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I have an ATI Radeon 9600 video card. I have updated to the newest drivers/catalyst control center. My problem is I cannot get a signal to come out of the S-Video connection on the card. I have a S-Video to composite adaptor hooked into a RF Modulator (Phillips) that I bought from Wal-Mart hooked into a TV. No matter what I configure in the catalyst control center, I cannot see a signal on my TV, nor does the "Signal" light come on the RF Modulator.
I have two other computers that have S-video out(Desktop Gforce 4200, and Laptop ATI x200), and I have no problems what so ever with those and the RF Modulator, displays the signal to the TV perfectly.
Back to the computer I'm having problems with; I've tried pretty much every resolution/refresh rate (Should be 60Hz), with no effect. The control center doesn't detect the TV display, I have to "Force detection".
I've spent pretty much the entire day on google searching, and I have found a number of other forums with this same problem (but with different ATI Cards) with no answers.
ATI's website states that TV + Monitor displays can only be achieved by using the S-Video + VGA connectors. It will not work with S-Video + DVI Connectors. I've actually tried both.
Anyone? Thanks.
are the cables you use on the working desktop the same as they are on the non-working desktop?
haven't come across this myself but as always, process of eliminiation so if you haven't already I'd start there
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Used the same cable for all PC's.
Process of eliminiation tells me the card isn't working (Just the S-Video port) or something with the drivers. I'm going to try a linux live CD today, to see if I can get the card to display TV.
Display - Settings - Advanced - Displays does not exsist. ATI has their own ultility called Catalyst Control Center, and I have enabled TV through that (Although I had to use "Force Detection of TV").
The next two things I'm going to try is the Linux Live cd, and another S-video cable (Not a s-video to composite). Other than that I'm going to say it isn't working.
Anyone ever heard of this?
Thanks.
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You only need an RF modulator box if the TV you connect to has no composite inputs or S-Video inputs, and there is only a cable connection on the TV, or an older 2 terminal external antenna connection on the TV with a 2 wire to cable adapter connected to it. You normaly use one in that case if you need to connect something such as a VCR or a DVD player that normally connects to a composite input jacks or an s-video jack, and the cable output from the box to the TV, and the TV must be on a certain channel = usually either channel 3 or 4 (the TV must be on one of those channels).
.....For a computer video card with an S-video out port.....
Are you SURE it's an S-video out port? There are also custom ports that look the same except they have more female pin holes than a S-video jack needs - they connect to a jack with more pins and a "dongle" wiring adapter that comes with the card that allows you to connect various input/outputs. Most cheaper cards will not accept S-video or composite inputs into the card, other than possibly audio ones.
If the TV has only a cable connection on the TV, or an older 2 terminal external antenna connection on the TV with a 2 wire to cable adapter connected to it, you connect the S-video port on the video card to S-video or composite INPUTS on the RF box, and the cable connector OUTPUT from the RF modulator box to the TV - the TV probably has to be on channel 3 or 4.
RF modulator boxes have cable connector input and output connectors, and a manual switch or automatic switch that selects the input that will be displayed on the TV. If you have no need to display a cable connected TV source, you do not have to connect to the cable input connector, but if the switch that selects inputs is manual, it must be set to other than the TV source.
If the TV has an S-video jack, connecting using a simple S- video to S-video cable works fine.
If the TV has three composite connectors (3 female RCA), connecting using a simple S- video to composite adapter cable works fine (you only need to connect the RCA video one for just video).
In both cases you have to set the TV to an alternate source such as Video 1, Video 2, etc.
If you have both kinds of jacks on the TV, you can only use one or the other video port, not both, but you could use the composite audio jacks and the S-video jack.If you have one or both kinds of jacks on the TV and also a cable connector, you do not need to connect a coaxial cable from the RF modulator box to the TV as well as the S-video or composite video input.
.....Are you SURE it's an S-video out port? There are also custom ports that look the same except they have more female pin holes than a S-video jack needs - they connect to a jack with more pins and a "dongle" wiring adapter that comes with the card that allows you to connect various input/outputs. Most cheaper cards will not accept S-video or composite inputs into the card, other than possibly audio ones.
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First off, thanks for the response.
You had my hopes up when you said "Is it an S-Video out port". I completely forgot out those special connections to a dongle... But I went to ATI's website and searched, and under the specs for this card it says "S-video connector for TV / VCR". Plus it has a S ||-> symbol on the back of the card.
The TV I have only has a coaxial connection, hence using the RF Mod. The RF Mod. accepts S-Video/composite/coax as input, and coax out. TV and RF Mod. set to channel 4. Signal light on RF Mod never comes on. I'm going to try a straight S-Video cable this weekend to the RF Mod., and I'm also going to try S-Video cable straight to another tv which has S-Video input.After that I'll probably stick the card in another computer.
After that I'm saying it doesn't work. I'll post back what I find out, cause I know others have been having this same problem on other forums.
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AHHHHH yes, found out what it was...
I went home this weekend to where I have all my computer parts, and tried a straight S-Video cable to the RF Modulator and it works. I also hooked it straight to a TV with S-Video.
Now, the ONLY way I can get composite is USE THE S-VIDEO TO COMPOSITE ADAPTOR THAT CAME WITH THE VIDEO CARD (ATI). NO OTHER ADAPTOR I HAVE WORKS.
So, after a few days spent working on this, it was the S-Video to Composite adaptor was not compatiable with the video card (adaptor worked with other video cards).
So if you're having this same problem, use the S-Video to composite adaptor that came with the card, or just use a straight S-Video cable. Why ATI Engineered their card that way, I have no idea.
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Is it a made by ATI card or is it a clone card that has ATI chips?
In any case, we're glad to hear you found a solution.
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i have the same problem, i am using a straight svideo cable that is directly in the tv and plugging it into the video card, it wont extend my desktop to my tv when i have it plugged in though. the dongle that came with the card looks similar to an svideo cable but with more pins, but the other end of the dongle only has an rca plug..what do i need to make my tv have my computers extended desktop so i can watch movies on my tv with windows media player?
i win
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If the port for the dongle has more pin holes than for a S-Video cable, you can't plug in a S-video cable there unless there is a separate female S-video connector on a cord on the dongle, or there is a separate female S-video connector on a cord on a different dongle.
If you do have a female S-video connector on a cord connected to a dongle, but you are getting no picture on the TV, you have to enable the TV display in Display - Settings - Advanced - Displays - and you must set the TV to an input source - e.g. video 1, video 2, etc.
If you don't see any setting in Display - Settings - Advanced - for Displays, you have default Windows drivers loaded and you need to load the drivers that came with the CD, or updated versions of those drivers from the web site for that model (READ the install/update instructions first!).If your problem is you can get a display on the TV, but it isn't extending your desktop, that is another setting in Display - Settings - Advanced - usually to do with Overlay or similar - again, if you don't have the right drivers loaded you won't see that. See your Help/Manual if you don't know what to select.
Do you have composite in female RCA ports on the TV? If you do, can you run a single RCA cord (male both ends)from the female RCA for video on the dongle, and if you want to also have the sound on the TV instead of the computer, you run two more RCA cords (male both ends)from the female RCA for for Audio out R + L on the dongle (combo cords with 3 rca male on both ends are available as well - the video one is usually fatter - better inslated from interference), or if there are no female RCA for for Audio out R + L on the dongle, from Line out or headphone on your sound card or onboard sound (2 RCA male one end, 1/8" shaft stereo plug (male) on the other end.
If you don't have composite in RCA females on the TV but you have an S-video port, a standard S-Video to RCA male connector cable will work as well, for just the video.S-Video is just slightly video enhanced vs. composite video in any case.
If your TV has both S-Video and composite jacks, usually you can only use one or the other video connection. The RCA ports for audio on the TV will work for either.
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so i just plug a female rca into the dongle and the other end (same female rca) into my tv...meaning the yellow?..because all the dongle is is the svideo like end which has more pins than svideo, and a rca end
i win
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Ya - see the part starting "Do you have composite in female RCA ports "
The port on the TV, and the connector on the card on the cord on the dongle are RCA female. The cord you connect them with has a male RCA connector on each end.
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yes i bought a composite video cable and connected it to a yellow female composite on my tv and into the dongle attached to my pc...when i go to extend my desktop and i check the box and click apply it unckecks the box and the picture doesnt extend
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aha! i had to force detection and it worked...i can even use the svideo cable i have directly into the sound card...great quality too....do you think that i should uninstall the drivers for my old video card and then reinstall the new drivers for the new card, or does it not matter?
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It depends on what your old card and new card are. If they are both 9600's no you don't, but otherwise you should have un-installed the old drivers BEFORE you installed this card, like it says in the install DIRECTIONS!
"i can even use the svideo cable i have directly into the sound card"
I didn't expect that. Ya know, that fact, and all that info I told you previously, is probably in your manual.
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