Just black & white output on TV
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  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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    Red face

    Quote Originally Posted by TheRrippa
    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.

    YOU HERO ;-)))) THx TheRrippa - been trying to sort this out on my system for months with no success at all! BTW although this focusses on s-video, on my system I got the same result (or LACK of result!) using the RF - I bought s-video cable to try that cos I was at a loss!!

    U r the dude ;-)

  10. #10
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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!

  11. #11
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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.

  12. #12
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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!

  13. #13
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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.

  14. #14
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    Cave, another quick thought. If I remember correctly, some TVs which have more than one scart AV in only support SVideo through one of the Scarts. Have you tried the different combinations in other Scart connector's?

  15. #15
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    Ok TheRippa, it seems our connections, software and hardware are mostly likely!

    I have an acer travelmate 4100wlmi laptop with an ATI graphic card inside. My tv is a "diginium" (it's a cheap brand) with 2 scarts as inputs at the back and a compositive video at the side. It doesn't have a s-video entry. So i need the adaptor. My ATI graphic card is also set by country, in my case, it's Portugal, so in the case of the graphic card it's PAL B,G or H. My TV specifications are PAL B,G 60Hz. Nothing wrong so far i beleive! My Tv also states in the manual that the scarts entry can be used to connect a DVD player or a computer but with no more specifications on connecting the cables. I tryed both scarts entry "av->1" and "av->2". The pins i have them connected the same way you have in your diagram! I used a thin piece of metal and connect the pins, and i can actually look at the cable and see that both of the upper pins are "touching" the metal!

    My Tv also "states" in the manual that it is possible to change in the "av->1" entry the input as VCR or decoder, in case if you are using a TV channel decoder, which it's not the case, so i didn't try that option yet, so i beleive that's not the problem! The s-video cable and the adaptor are new!

    Can't figure out what seems to be the problem!

    Tanx!

    Cave!

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