I have a simple setup with a computer running Ubuntu 24.04, driving two displays where I'd like to have the OS kill power to the displays after inactivity. I've tried this setup with a Raspberry Pi 5 and now with a small Ryzen/x86 computer and I get the same results.
For this experiment I have the inactivity timer set to five minutes.
00:00 - Stop moving the mouse
05:00 - Screens fade to black
05:11 - Monitor drive stops, displays power off
05:25 - Monitors are back on, displaying the background image and time
05:56 - Monitors fade to black and power off
06:07 - Monitors are back on, displaying the background image and time
10:23 - Monitors fade to black but remain powered on
If I have a browser tab open with a security camera displayed, the monitors stay on, as you'd expect. Same thing if I'm playing a local or YouTube video. I find it most annoying to have to reach around to the inconveniently placed power button and shut the monitors off. This behavior doesn't make sense to me.
Can anyone offer a suggestion here? It seems to me it ought to 'just work.' Having displays powered on with a black screen is silly, or worse.
Thanks in advance
Curt