PC TV Out -> TV with SVHS problem - please help

Loobz

Hi people.

I hope this is the correct place for this, here it goes.
Im trying to hook my TV-Out on my PC to my widescreen. My TV does not have a dedicated SVHS socket so im using a scart adapter that has one on it. When I enable it on my PC, it does display my desktop on my TV. However, its really washed out, not much colour and the text is unreadable. I have the resolution set to 800x600 and 32 bit colour (have tried 16 bit) still the same. I have no idea whats going on. Please help.

Thanks

Loobz

Maybe the Computers forum would be a good place for this type of query? thanks

Eurorunner

When I enable it on my PC, it does display my desktop on my TV. However, its really washed out, not much colour and the text is unreadable. I have the resolution set to 800x600 and 32 bit colour (have tried 16 bit) still the same. I have no idea whats going on. Please help.

Unless you've spent €€€€'s on your TV, it wont be able to diplay the desktop/applications/webpages clearly as the resolutions not the same.

However, you should be able to get video working fine. Whatever you use for video playback, choose a vmr9 video renderer in the players options.

Loobz

Unless you've spent €€€€'s on your TV, it wont be able to diplay the desktop/applications/webpages clearly as the resolutions not the same.

It worked on my brothers Black Diamond tv (which was cheap). Got a 800x600 resolution on that. the only difference is that it has a dedicated SVHS port on the side. That was years ago with inferior equipment. Played all games ok, applications, everything. Im using a JVC widescreen (new) now with no dedicated SVHS, just a scart adapter with SVHS. I have a 9800 Pro card in the PC with TV-out. Im stumped.

John R

You really need to find out if it is the vid card or the tv at fault, can you hook the pc up to another tv and see.

I would guess that it is the tv not liking the S-video input. I seem to recall a similar poor picture when connecting a pc to a tv using the s-video to composite connector that usually comes with video cards.

eoinf

i would be very suprised if the jvc tv you have doesnt have an s i/p is there one under the flap at the front where the volume buttons are or sometimes they are at the side of the tv

Loobz

Nah it doesnt have one. By the way, its S-Video, not SVHS. All references to SVHS above should be S-Video. Im such a tool. :rolleyes:

Kristok

Check that the svideo out on the graphics card is set to pal-i otherwise it will do as you describe, as far as i remember you can check this in ati display properties on displays tab and click on tv, then goto format tab and choose pal i, your bro's tv might just be pal + ntsc so it dosnt care.

After that id say its the adaptor for the svideo to scart ive used one of them before and the quality is not that great but shoud really work.

ZENER

Kristok has tackled the colour issue but the TV's circuitry is not capable of displaying the 800x600 image natively so some scaling will take place resulting in a reduced quality and sharpness, most video cards will offer PAL or NTSC resolutions as an aption for instances where a TV set is used as a display device. Set the primary display output as a TV and the resolutions should become available.

The artifacts that occur as a result of PAL encoding coupled with the poorer dot pitch and restricted bandwidth video circuitry of a TV set will almost certainly make the TV unusable for day to day desktop use.

ZEN

Loobz

Thanks Kristok and Zener. Will try that Kristok. Its a little baffling. Zener, if i could just get the type of display i was getting a few years ago with my bro's tv and nvidia card, I would be happy.

Loobz

I swapped the S-Video cable and now it looks much better. The text is now readable. I changed it to Pal-i, but its still black and white, no colour at all. At least Im a step forward now. I just need to get some colour into it. Any ideas on how to solve that?