X1900XT and a TV!

[Maximilian]

Ive hooked it up to a big widescreen TV with the S-video cable. But the TV wont show anything in color. Why not?

 

[kylebisme]

Most likely either a bad cable or just not pluged in all the way. Regardless, you'll be much better off with component, VGA. DVI or HDMI if your TV supports any of those.

 

[JBT]

Is it a HDTV? if so I would use component to get a highier res.. Other wise with S-video you will max out at 800x600 maybe even only 640x480. Ussually with S-video only showing black and white it has been a broken pin in my experience.

 

[kylebisme]

Svideo is a 480i signal, 720x480 interlaced. Drivers will let you run higher to a point anyway, but it's getting downsampled on output. But even if the display isn't HD, a better connection would provide a better picture.

 

[josh6079]

Originally posted by: Soviet
X1900XT and a TV!

That's like saying a Viper and a parking garage! Whatever floats your boat though, I guess some TV's wouldn't be too bad to use. I would see if there are not any other connections to use though before utilizing S-Video.

 

[kylebisme]

I'd take a quality TV over any PC monitor for a high end gaming system. HTPC gaming is a whole nother world.

 

[nullpointerus]

IIRC here are two possible causes for black and white output on a TV:

1. You've got the wrong signal format selected. Try a different one.
2. You've got the black-and-white effect enabled. Disable it.

 

[Peter]

3. You think you've got SVideo connected but only one of the two wires is actually connected. SVideo transports brightness (LUMA) and color (CHROMA) on separate wires.

 

[Maximilian]

Its not an HDTV, its 4 years old, pretty large flatscreen. Unfortunately its only got the S-video connector and those three little connectors that an XBOX plugs into.

Ive tried different signal formats, no luck there, i also found the black and white option and it was disabled.

This 2nd cable is probably it because i only see one cable hehe. Theres a fat black one.

Fat black cable: 4 pins and a plastic thing at the bottom, it connects to the TV but not the PC, the PC port has 9 pins.

Adaprot thing: it has two female slots for this 4 pin connector, and at the end it has the 9 pin male conector that fits into my PC. It also has two female connectors for some yellow cable. Is it this yellow one that needs to be plugged in? I havent found a male to male connector for it so ill have to look for that if the yellow one does color.

 

[JBT]

They "yellow" one is a composite cable. Essencially the same use as S-video but produces a lower quality picture.

Again sound like one of the pins on your S-video cable it broken.