help! video display issue

[funkgab]

Hey guys i just installed a asus gt520 fanless slim edition in my customer's
HP 8000 elite

i'm trying to power 2 46" samsung led hdtvs being used as menus

i took off the vga bracket, and unplugged the vga, and installed the slim for
the dvi + hdmi

i inserted an dvi to hdmi converter and plugged the 2 tvs
and tried to switch the outputs on the tvs to hdmi..

1 tv worked no problem.. and the other one wouldn't let me switch the source because it says signal is not detected or too weak

i tried switching the hdmi cables, and running one by one with just the dvi to hdmi.. no issues but only works with 1 tv

the weirdest thing is both tvs are detected by the videocard, i can identify displays 1 and 2
(i'm using teamviewer to control what comes out on the menus)

is it because the psu is too weak? is it cause the pci-e is an older tech? does the videocard not support dvi + hdmi? which is weird because it should

i have verified the cables are fine (40ft run inwall)
the dvi converter works too but maybe i need another one?

it worked one time where both displays were working, but 1 still had the warning saying "signal is too weak or undetected" while windows was in the backround!

need answers asap! thanks!


~edit the dvi to hdmi adapter is DVI-I dual link, perhaps if i get a DVI-D dual link it should be better? (which doesn't make sense) but still

 

[mfenn]

So the native HDMI doesn't work at all, not even if you plug it in by itself?

 

[funkgab]

works fine! just when both are in, 1 of em doesn't work
but the video card sees both displays

 

[mfenn]

Is it always the same one that doesn't work?

 

[funkgab]

nope when i switch it, it's fine on 1 side, but both tvs get the same error (only 1 side gets error)

someone recommended me to get an hdmi amp but i don't think its that

 

[mfenn]

nope when i switch it, it's fine on 1 side, but both tvs get the same error (only 1 side gets error)

I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time following what you're trying to say here. When you have both TV's plugged in, which one fails to display? The one plugged into the HDMI or the one plugged into the DVI?

 

[funkgab]

i think its the DVI needa go there and check but i'm pretty sure its the dvi
but if you can help me with both it'd be great! haha

theoretically lets say its the DVI, its going through an from an DVI-I converter to hdmi
but the nvidia card detects both tvs

its just the tv not detecting the hdmi/dvi signal

maybe if i switch to DVI-D it will work better? technically it shouldn't matter but i'm thinking the DVI-I may not be hdcp compliant

 

[mfenn]

DVI-I is basically DVI-D (digital) + VGA (analog) on one connector. Standard HDMI is only digital, so your DVI-I adapter should act like a DVI-D adapter for all intents and purposes. Now, there are some non-standard extensions to HDMI that allow some otherwise unused pins to carry an analog video signal, but it is highly unlikely that your TV's support that.

What I would to is to test with two monitors that are right next to the PC. This servers two purposes: (a) it is easier to figure out what is what and (b) allows you to rule out any TV-as-monitor weirdness (of which there can be a lot).

 

[funkgab]

its the dvi thats doing it for sure, hdmi detects no problem whatsoever
but the second dvi converter is plugged in, whichever side that has the dvi hooked up seems to fail.. (i can't choose hdmi in its sources)

weird thing again is the pc detects both displays no problem

 

[mfenn]

When you say that the PC "detects the displays" what exactly do you mean?

 

[funkgab]

if you go lets say screen resolution, both displays show up
if you go identify displays (using teamspeak) displays 1 and 2 are both present
also the "extend/duplicate/make primary" options are all there

also if i switch the cables a bit, it displays vise versa (meaning the working side will display the primary, or the extension display) but one of the tvs just cannot seem to detect the signal.. :/

also mfenn, thanks for trying to help! i really appreciate that you're the only one

 

[mfenn]

Ah ok, that's what I thought. Just because you see two possible displays does not mean that they are both actually being detected, especially not in Windows XP.

What Windows version are you running? The control panel you're describing sounds about how it looks in XP, but I can't be sure.

Do you have a spare monitor or two that you can test with? I'd be interested to see if HDMI + VGA and/or DVI + VGA work.

Also, does your HP have an IGP? You could see if that will allow you to display onto two monitors (one from GT 520, one from IGP).

 

[funkgab]

windows 7 pro 32bit , spare monitors i can try.. but the IGP is only VGA :/

 

[lakedude]

Don't know if this is the same issue but a friend of mine had trouble setting up a triple head on HD 6950 video cards. He had to use the display port connectors to make it work.

I don't remember the exact reason but it was something about not having enough clock signals to run all the HDMI/DVI ports at the same time or something like that.

The HD 6950 has 2x DVI, 2x display port and 1x HDMI but evidently they can not all be used at the same time.

Maybe you are running into a similar issue? Maybe both will work in "clone" mode?

 

[mfenn]

I don't remember the exact reason but it was something about not having enough clock signals to run all the HDMI/DVI ports at the same time or something like that.

That's what I'm thinking as well, though I could've sworn that the GT 520 could do two TMDS-type displays.

windows 7 pro 32bit , spare monitors i can try.. but the IGP is only VGA :/

Round up a spare monitor or two with HDMI and/or DVI connectors and report back!

 

[funkgab]

i hope not.. i'll check it out maybe tomorrow or this wendsday!

thats going to be a problem though either way cause then i have to return the videocard and get something that can run 2 tvs.. only problem is its in an SFF :/

 

[mfenn]

SFF is not too big of a deal, you can get lots of cards that can run dual displays and that have a low-profile bracket. Let's see if that's really the problem first though.

 

[funkgab]

dammit! my post got lost or something!

okay i will try to repost as i did before!

so i brought my own vga monitor, and hooked it up via DVI to VGA converter, and hooked the vga monitor up first, then the HDMI

everything worked perfectly!

i tried the dvi to hdmi alone, and the display would be fine but with the hdmi in, it was doing the same thing again (only 1 was being detected)

so i restarted the computer, and this is what happened

as you can see both displays are detected in windows (i took pictures via teamviewer)

after the restart weirdly enough

this is what happened, both displays display the windows as you can see, but 1 has the no signal error message

this is eventually what happened, i did not touch anything, the display backgrounds are both black now because i was trying to see if something was up with the settings VIA teamviewer. (so the 2nd display is working just has the same error message)

sorry about the quality, was taken by cellphone

another weird thing i noticed is that i ran the display with ONLY dvi to hdmi converter, and it worked fine but when i went into the settings it said that hdcp was having a problem..

oddly enough with just hdmi one works fine (in the hdmi) the other one displays the picture but the no display error.. and it works fine on DVI
to hdmi.. :/ (remember this is just single guys)


and right now, i just put the one that gets the error by itself, and displays the pic put it into DVI to HDMI, and the other one to HDMI! and

both of them are working flawless :| as you can see below

both of the screens is displaying video, but one says that there is no signal again! *sigh* i had hope that it would work and i just needed to change the order of how i input things.. but i guess not

also, the one that just got the error, seems perfectly normal on the computer screen, hdcp has no errors on both displays..

so i guess we can determine its def not the tvs or the hdmi cables :/
but would the easiest solution would be some low profile pci videocard with hdmi perhaps? cause i need something that will work 24/7 :/

btw the psu is a 240W psu

 

[mfenn]

It seems pretty clear at this point that the GT 520 isn't capable of properly outputting to two DVI/HDMI type monitors at the same time. The HP you have has (1) PCIe x16, (2) PCIe x1, and (1) PCI, all low profile. So, you have some options:

XFX 5450 $20 AR - Cheap, has DVI + HDMI like you have now, but AMD's low end cards have better multi-display support than Nvidia's.
Zotac GT 610 $60 - PCIe x1 interface so that you could add it to you system with the GT 520 and use both native HDMI ports. Middle of the road price and a little clunky because you have 2 cards, but almost guaranteed to work.
VisionTek 7750 $140 - Expensive, but it is guaranteed to work because it has two straight-up HDMI ports.

 

[funkgab]

hmmm honestly won't nvidia and amd cause errors? the setup has to be on 24/7 that is what i'm worried about..

and since it is not my money.. i did have my client buy the gt520 off amazon.. the thing was i picked it because it is a passive card
maybe i can get it off amazon, and test it and send the other one back and i will pay for the refund since it is my mistake..

i actually have an ATI card at home, i think its a full size 4850.. not sure if it has hdmi out and i can test it without the case cover on..

 

[mfenn]

You can have Nvidia and AMD cards installed at the same time and it will work.

HOWEVER, that's not what I'd proposing. Options 1 and 3 would have you replacing the card altogether. Option 2 would have you adding another Nvidia card to the system.

 

[funkgab]

yeah i see that! im just worried that if something doesn't work again :x

 

[dealmaster00]

switching video cards won't make the system any less likely to work. you can use an nvidia card with an amd processor, it is fully supported.

 

[funkgab]

just told the customer to order the 5450.. *crossing fingers*

 

[funkgab]

stuck the 5450 in today, was doing the same thing!.. so i did the same thing i did with the nvidia card where i stuck in hdmi first or dvi first, and kept booting it till the error disappeared, and its good now O_O so thanks guys!

also lowered the resolution a little to 720 on em since the quality is the same (it was just for menus)