Can't enable dual-screen modes on TV

[pbb]

I've got an ASUS V9180TD (nVidia GeForce4 MX 440) graphics card here. It has analog, DVI and S-Video outs. However, with a CRT connected to the analog out and a TV connected to the S-Video out, the "nView Modes" selection only gives "Single Display" as an option, not the DualView, Span and Clone options I'm seeing on the internet.
I *am* able to change "Current Display" to TV, and then I get to see my desktop on the TV (and the CRT turns black), but I am not able to use/enable any of the dual-screen modes.
Can anybody please help?

 

[RobsTV]

Install other drivers.
61.77 works.

 

[pbb]

We installed the 62.11 drivers, but no change.
Actually, I can find one change; the "My connected TV is not being detected" option in the nVidia settings is now grayed out!
Any more ideas about what could be wrong?

 

[Squally Leonharty]

I used to have Leadtek GeForce4 MX440. Same thing happened to me as well: when switching to TV, the monitor went black. There were no other modes than Single View. Maybe that was a limitation of the MX4xx cards?

 

[pbb]

Why don't they properly document their features? Isn't it weird, that nobody actually knows if a MX440 is capable of dual screen modes?

 

[akira34]

I wouldn't get so worked up over a sub $50 video card. Now, if this was a $100-$200 (or more) video card, then I'd be concerned. If it was me (which it's not, thankfully) I would have saved up a few more dollars (like get $100 or more together) and picked up a GOOD video card. Of course, I also wouldn't try to use a tv as a secondary display. Unless it was a HDTV, and then I'd use the DVI input on it. I've never purchased a cheap video card. I've always waited until I either had the funds, or sold things to get the money together, to get a either a really good, or high end video card. Going that route might cost more money, but you get a much better product, that does better for longer.

 

[Acanthus]

I had the same problem with my geforce FX5600 a while back, updating drivers fixed it.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: pbb
I've got an ASUS V9180TD (nVidia GeForce4 MX 440) graphics card here. It has analog, DVI and S-Video outs. However, with a CRT connected to the analog out and a TV connected to the S-Video out, the "nView Modes" selection only gives "Single Display" as an option, not the DualView, Span and Clone options I'm seeing on the internet.
I *am* able to change "Current Display" to TV, and then I get to see my desktop on the TV (and the CRT turns black), but I am not able to use/enable any of the dual-screen modes.
Can anybody please help?

Possibly the same internal RAMDAC is driving both the analog VGA port and the TV-out? Can you independently set the refresh-rates, or is the analog VGA "locked" to the same refresh-rate as the TV-out?

If so, then using a DVI-I to VGA adaptor, and connecting the analog VGA monitor to the DVI port, should fix this issue.

I don't believe that the GF MX cards have three RAMDAC, only two, so two out of the three video outputs have to share a RAMDAC.

 

[pbb]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Possibly the same internal RAMDAC is driving both the analog VGA port and the TV-out? Can you independently set the refresh-rates, or is the analog VGA "locked" to the same refresh-rate as the TV-out?

If so, then using a DVI-I to VGA adaptor, and connecting the analog VGA monitor to the DVI port, should fix this issue.

I don't believe that the GF MX cards have three RAMDAC, only two, so two out of the three video outputs have to share a RAMDAC.

You have to set resolutions seperately for the VGA and the TV, and I actually found no place to change refresh-rates for the TV.
But I've been thinking about a DVI-to-VGA myself also, I will try that option soon.