Using TV-out

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chermesh · #1 Post by **chermesh** » Wed May 10, 2006 12:47 pm

Hi,
I would like to watch movies from my DVD reader (on a T42), running WinXP Pro (SP2).
I bought a RCA 3x / S-VHS 5.0 cable (http://www.smart-com.net/product_info.p ... ucts_id=45), but all my efforts to use it, failed.
Can you explain me or refer to a net source?

Ran

smids · #2 Post by **smids** » Wed May 10, 2006 1:03 pm

Which card, driver version etc...

Assuming it's an ATi: It's a lot easier to use the Catalyst Control Centre itself and not IBM's customised driver but I'm not sure about power options etc - a reason why IBM customise the display drivers. I should be able to figure it out though - I do this on my desktop all the time.

#3 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed May 10, 2006 1:03 pm

Right click on an open area of the desktop. Choose Properties > Settings > Advanced > Overlay > Theater mode options... > then under Overlay Display Mode, choose: Theater Mode or Same on all.

EDIT: I should have added: With the cable plugged in and the TV on, right click on an open area of the desktop. Choose Properties > Settings > Advanced > Displays > red button on TV > OK > OK. Do this first, then enable Theater Mode as mentioned above.

smids · #4 Post by **smids** » Wed May 10, 2006 1:06 pm

GomJabbar wrote:Right click on an open area of the desktop. Choose Properties > Settings > Advanced > Overlay > Theater mode options... > then under Overlay Display Mode, choose: Theater Mode or Same on all.

Might be worthwhile to check under the Display tab too to make sure you have switched the TV out on.

t20user · #5 Post by **t20user** » Wed May 10, 2006 4:14 pm

The link you posted shows component RCA Svideo cables. Wouldnt you need the standard Svideo cable to come out of the T42?

#6 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed May 10, 2006 4:47 pm

t20user wrote:The link you posted shows component RCA Svideo cables. Wouldnt you need the standard Svideo cable to come out of the T42?

You're exactly right

I believe this is what the OP needs.
http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?c ... &sku=27991

smids · #7 Post by **smids** » Wed May 10, 2006 5:25 pm

Yup - that looks a good one GomJabbar - I read S-video so I assumed he had the right one - silly me.

#8 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed May 10, 2006 5:57 pm

smids wrote:I read S-video so I assumed he had the right one - silly me.

Yeah, me too. I really don't know how they can call that an S-Video cable.

Looks like a composite video cable with two RCA audio cables included to me.

Actually there are a variety of cables and adapters that will work depending upon what you are actually connecting to, and how you want your cables routed.

I bought a short 6" S-Video male to RCA female adapter at Radio Shack for my video signal. I use a regular 6' RCA male patch cable from this adapter to my TV.

I also bought an 6' cable that consists of a 1/8" stereo male phono plug on one end to twin RCA male plugs on the other for my audio signal. Since the TV I use it the most with has only a single RCA audio input jack, I connect the 2 RCA male plugs on the cable above to a 6" Y-cable that consists of 2 RCA female plugs on one end to 1 RCA male plug on the other. The 1/8" stereo male phono plug is plugged into a 1/8" stereo female to 1/8" stereo male right angle adapter on my ThinkPad.

By mixing and matching cables, almost any setup can be accomodated.

chermesh · #9 Post by **chermesh** » Thu May 11, 2006 2:55 am

GomJabbar wrote:Right click on an open area of the desktop. Choose Properties > Settings > Advanced > Overlay > Theater mode options... > then under Overlay Display Mode, choose: Theater Mode or Same on all.

.

When I reach the Overlay window all options are grey. All I see is: "These overlay settings are only available in dual-controller Clone mode, and not single-display or extended desktop configurations.

It's above and beyond my understanding. Can you explain me in simple english?

Ran

chermesh · #10 Post by **chermesh** » Thu May 11, 2006 3:04 am

GomJabbar wrote:
t20user wrote:The link you posted shows component RCA Svideo cables. Wouldnt you need the standard Svideo cable to come out of the T42?
You're exactly right

I believe this is what the OP needs.
http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?c ... &sku=27991

What's the difference between my cable and the one suggest?

ran

chermesh · #11 Post by **chermesh** » Thu May 11, 2006 3:10 am

GomJabbar wrote:
smids wrote:I read S-video so I assumed he had the right one - silly me.
Yeah, me too. I really don't know how they can call that an S-Video cable.
Looks like a composite video cable with two RCA audio cables included to me.
...
By mixing and matching cables, almost any setup can be accomodated.

I still don't understand. What's wrong with my cable? The connection to my laptop is an S-video (+audio) and the connection to the tv includes three banana plugs, identified as expected.
Is it possible that my TV settings are wrong? I switched to DVD mode? Is this the way?

Ran

#12 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu May 11, 2006 6:16 am

Maybe your cable is fine. The picture on the website does not show the S-Video connector on it. However, if you can plug it directly into your ThinkPad it must be S-Video.

You need to have the cable connected and probably have the TV on, before the settings become ungreyed and you can change them.

Change the display setting first. On the Properties > Settings page, it should be set to 1. (Multiple Monitors) on ATI MOBILITY RADEON. The number 1 should be in the foreground and highlighted.

Next click on Advanced > Monitor tab. Scroll through the list on Monitor type. Generic Television should be in the list.

Next click on Displays tab. Click on the Red button on the top left above the TV. Click OK, OK.

Now click on the Overlay tab. Choose Theater mode options..., then choose Theater Mode under Overlay Display Mode.

EDIT: One other thing. In addition to the TV being on, verify that the TV is set up to get a signal from an external source. Usually this will show up under Input as being Front or Rear on the TV On-Screen display. You may have to do this before the settings become ungreyed on your ThinkPad.

chermesh · #13 Post by **chermesh** » Thu May 11, 2006 1:50 pm

Hi,
Thanks a lot for all your suggestions. All are very helpful.
I called the support of my tv (Grundig) and found out that my cable is of a type unknown to them, it has an S-Video for the laptop, but the other side is for video, not for tv-out connections. the tv-out requires another S-Video plug. I plugged the cable to one set of inlets, but the correct place is in the back side of the tv.
Does this information make sense? Why should a video connection be unfit for tv-out?
If worse comes to worse, I'll buy another cable.

Ran

#14 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu May 11, 2006 4:04 pm

There is a type of S-Video adapter cable that is called a SCART cable. I have read where users who have tried to use a SCART cable adapter have often run into problems. I did not see SCART mentioned in the description of your cable - do you see SCART mentioned anywhere?

A question. Which country are you from? SCART cables are used in Europe, but you don't see them in the US where I live.

Another question. If you are not from the US, what type of TV system do you have? In the US we have NTSC. In Europe they use PAL. There are settings in the display properties page to change from one to the other. Go to Properties > Settings > Advanced > Displays > TV > Format, and make any necessary adjustments. The cable has to be connected to the TV before you can access these adjustments.

Maybe the following thread will help you.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=17581

#15 Post by **bill bolton** » Thu May 11, 2006 5:40 pm

GomJabbar wrote:In Europe they use PAL.

Not just PAL, there are a number of European countries that use SECAM, most notably France, Greece and Russia.

SECAM was basically a French innovation to avoid some patents associated with the NTSC system, and is an acronym for "Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire"..... but in broadcast engineering we always said the acronym stood for "System Essentially Contrary to the American Method"!

NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) was also "Never Twice the Same Colour"

Cheers,

Bill

#16 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu May 11, 2006 5:52 pm

Thanks for the correction/amplification Bill.

I am certainly not an expert on European standards. Never been there myself - yet. I have aspirations..........

I have been to Morocco, Peru, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Canada, and a couple of Caribbean islands.

#17 Post by **bill bolton** » Thu May 11, 2006 6:28 pm

GomJabbar wrote:I have been to Morocco

Morocco is another country which uses SECAM standards for Television broadcasting!

Cheers,

Bill

#18 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu May 11, 2006 6:52 pm

Oh well. I don't recall watching TV while in-country (Morocco).

#19 Post by **bill bolton** » Thu May 11, 2006 9:06 pm

GomJabbar wrote:watching TV while in-country (Morocco).

The various colour TV standards don't look any different under reasonable reception conditions anyway, it's only under poor conditions that differences start to become apparent.

Cheers,

Bill

dmichael · #20 Post by **dmichael** » Fri May 12, 2006 8:27 am

Greece is a PAL country, not SECAM

#21 Post by **bill bolton** » Fri May 12, 2006 7:51 pm

dmichael wrote:Greece is a PAL country, not SECAM

It actually has both PAL and SECAM. See PAL SECAM NTSC Conversion

Cheers,

Bill

chermesh · #22 Post by **chermesh** » Sat May 13, 2006 1:10 am

chermesh · #23 Post by **chermesh** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 6:05 am

GomJabbar wrote:Maybe your cable is fine. The picture on the website does not show the S-Video connector on it. However, if you can plug it directly into your ThinkPad it must be S-Video.

You need to have the cable connected and probably have the TV on, before the settings become ungreyed and you can change them.

Change the display setting first. On the Properties > Settings page, it should be set to 1. (Multiple Monitors) on ATI MOBILITY RADEON. The number 1 should be in the foreground and highlighted.

Next click on Advanced > Monitor tab. Scroll through the list on Monitor type. Generic Television should be in the list.

Next click on Displays tab. Click on the Red button on the top left above the TV. Click OK, OK.

Now click on the Overlay tab. Choose Theater mode options..., then choose Theater Mode under Overlay Display Mode.

EDIT: One other thing. In addition to the TV being on, verify that the TV is set up to get a signal from an external source. Usually this will show up under Input as being Front or Rear on the TV On-Screen display. You may have to do this before the settings become ungreyed on your ThinkPad.

Hi,
I've replace my former cable with an s-video to s-video cable. The tv screen shows it's in an s-video mode. I tried to follow your instructions. I got stuck when I reached the [qoute]Next click on Displays tab. Click on the Red button on the top left above the TV. [/qoute] phase. The TV option is grey. Looks like my laptop doesn't identify the tv.
What else should I do?

Ran

p.s. By the way, in phase [qoute]On the Properties > Settings page, it should be set to 1. (Multiple Monitors) on ATI MOBILITY RADEON. The number 1 should be in the foreground and highlighted[/qoute], both options, 1 and 2, carried the same label "(Multiple Monitor) on ATI MOBILITY RAEON 9600 Series".

#24 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 7:56 am

chermesh wrote:The TV option is grey. Looks like my laptop doesn't identify the tv.

When my TV is not connected, it shows Not Connected below TV in Displays. When it is connected it shows the resolution 1024x768 and NTSC M. When your TV is connected, you should not be seeing Not Connected.

Maybe your video driver is not working properly. Try uninstalling the video driver, reboot, then reinstall the video driver. Follow the instuctions on the following page for doing the above.

Video driver (ATI Radeon, FireGL Series) for Windows 2000/XP - ThinkPad A31/p, R40/e, R50/p, R51 (1829, 1830, 1831, 1836), T30, T40/p, T41/p, T42/p, X31, X32

If this doesn't fix it, then you may have a problem with the S-Video port or electronics on the ThinkPad. If possible, try your ThinkPad with another TV or try connecting it through a VCR. You can also get a S-Video to Composite Video adapter (yellow RCA jack) and try it with a TV that supports composite video.

EDIT: One other thing, do you see any yellow exclaimation marks or red X's in Device Manager?

chermesh · #25 Post by **chermesh** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 2:42 am

Hi,
I've replace my cable, and looks like there's a move, but... not a solution.
1. I followed to path: Right click on desktop=>Properties=>Settings
Hit on 2. Secondary display shows (1024,0). Is this right?
2. The Display in cludes 2 options. For display 1, my laptop desktop, the specifications are: Screem resolution - 1024X768, Color quality - Medium (16 bit). For display 2, my tv, the specifications are: Screem resolution - 1024X768, Color quality - Highest (32 bit). (I tried Medium (16 bit), and saw no change on my tv)
3. Advances=>Overlay and got "The overlay controls are automatically activated during playback of any video file type that supports overlay adjustments. The situation now is that I can see a distorted image of my desktop on the tv monitor.
4. Now, I run Intervideo WinDVD 7 and opened an avi file. The film shows on my desktop, but nothing happens on the tv.

Why is it so? Why is the desktop seen distorted? Why is it that my avi file isn't shown on my tv?

Ran

#26 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:15 am

I never messed with the second monitor setting since I received my ThinkPad. FWIW, looking at it, the second monitor on mine is set to 640 x 480, 8-bit color.

You need to enable Theater Mode on overlay to see video on your TV. See earlier in the thread.

EDIT: There are settings in WinDVD for video output to TV, that should clear up your distortion problem.

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