Just black & white output on TV
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Thread: Just black & white output on TV

  1. #1
    Junior Member askwar's Avatar
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    Just black & white output on TV

    Hi!

    I've got a Dell Precision m50 notebook with a nVidia Quadro4 GoGL graphics chipset. The notebook has a SVHS output thru which I connected my TV with a 4 wire SVHS cable. In the display settings of Windows XP SP1, I've accessed the nView "control panel". There I've set the 2nd display (my TV) to be "cloned" from the primary display. After doing so, I've got the Windows desktop on the TV - however, it's just black and white.

    I've tried setting the "output format" to NTSC-M, PAL-G and PAL-B, but this didn't change anything (ie. still just black & white output). I've also tried hooking up the TV directly to the SVHS output jack, as well as through the adaptor which Dell delivered with the notebook. Didn't change anything.

    What do I have to do, to get color output on my TV?

    Thanks a lot,

    Alexander

  2. #2
    Registered User Archer's Avatar
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    I did find a couple of refferences this one looks the most appropriate but not what you wanted
    http://www.driverforum.com/graphics3/4854.html
    The response being
    your tv must support S-video in this scart port!
    Another refference for you
    http://electronics.cnet.com/electron...7008129-1.html
    Last edited by Archer; November 2nd, 2002 at 09:55 AM.

  3. #3
    Registered User Rifleman @ Layman's PC's Avatar
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    If you have a RCA jack, use it...
    Those who do not know, are lost...

  4. #4
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    S-video to composite

    Quote Originally Posted by askwar
    Hi!

    What do I have to do, to get color output on my TV?
    S-video output has separate luminance and chrominance signals. Most TV-sets require composite video. You can either purchase a converter, exact URL given below) or create one for yourself: simply connect the chrominance (4) and luminance (3) signal of the S-video output with a 220/470/680 pF ceramic capacitor (the higher the value the "softer" the picture). This capacitor superposes the chrominance signal -- with an approximately good amplitude -- to the luminance signal. The result is the composite video.

    While the capacitor costs around 10 cents, for $5 you can purchase a -- hopefully -- more accurate converter from ATI (manufacturer of the Radeon chipset and graphic boards):

    http://buy.ati.com/shopati/product.a...c=&country=USA

    Good luck

  5. #5
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    also, your tv may be set to NTSC, and your computers output could be PAL. Visa Versa. Have a look into that, it might solve your problem. I had a problem with video capturing. The quailty was BAD and would have constant lines through the picture. Turns out that the external device was a NTSC and i was tring to view in PAL :S

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by DARKSIDE
    also, your tv may be set to NTSC, and your computers output could be PAL.
    May be but is not (I have checked all available driver settings).

    However, I have made the "patch" proposed on a .fi homepage and found that the 470 pF and 560 pF gave the best result.

  7. #7
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    The Solution !!!

    THE SOLUTION !!!

    OK, I had the same problem and I was severely narked as I had just spent 20 quid on an S-Video cable and a converter to SCART only to discover it was in Black and White.

    After looking through all of your forum answers and finding no help whatsover, I went for a bit of creative thinking. I read somewhere that if your TV doesn't support S-VHS in through the SCART socket then only the luminance will get through into the composite in. I got to thinking that if I could force the chrominance in through the same pin then I would have composite in. After looking around I found the pinouts for the S-Video cable. If you have a cable with four pins, the chrominance and luminance pins are the two at the top (assuming you look at the pins with the plastic key at the bottom. Simply get some fuse wire (or a paperclip, or some tin foil, or whatever) and strap these two pins together. Simply create a link between the two, plug it back into the SCART plug converter thingy and, hey presto, colour output.

    I hope this helps you all


    TheRrippa.

  8. #8
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    Yesssssss!!!

    Thanks a LOT, Rrippa !!!!

    IT WORKS, and it's sooo easy! Great job!!!

  9. #9
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    Talking Welcome ;-)

    Hi Petroni,

    I'm glad I made your day.

    Have fun in technicolour ;-)

    Now, back to watching my film (in colour).

  10. #10
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    Hi There,

    My laptop has a 7 pin s-video output in wich i connected one end of a 4 pin s-video cable and the other end i connected to a scart adaptor. This scart adaptor as 4 entrys. One is a s-video entry, and the other 3 entrys are rcas (2 for left and right audio and one for video). As an output this adaptor as a scart entry. So I only connected the s-video from the pc to the s-video entry of the adaptor as an input. And connected the output of the adapator as a scart male directly to the scart female input of the TV (usually it's the "av->1" or "av->2" channels of the TV).

    Here's an example of this kind of adpator:

    http://www.mediaatlantic.com/product.php/366/0/

    Since i don't have a s-video input on my TV, only 2 scarts inputs (and also 3 rcas), i have to use some kind of "conversion".

    The problem is that i can only see my pc in black & white in the TV. My television supports PAL B & G, and my display definitions of my ATI graphic card is set to that kind of display, so i guess the problem is in the connection from the pc to the tv.

    Any ideas please?

    P.S.-> I also tried the tip from TheRippa. I connect trough a piece of metal the top 2 pins of the s-video cable while connecting to the scart adaptor. It didn't work, so I use the end of the cable where the top 2 pins where connected, but this time at the s-video output of the laptop. It didn't worked too!

    Tanx!

    Cave!

  11. #11
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    Hi Cave,

    It sounds like you've got the exact same setup as me. I have one end of my SVideo cable plugged into the SVideo out on my PC. I have the other end of the SVideo cable plugged into an adapter the same as the one you have (set to input) and the scart adapter is plugged into the TV scart socket. I don't use the other audio and video connectors on the adapter as I use the sound system on my PC.

    Are you sure you connected the correct pins together? I have attached a diagram showing which pins to connect. You obviously need to connect them with something fairly conductive, I used fuse wire. I then plug the end with the wire in it into the TV Scart Adapter.

    P.S. The forum wouldn't let me upload the picture so I've stuck it here: http://therrippa.dyndns.org:81/SVideo.jpg

  12. #12
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    Hi TheRrippa,

    The link with the picture doesn't work! Can you please send it to my e-mail? It's [email protected]

    Tanx!

    Cave!

  13. #13
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    Sorry cave,

    I'd left port 81 blocked on one of my firewalls, I've opened it now so the link above should work now. Plus, I'll email it to you.

  14. #14
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    Hi TheRrippa!

    I've got your mail! And I use the same connecting in the same 2 pins of the s-video cable as you did, but it didn't work! Are you using a 4 pin cable on both sides? And the pins you are connecting is only on the end of the cable where you connect to the adaptor, or are you connecting the pins on both sides of the cable (one to the laptop and the other to the scart adaptor)?

    Did You have to do something in your software? Or updated your drivers? Because i don't know what i'm missing!

    Tanx!

    Cave!

  15. #15
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    Hi cave,

    Yes, my SVideo cable is four pins at both ends. I only connect the two pins at the end I plug into the scart adapter. The ides of this is to merge the chrominance and luminance before the signal goes into the scart adapter.

    Before we go any further, please have a look at the instruction manual for your TV. If it supports SVideo in through the Scart connector then you shouldn't have to use my pin connection at all. If it does, you may simply need to change some things on the software side, such as the format (PAL/NTSC). If it doesn't, please continue reading.

    What type of wire are you using? Are you sure you're getting a good connection between the pins? Maybe try cleaning the pins and the wire with a bit of emery cloth (or fine sandpaper) before wiring them together.

    On the software side, the only thing I had to configure was the format. I have an ATI Radeon card in my desktop and it gives me the option to choose by country or by format. I have it set to United Kingdom at the moment which seems to be PAL I.

    Let us know how you get on.

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