s-video to composite

HOB-it

Hi guys.

Hopefully someone can help me or at least put me in the right direction. Simply put I want to connect my pc to my tv - using s-video out on my graphics card. My TV does not support S-video so i'm using a small yellow adapter that came with the graphics card that connects to a composite yellow cable. this cable (obviously) runs into the composite connection on the TV.

The problem - is that even though i get a signal to the tv - it comes through in very poor quality. its impossible to read the description under the shortcuts on my desktop and forget about surfing the net via the TV - its fuzzy and its like it hasnt been tuned in properly. Colors are a bit off as well with an over excessive amount of red and other colors a little on the dull side

really what im asking is - has anyone sucessfully connected their pc to their tv AND with a pretty decent resolution. Ideally I want a HTPC eventually but need to know if im going to have to buy a tv with an s-video connection. Ive been to all the sites about Chrominance and Luminance but this isnt parctical. PLEASE some one just tell me if im just using the wrong Cable or if I need to buy a seperate graphics card etc. Any help would really be appreciated guys.

Kali

Unless you buy a TV with a VGA-in you're not going to have the best results with s-video out..

If you really have to use this, either lower your resolution, drastically... PAL only supports a resolution of 625 lines (horizontal)... or else make sure windows is outputting for a TV (not a monitor/projector).. and make sure its in PAL not NTSC.

Plus if you're planning on using this as a HTPC, then you need to invest a bit more money and thought, you really can't get a worse video signal than composite .. and those wee converters are all but useless.

voxpop

i have an s-video out to scart adapter converter - works ok for me using a geforce4 mx and watching tv/recording. Not great if you want to do computer stuff on it. Set the res at 800x600 or lower and it may work better (btw i did this under linux - not sure what quality windows tv-out )

chrismon

any time i connected using s-video the quality was always bad
think u need a monitor!
any reason u using a tv?

the_syco

Look here. See the thing that says "input output"? You can get one of those in Peats (or maybe Maplins). Then hook the scart cable onto your PC.

Fionn_McCool

Sometimes i think it has to do with the type of tv you are using.

It does not work for me when trying it on a Sony trinitron for some reason (picture flickers all the time), but is perfect on the philips TV in my college apartment.

If you are looking for a lead and some converters, the place to get it is on e-bay. I got a 20m composite cable from there, including a composite to scart converter, a, composite to s-video converter and an audio jack for the composite audio, all for less than £10 + £3 shipping,

here is the link (very good crowd to deal with, very quick delivery) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31531&item=6781594660

DemonOfTheFall

A TV with a really high refresh rate, eg. a Trinitron will work a lot better than your average 50 / 60 hz TV. You're really going to want one of those scart adaptors everyones talking about though, you dump an awful lot of quality when u turn S-video -> composite with one of those cheap crappy connectors

Mixie

While the above is true, if you get some HTPC/PVR software it should be perfectly clear on the TV even if using svideo... just make sure you add the software to startup so that it loads with windows.

If you're familiar with linux, go for MythTV (free and large community). Windows has plenty of PVR software but if I were you I'd stick with GBPVR until we get Windows MCE here properly. GBPVR is free (and ugly) but should tide you over.

HOB-it

chrismon wrote:

any time i connected using s-video the quality was always bad
think u need a monitor!
any reason u using a tv?

yeah - ive a 28inch tv in the living room. as i mentioned b4 - eventually i hope to end up with a media pc or htpc as my main media player and games console. but im starting to think svideo is nothing but heartache. will prob end up having to get a plasma or rear screen projector tv with a pc input.

HOB-it

hey guys

thanks for the advice. ive been looking at all this stuff the last month or so and think that for a decent output im going to have to invest in a new tv. quality just isnt what it could be so hope to purchase something a bit flash in the near future