Help with TV-out

Dominus Atheos · Post by **Dominus Atheos** » 2006-07-08 09:54pm

I just got some stuff to use my TV to display what's on my monitor, but my TV won't display it correctly. At first, it didn't display anything, but then I mucked around in the monitor settings, and now it displays a blurry, black and white image of my desktop(But not any windows I have open) that scrolls down on my TV. After messing with the settings, the TV/monitor settings are: 800x600(the lowest it will go), Medium(16bit) color quality(the lowest it will go), And 47 Hertz, Interlaced(the lowest it will go).

I have a PowerColor Radeon 9800 SE video card.

The setup to display on the tv is: One(1) S-Video cable, One(1) Composite to S-Video converter, that says it can work the opposite way, And one(1) Yellow Composite video cable.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-07-08 10:37pm

If it's got your background but no windows, you've probably got it set to 'span' instead of 'mirror'. You've got a B&W image because ATi cards suck at detecting the difference between svideo and RCA.

Your best hope for tv-out is buying a Mac. Otherwise, have fun dicking about with the terrible software trying to get it to actually use the settings you want.

Dominus Atheos · Post by **Dominus Atheos** » 2006-07-09 02:32am

Stark wrote:Your best hope for tv-out is buying a Mac. Otherwise, have fun dicking about with the terrible software trying to get it to actually use the settings you want.

I installed the drivers for my video card(I had not since I installed a new operating system on a new hard drive about a month ago) and now everything works perfectly.

But if I want a computer that barely runs any software, and next to no games, I will get Linux.

If I want an expensive computer that barely runs any software, and next to no games, I will get a mac.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-07-09 02:37am

So you ask for help after NOT EVEN BOTHERING TO INSTALL YOUR DRIVERS and suddenly you're the computer functionality expert? Share with us your wisdom, oh great polymath!

Next time your mouse doesn't work right because it isn't plugged in I'll be sure to help out!

I'm not going to bother pointing out that everything you just said about both linux and macs is wrong.

Dominus Atheos · Post by **Dominus Atheos** » 2006-07-09 02:57am

Stark wrote:So you ask for help after NOT EVEN BOTHERING TO INSTALL YOUR DRIVERS and suddenly you're the computer functionality expert? Share with us your wisdom, oh great polymath! Next time your mouse doesn't work right because it isn't plugged in I'll be sure to help out!

Alright, I admit it. I was stupid for not realizing I didn't have my drivers installed.

I'm not going to bother pointing out that everything you just said about both linux and macs is wrong.

Macs are expensive compared to Linux, in that they are not free. This is objective, independantly-verifiable fact.

Linux doesn't run most games. Mac doesn't either. What few games mac does play, usually don't come out until much after the PC version does. Right now, all the Mac geeks are exploding in their pants because Civ 4 is about to be released for Mac. I have this game for PC, and infact, have already gotten bored with it.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-07-09 03:30am

Sorry, I'm just being cranky. I don't notice the cross-platform software thing, since pretty much everything I use is open-source, cross-platform anyway. Firefox, vlc, Thunderbird, FreeSpace2, etc, all on all three major platforms. I'd never buy a Mac that isn't a laptop, and people who play games on laptops are *wierd*.

And yes, the Mac gaming '18 months late' thing is pretty fucking funny. I remember when QUAKE 2 got ported years later.

I'm actually glad to hear it sounds like the drivers have better tv-out these days: months ago I tried to get it working on a pc, and it'd work, then not work next boot, or randomly decide to be in b&w, ignore my settings, all kinds of nonsense. I must have tried half a dozen cards.

Netko · Post by **Netko** » 2006-07-09 04:19am

The black and white thing could be having the wrong broadcast type. There are several NTSC, PAL and SECAM variants to choose from, and if you get the right overall type but fuck up the specific variant, a black and white or otherwise distorted signal is usualy the result. It's likely that the drivers helped by autodetecting the correct settings.

Dominus Atheos · Post by **Dominus Atheos** » 2006-07-09 04:21am

No, don't worry, I fixed it.

Actually, could we just get a lock on this thread? It's served it purpose.