hz 4:3
56 1600x1200 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking
57 1680x1050 60Hz 16:10 reduced blanking
58 1680x1050 60Hz 16:10
59 1680x1050 75Hz 16:10
60 1680x1050 85Hz 16:10
61 1680x1050 120Hz 16:10 reduced blanking
62 1792x1344 60Hz 4:3
63 1792x1344 75Hz 4:3
64 1792x1344 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking
65 1856x1392 60Hz 4:3
66 1856x1392 75Hz 4:3
67 1856x1392 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking
 Screen
hdmi_mode Resolution Frequency Notes
Aspect
68 1920x1200 60Hz 16:10 reduced blanking
69 1920x1200 60Hz 16:10
70 1920x1200 75Hz 16:10
71 1920x1200 85Hz 16:10
72 1920x1200 120Hz 16:10 reduced blanking
73 1920x1440 60Hz 4:3
74 1920x1440 75Hz 4:3
75 1920x1440 120Hz 4:3 reduced blanking
76 2560x1600 60Hz 16:10 reduced blanking
77 2560x1600 60Hz 16:10
78 2560x1600 75Hz 16:10
79 2560x1600 85Hz 16:10
80 2560x1600 120Hz 16:10 reduced blanking
81 1366x768 60Hz 16:9 NOT on Pi4
82 1920x1080 60Hz 16:9 1080p
83 1600x900 60Hz 16:9 reduced blanking
84 2048x1152 60Hz 16:9 reduced blanking
85 1280x720 60Hz 16:9 720p
86 1366x768 60Hz 16:9 reduced blanking

Note that there is a pixel clock limit.The highest supported mode on models prior to the Raspberry Pi
4 is 1920x1200 at 60Hz with reduced blanking, whilst the Raspberry Pi 4 can support up to
4096x2160 (known as 4k) at 60Hz. Also note that if you are using both HDMI ports of the Raspberry
Pi 4 for 4k output, then you are limited to 30Hz on both.

hdmi_timings

This allows setting of raw HDMI timing values for a custom mode, selected
using hdmi_group=2 and hdmi_mode=87 .

hdmi_timings=<h_active_pixels> <h_sync_polarity> <h_front_porch> <h_sync_pulse>

<h_back_porch> <v_active_lines> <v_sync_polarity> <v_front_porch> <v_sync_pulse>
<v_back_porch> <v_sync_offset_a> <v_sync_offset_b> <pixel_rep> <frame_rate>
<interlaced> <pixel_freq> <aspect_ratio>
<h_active_pixels> = horizontal pixels (width)
<h_sync_polarity> = invert hsync polarity
<h_front_porch> = horizontal forward padding from DE acitve edge
<h_sync_pulse> = hsync pulse width in pixel clocks
<h_back_porch> = vertical back padding from DE active edge
<v_active_lines> = vertical pixels height (lines)
<v_sync_polarity> = invert vsync polarity
<v_front_porch> = vertical forward padding from DE active edge
<v_sync_pulse> = vsync pulse width in pixel clocks
<v_back_porch> = vertical back padding from DE active edge
<v_sync_offset_a> = leave at zero
<v_sync_offset_b> = leave at zero
<pixel_rep> = leave at zero
<frame_rate> = screen refresh rate in Hz
<interlaced> = leave at zero
<pixel_freq> = clock frequency (width*height*framerate)
<aspect_ratio> = *

* The aspect ratio can be set to one of eight values (choose the closest for your screen):

HDMI_ASPECT_4_3 = 1
HDMI_ASPECT_14_9 = 2
HDMI_ASPECT_16_9 = 3
HDMI_ASPECT_5_4 = 4
HDMI_ASPECT_16_10 = 5
HDMI_ASPECT_15_9 = 6
HDMI_ASPECT_21_9 = 7
HDMI_ASPECT_64_27 = 8

hdmi_force_mode

Setting to 1 will remove all other modes except the ones specified
by hdmi_mode and hdmi_group from the internal list, meaning they will not appear in any
enumerated lists of modes. This option may help if a display seems to be ignoring
the hdmi_mode and hdmi_group settings.

edid_content_type

Forces the EDID content type to a specific value.

The options are:

 0 = EDID_ContentType_NODATA , content type none.

 1 = EDID_ContentType_Graphics , content type graphics, ITC must be set to 1
 2 = EDID_ContentType_Photo , content type photo
 3 = EDID_ContentType_Cinema , content type cinema
 4 = EDID_ContentType_Game , content type game

hdmi_enable_4kp60 (Pi 4B only)

By default, when connected to a 4K monitor, the Raspberry Pi 4B will select a 30hz refresh rate. Use
this option to allow selection of 60Hz refresh rates. Note, this will increase power consumption and
increase the temperature of the Raspberry Pi. It is not possible to output 4Kp60 on both micro HDMI
ports simultaneously.

Which values are valid for my monitor?

Your HDMI monitor may only support a limited set of formats. To find out which formats are
supported, use the following method:

1. Set the output format to VGA 60Hz ( hdmi_group=1 and hdmi_mode=1 ) and boot up your
Raspberry Pi
2. Enter the following command to give a list of CEA-supported
modes: /opt/vc/bin/tvservice -m CEA
3. Enter the following command to give a list of DMT-supported
modes: /opt/vc/bin/tvservice -m DMT
4. Enter the following command to show your current state: /opt/vc/bin/tvservice -s
5. Enter the following commands to dump more detailed information from your
monitor: /opt/vc/bin/tvservice -d edid.dat; /opt/vc/bin/edidparser edid.dat

The edid.dat should also be provided when troubleshooting problems with the default HDMI mode.

Custom mode
If your monitor requires a mode that is not in one of the tables above, then it's possible to define a
custom CVT mode for it instead:

hdmi_cvt=<width> <height> <framerate> <aspect> <margins> <interlace> <rb>

Value Default Description

width (required) width in pixels
height (required) height in pixels
framerate (required) framerate in Hz
aspect 3 aspect ratio 1=4:3, 2=14:9, 3=16:9, 4=5:4, 5=16:10, 6=15:9
margins 0 0=margins disabled, 1=margins enabled
interlace 0 0=progressive, 1=interlaced
rb 0 0=normal, 1=reduced blanking

Fields at the end can be omitted to use the default values.

Note that this simply creates the mode (group 2 mode 87). In order to make the Pi use this by
default, you must add some additional settings. For example, the following selects an 800 × 480
resolution and enables audio drive:

hdmi_cvt=800 480 60 6
hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=87
hdmi_drive=2

This may not work if your monitor does not support standard CVT timings.

LCD display/touchscreen options

ignore_lcd
By default the Raspberry Pi LCD display is used when it is detected on the I2C
bus. ignore_lcd=1 will skip this detection phase, and therefore the LCD display will not be used.

display_default_lcd

If a Raspberry Pi DSI LCD is detected it will be used as the default display and will show the
framebuffer. Setting display_default_lcd=0 will ensure the LCD is not the default display, which
usually implies the HDMI output will be the default. The LCD can still be used by choosing its display
number from supported applications, for example, omxplayer.

lcd_framerate

Specify the framerate of the Raspberry Pi LCD display, in Hertz/fps. Defaults to 60Hz.

lcd_rotate

This flips the display using the LCD's inbuilt flip functionality, which is a cheaper operation that using
the GPU-based rotate operation.

For example, lcd_rotate=2 will compensate for an upside down display.

disable_touchscreen

Enable/disable the touchscreen.

disable_touchscreen=1 will disable the touchscreen on the official Raspberry Pi LCD display.

enable_dpi_lcd

Enable LCD displays attached to the DPI GPIOs. This is to allow the use of third-party LCD displays
using the parallel display interface.

dpi_group, dpi_mode, dpi_output_format

The dpi_group and dpi_mode config.txt parameters are used to set either predetermined modes
(DMT or CEA modes as used by HDMI above). A user can generate custom modes in much the
same way as for HDMI (see dpi_timings section).

dpi_output_format is a bitmask specifying various parameters used to set up the display format.

More details on using the DPI modes and the output format can be found here.

dpi_timings

This allows setting of raw DPI timing values for a custom mode, selected
using dpi_group=2 and dpi_mode=87 .

dpi_timings=<h_active_pixels> <h_sync_polarity> <h_front_porch> <h_sync_pulse>

<h_back_porch> <v_active_lines> <v_sync_polarity> <v_front_porch> <v_sync_pulse>
<v_back_porch> <v_sync_offset_a> <v_sync_offset_b> <pixel_rep> <frame_rate>
<interlaced> <pixel_freq> <aspect_ratio>
<h_active_pixels> = horizontal pixels (width)
<h_sync_polarity> = invert hsync polarity
<h_front_porch> = horizontal forward padding from DE acitve edge
<h_sync_pulse> = hsync pulse width in pixel clocks
<h_back_porch> = vertical back padding from DE active edge
<v_active_lines> = vertical pixels height (lines)
<v_sync_polarity> = invert vsync polarity
<v_front_porch> = vertical forward padding from DE active edge
<v_sync_pulse> = vsync pulse width in pixel clocks
<v_back_porch> = vertical back padding from DE active edge
<v_sync_offset_a> = leave at zero
<v_sync_offset_b> = leave at zero
<pixel_rep> = leave at zero
<frame_rate> = screen refresh rate in Hz
<interlaced> = leave at zero
<pixel_freq> = clock frequency (width*height*framerate)
<aspect_ratio> = *

* The aspect ratio can be set to one of eight values (choose the closest for your screen):

HDMI_ASPECT_4_3 = 1
HDMI_ASPECT_14_9 = 2
HDMI_ASPECT_16_9 = 3
HDMI_ASPECT_5_4 = 4
HDMI_ASPECT_16_10 = 5
HDMI_ASPECT_15_9 = 6
HDMI_ASPECT_21_9 = 7
HDMI_ASPECT_64_27 = 8

Generic display options

hdmi_force_hotplug

Setting hdmi_force_hotplug to 1 pretends that the HDMI hotplug signal is asserted, so it appears
that a HDMI display is attached. In other words, HDMI output mode will be used, even if no HDMI
monitor is detected.

hdmi_ignore_hotplug

Setting hdmi_ignore_hotplug to 1 pretends that the HDMI hotplug signal is not asserted, so it
appears that a HDMI display is not attached. In other words, composite output mode will be used,
even if an HDMI monitor is detected.

disable_overscan
Set disable_overscan to 1 to disable the default values of overscan that is set by the firmware.
The default value of overscan for the left, right, top, and bottom edges is 48 for HD CEA
modes, 32 for SD CEA modes, and 0 for DMT modes. The default value
for disable_overscan is 0 .

NOTE: any further additional overscan options such as overscan_scale or overscan edges can still
be applied after this option.

overscan_left

The overscan_left command specifies the number of pixels to add to the firmware default value of
overscan on the left edge of the screen. The default value is 0 .

Increase this value if the text flows off the left edge of the screen; decrease it if there is a black border
between the left edge of the screen and the text.

overscan_right

The overscan_right command specifies the number of pixels to add to the firmware default value
of overscan on the right edge of the screen. The default value is 0 .

Increase this value if the text flows off the right edge of the screen; decrease it if there is a black
border between the right edge of the screen and the text.

overscan_top

The overscan_top command specifies the number of pixels to add to the firmware default value of
overscan on the top edge of the screen. The default value is 0 .

Increase this value if the text flows off the top edge of the screen; decrease it if there is a black
border between the top edge of the screen and the text.

overscan_bottom

The overscan_bottom command specifies the number of pixels to add to the firmware default value
of overscan on the bottom edge of the screen. The default value is 0 .

Increase this value if the text flows off the bottom edge of the screen; decrease it if there is a black
border between the bottom edge of the screen and the text.

overscan_scale

Set overscan_scale to 1 to force any non-framebuffer layers to conform to the overscan settings.
The default value is 0 .
NOTE: this feature is generally not recommended: it can reduce image quality because all layers on
the display will be scaled by the GPU. Disabling overscan on the display itself is the recommended
option to avoid images being scaled twice (by the GPU and the display).

framebuffer_width

The framebuffer_width command specifies the console framebuffer width in pixels. The default is
the display width minus the total horizontal overscan.

framebuffer_height

The framebuffer_height command specifies the console framebuffer height in pixels. The default
is the display height minus the total vertical overscan. C4

max_framebuffer_height, max_framebuffer_width

Specifies the maximum dimensions that the internal frame buffer is allowed to be.

framebuffer_depth

Use framebuffer_depth to specify the console framebuffer depth in bits per pixel. The default value
is 16 .

framebuffer_depth result notes

8bit
8 Default RGB palette makes screen unreadable
framebuffer
16bit
16
framebuffer
24bit
24 May result in a corrupted display
framebuffer
32bit May need to be used in conjunction
32 with framebuffer_ignore_alpha=1
framebuffer

framebuffer_ignore_alpha

Set framebuffer_ignore_alpha to 1 to disable the alpha channel. Can help with the display of a
32bit framebuffer_depth .

framebuffer_priority

In a system with multiple displays, using the legacy (pre-KMS) graphics driver, this forces a specific
internal display device to be the first Linux framebuffer (i.e./dev/fb0).

The options that can be set are:

Display ID
Main LCD 0
Secondary LCD 1
 Display ID
HDMI 0 2
Composite 3
HDMI 1 7

max_framebuffers

This configuration entry sets the maximum number of firmware framebuffers that can be created.
Valid options are 0,1, and 2. By default on devices before the Pi4 this is set to 1, so will need to be
increased to 2 when using more than one display, for example HDMI and a DSI or DPI display. The
Raspberry Pi4 configuration sets this to 2 by default as it has two HDMI ports.

Generally in most cases it is safe to set this to 2, as framebuffers will only be created when an
attached device is actually detected.

Setting this value to 0 can be used to reduce memory requirements when used in headless mode as
it will prevent any framebuffers from being allocated.

test_mode

The test_mode command displays a test image and sound during boot (over the composite video
and analogue audio outputs only) for the given number of seconds, before continuing to boot the OS
as normal. This is used as a manufacturing test; the default value is 0 .

display_hdmi_rotate

Use display_hdmi_rotate to rotate or flip the HDMI display orientation. The default value is 0 .

display_hdmi_rotate result
0 no rotation
1 rotate 90 degrees clockwise
2 rotate 180 degrees clockwise
3 rotate 270 degrees clockwise
0x10000 horizontal flip
0x20000 vertical flip

Note that the 90 and 270 degree rotation options require additional memory on the GPU, so these will
not work with the 16MB GPU split.

If using the VC4 FKMS V3D driver (this is the default on the Raspberry Pi 4), then 90 and 270 degree
rotations are not supported. The Screen Configuration utility provides display rotations for this driver.
See this page for more information.

display_lcd_rotate

For the legacy graphics driver (default on models prior to the Pi4), use display_lcd_rotate to
rotate or flip the LCD orientation. Parameters are the same as display_hdmi_rotate . See
also lcd_rotate .
display_rotate

display_rotate is deprecated in the latest firmware but has been retained for backwards
compatibility. Please use display_lcd_rotate and display_hdmi_rotate instead.

Use display_rotate to rotate or flip the screen orientation. Parameters are the same
as display_hdmi_rotate .

disable_fw_kms_setup

By default, the firmware parses the EDID of any HDMI attached display, picks an appropriate video
mode, then passes the resolution and frame rate of the mode, along with overscan parameters, to the
Linux kernel via settings on the kernel command line. In rare circumstances, this can have the effect
of choosing a mode that is not in the EDID, and may be incompatible with the device. You can
use disable_fw_kms_setup=1 to disable the passing of these parameters and avoid this problem.
The Linux video mode system (KMS) will then parse the EDID itself and pick an appropriate mode.

Other options
dispmanx_offline

Forces dispmanx composition to be done offline in two offscreen framebuffers. This can allow more
dispmanx elements to be composited, but is slower and may limit screen framerate to typically 30fps.

This article uses content from the eLinux wiki page RPiconfig, which is shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license