s-video out only in black & white on linux?

[moore.bryan]

i've scoured the net, but to no avail... hoping this community can help-out. no matter what my xorg.conf settings, no matter what i type-in xrandr, and no matter how i set-up xinerama, i cannot get color output from my s-video out port. in xp, it works fine, but not so in ubuntu 8.04.1.

help?

[Harryc]

Mod Edit Moved to the Linux Forum

[GomJabbar]

Two things I know of can cause this.

1. Using a SCART cable.

2. Mixing NTSC and PAL. The S-Video output must be the same type as the TV you are connecting to. I read on a forum that you can use the command:
xrandr --output TV --set TV_FORMAT PAL
or
xrandr --output TV --set TV_FORMAT NTSC
to set this.

[moore.bryan]

1. Using a SCART cable.

nope; in u.s. and connecting straight from laptop to tv.

2. Mixing NTSC and PAL. The S-Video output must be the same type as the TV you are connecting to. I read on a forum that you can use the command:
xrandr --output TV --set TV_FORMAT PAL
or
xrandr --output TV --set TV_FORMAT NTSC
to set this.

laptop and tv are both ntsc... tried all the xrandr as well, although xrandr reports NTSC isn't an option; i have to choose NTSC-M, but that at least doesn't give any errors.

thanks for the post, though!

[GomJabbar]

I saw this posted here, but I do not have the link handy. See if it applies to you. I really am not quite sure what an AV3 button is on a remote - haven't seen it before.

I'm now using S-Video (the 4 pin version) from ThinkPad to S-Video in the AV3 sockets on my TV. Choosing AV3 on the TV menu gives black and white but choosing AV3S (another click on the AV3 button on the remote handset) gives glorious technicolour at last.

[moore.bryan]

I saw this posted here, but I do not have the link handy. See if it applies to you. I really am not quite sure what an AV3 button is on a remote - haven't seen it before.

I'm now using S-Video (the 4 pin version) from ThinkPad to S-Video in the AV3 sockets on my TV. Choosing AV3 on the TV menu gives black and white but choosing AV3S (another click on the AV3 button on the remote handset) gives glorious technicolour at last.

yeah, i don't have any such choices on my tv.
it looks like i might have to try an s-video2rca cable.

[bobbarker]

On my old Inspiron 8200 the S-Video port wasn't really S-Video. I had to use a 'special' cable to get RCA out or S-Video out. Using regular S-Video gave black and white, check and see how many pins slots are available in the port.