Please tell me how to output from my video card s-video to my TV for DVD movies and such

[krays]

Hi there,

I was hoping to get some advice on how to accomplish setting up my comp as my dvd player and watching the movie my TV screen.

First off, I only have a Ultra TNT 2 that appears to have a 7-pin S-video out plug at the back. What I'm thinking is that all I need to do is get a cable that does S-video -> RCA. I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, but a google search produced the following page.

Link

I'm not necessarily going to order from this place, but is this roughly what I'm looking for? I notice that the S-video plug only has 4 pins in it, whereas my s-video plug seems to have 7-holes. Do I need to get a 7-pin s-video cable specifically?

Anyway, just let me know if this is feasible or not, and if you know of any good online places to pick up one of these cables. Thanks!

 

[Woodie]

You may need to look at the link further down the page: S-Video/Audio to 3 RCA. This includes the sound signal.

I've been doing the reverse--svideo into the computer--had to use an s-video cable to video capture, and separate RCA wires into the soundcard. I suspect you may need something similar going the other way, although it sounds as if your UltraTNT has the audio-pins in the s-video connector?

I can take a look at my cable tonight when I get home...I suspect that my s-video cable is 4 pin.

--Woodie

 

[krays]

I can't imagine why the audio pins would be in the s-video connector...but in any case, if I were to get a 4-pin s-video cable and then just route that to my TV, then that should supply me with the video, right? As for the sound, I was thinking to get an entirely different cable to plug into my soundcard speaker output that goes to my TV rca inputs.

 

[krays]

Hi there,

I just noticed another product on their page, a connector with 7 pins. Maybe this is it...can anyone confirm if this is what I need?

Link

Im also going to try and e-mail them.

Thanks!

 

[CrackRabbit]

my laptop has svideo out with seven pins, the converter i have (came with the laptop) converts it to a single composite video signal (no audio out whatsoever), i think you can find these type of converters at Radio Shack, or a good Electronics/home theatre store, they will probably be expensive though...

just my 2 cents,

CrackRabbit

 

[Woodie]

I can't answer your question. Your thought--to use separate video/sound cables--should work. I don't know what the 7-pins are for.

Keep in mind: I am NOT an expert on this stuff!

Almost forgot: When I bought a cable from Radio Shack, I noticed a difference in the s-video sockets on my video card and camcorder: the locator dimple (on the metal outside part) went in on one, and OUT on the other. Matter of fact, that's why I had to purchase the cable from RS. Of course, since I'm at work, I don't remember which was which way

I'd be interested in hearing what the seller has to say.

--Woodie

 

[krays]

Ahhhh!!! I should shoot myself! Thanks for all the help guys, but guess what I found? Much like CrackRabbit, it turns out that my videocard came with a s-video to rca adapter. So I happened to have a RCA cable and managed to hook it up to my TV!

I tested it out and it works! I get a picture on my TV just fine, except for one nagging annoyance. When I use my TV as the output device, I can see these horizontal bands that scroll upward across the TV screen. I've tried fiddling with different settings, but I can't manage to get rid of them. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, then please let me know what causes them, and possibly, what can I do about them.

The horizontal bands aren't deeply colored or anything, they just cause a minor color change and is especially prominent on black backgrounds.

 

[Woodie]

Something to do with the refresh rate? Sounds similar to what you see this on TV when you see a computer screen in the background, and the monitor (in the picture) is not synched with the camera.

--Woodie

 

[krays]

You're probably right, and it looks exactly like that!

Is there some kind of standard refresh rate that all TVs run at? Then I can set my videocard to do that...

 

[LoSKhan]

Thanks for the link I was looking for one of those. The guy at circuit city told me they didnt exist...for some reason I didnt believe him 8)

 

[rbV5]

try 60hz(refresh)

 

[krays]

LoSKhan - sure thing bout the link. Just rememeber that I just pulled that link randomly from a search I did. I don't know how good they are as a company or anything.

thanks for the suggestion of 60hz...indeed tvs do run at this refresh rate, but it didnt seem to fix the problem. maybe the utnt2 just doesnt have a very good tv output thingy...

 

[stingray2]

krays, it would be interesting to see if you used the Svideo directly to a s-video on a TV. I did this with my video card, to a VCR, so I could record a VCD that I downloaded from the Internet. IT worked without any interference. maybe your adapter s-video to rca is picking up interference. this adapter, is it something that gets pluged into the video card? or is it something you can use on one end of a s-video cable, so you can get the adapter away from..say your computer monitor and computer which can cause all kinds of interference. ???

 

[Yoshi]

If your TV has coaxial cable television try disconnecting the cable TV and moving it away from the s-video/RCA cable from your computer, I bet the bands go away. It seems that coaxial cable can play hell on a video signal going through a regular patch cable.

I noticed the same thing with my Radeon connected to my TV.