Monitor on laptop?

cormie

Hi,
My laptop screen is a bit messed up at the moment so I'm trying to connect a Digimate L1517 monitor to it. My laptop is an Acer Aspire with ATI Mobility Radeon X700.

For some strange reason, I can't get the Digimate to keep the display from the acer properly. I pick the monitor option and it flicks the screen I see on my laptop to the monitor for a brief second at the right colour etc, but then it goes completely dark on the monitor, you can just about make out the windows on it, but it's impossible to do anything else.

When I turn the monitor on without it being connected to anything, it displays a normal coloured red and white rectangular box but the same speed it goes dark when connected to the laptop, it goes dark and you can just about make out another flashing box saying "disconnection".

It's hard to tell what's wrong here so I'd appreciate any help:)

cormie

Anyone have any idea?

witnessmenow

eh i'm just shooting way in the dark here!
are you using catalyst control center is it?( i have the same card and this is what i use)
are you tryin to make it the main monitor?

cormie

Thanks for the attempt

This is what I'm using, I'm not sure what it's called. Please see attached image.

See I'm really curious as to why it does the same thing when it's not even connected to the laptop.

Are desktops set up to just WORK with any monitor? You don't need drivers or anything? So would it be worth just plugging this into a desktop and it should work straight away without any configuring?

witnessmenow

oh i thought you were leaving it on for a while then plugging it in and it goes dark at the same speed when its plugged it in, sorry misunderstood. do you have a desktop that you could try that monitor on, it sounds like your monitor is broken

RobbieMc

Hi,

you never mentioned the make and model of the monitor you are trying to use. It may not like the current video output settings that you are using on the laptop.
try to turn the settings down to 640 X 480 256 colors and connect up the monitor. reboot and watch to see if the monitor comes on.
also, on some laptops, to switch between monmitor and lcd screen, you would press the function key (FN) along with one of the F keys .

Rob

Stephen

Have you tested this monitor on another computer? Sounds like the backlight in it might be buggered - i.e. you can barely see the windows and stuff on screen and it is all dark.

cormie

I'm yet to test it on a desktop, I'll try do that asap. I don't think it's the baclight since when I first turn the monitor on, it flashes exactly how it should be (colour and brightness) for about half a second and THEN goes dark. It's puzzling.

great unwashed

did you turn down the settings like robbie above suggests? your graphics card could fry your monitor if settings too high.

whats wrong with your laptop monitor by the way? you sure it's not graphics card problem?

cormie

I haven't tried Robbies suggestion yet but I've tried similar, I'll give it a go now.

My graphics card is fine, this is what's wrong with my laptop:

great unwashed

stuck together with spit and sellotape eh? very matrix-looking.

no, doesn't look like you have card issues there.

Capt'n Midnight

your panel is set to 1280x1026 at 60Hz

http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/pi/25-325047/Monitors/Digimate-L1517-Silver-Product-Info

Product Information : Digimate L1517 Silver
Flat-panel (TFT), 15 inch, max resolution 1024x768

drop the resolution on the laptop to 1024x768 for now and then try toggling the display with Fn+F5 or Fn+F8 or whatever Acer use

yea the ATI panel isn't very intuitive

press the info button on the moitor to see what it says
also try the monitor during boot up or while in the BIOS - lower resolution should be compatible with any monitor

witnessmenow

new version of catalyst control aint bad, i suggest you download it even if you do get it working with the old version (Linky to new one)

cormie

Ok, I'm currently using a different monitor on my laptop without a problem. I've tried hook the other monitor up by unplugging the non flat monitor and to test, I plugged it straight back in, perfect, so I then plugged the flat one in, and again, the image flicked on the screen for 1 second all looking perfect and then the screen just goes dark again. I think it's definitely a fault with the monitor itself, but I can't think what it could be. I mean the image is perfect for a millisecond and then just goes dark, so the bulb can't be out completely!

Anyone have any experience with monitors acting up like this?

knuth

Totally off topic, but I'm in desperate need of a PSU off that TFT you have. You're not interested in selling it are you? If not, do you know where I could locate a similiar psu ASAP?

Cheers.

cormie

Sorry, but what's a psu:o ?

And are you talking about the digimate or the laptop screen?

Stephen

PSU = power supply unit. And I still think the backlight is shagged

knuth

Sorry, the power supply unit of the external monitor, the digimate. I need one for my monitor asap!!

cormie

I'm selling a bunch of stuff, including the monitor here:
http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=37420&cat=500

Not splitting for reasons described in the ad though:o