No color with output to TV on G400???

[Saud]

Here's a strange one...

Problem with G400 Dual head, I think.


When I use the Clone or DVD Max options to output my screen to the TV via S-Video, I only get black & white, no color. What makes this strange is that the color is there if I hook it up to a different TV.

Sounds like a possible problem with the 1st TV, right? Well maybe not, what makes this even more strange, is that when I plug a dvd player into the 1st TV, the color is there, so it's not a problem with the 1st TV.

Tried different versions of drivers- no change.

I don't know where to go from here, so any help would be appreciated.

[Brian R.]

Might be the DVDMax setting for broadcast standard (NTSC or PAL) is incompatible with your TV.

[Nuno]

Nope, it´s a problem with the TV. Not really a problem, the TV just doesn´t support that s-video input. You just figured it out: if it displays color with another TV, it can´t be G400 problem.

I had the same problem and was really enlighed about the question some time ago, but honestly I forgot the technical details.

Do a search in the fori with this subject and you´ll find the detailed explanations I was given.

[Saud]

Nuno- That would make sense, but I'm not sure if there are differnet S-Video types. Are we saying that all S-Video devices are not 100% compatable??

In addition, this a brand new TV we are talking about (picked it up yesterday). I guess I could return it and use a different one, but that would be a big pain the the 'you know what'.

Is there any way to fix it besides using another TV??

[Nuno]

Here, try: http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/004637.html
http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/005068.html

[Saud]

Thanks for the links Nuno. It seems in order to view in color with the G400 S-Video out, you must have a TV that does not auto detect the S-Video connection. Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't the G400 S-Video out work with a TV that has the auto detect???

This seems like a capatibility issue where the problem is on the G400 side. Not trying to start a fire here, but I tried the same hookup with my LeadTek GTS2 and the color is there. Hummm....

I would much rather use the G400 to play my DVDs because the dual monitor thing is handy, but if I have to, I guess I would be forced to use the LeadTek.

[Meek]

Hi.

I still suspect you have a setup problem somewhere. I suppose you are using the same S-video lead in all of your tests, so going from the Matrox DH S-connector via an S-cable to an S-connector in your TV?

In this case, there are a few probable reasons:

1)Your TV expects Composite. Solution: configure the external connector of your TV for "S".
2)Your TV expects NTSC or PAL and you send it PAL or NTSC. Solution: Correct in DH setup or in your TV setup.
3)There is a number of "parallel" connectors in the back of your TV, e.g. a SCART and an S-connector, both connected to EXT1, for example. Solution: unplug the SCART (or move it to EXT2...) or select the "S-input" from TC config, if possible.

You may also have a cabling problem, some S-leads have too short contacts...

If you are using an S to SCART converter there is a number of other reasons...

M.

[Saud]

Thanks for the reply Meek.

Yes- I am connecting from Matrox DH S-video out through a S-Video Cable to the S-Video connector on the TV.

I have two TV's to test with, one TV will show color the the other will not. The one that shows color is old and the v-sync is going.

On the back of the new TV that doesn't show color, there is one S-video input and a one SCART in parallel. I don't use the SCART so nothing is plugged in. The only thing connected is the S-Video.

I know the s-video on the TV works because I have a VCR S-video out that I plug into it to watch cable TV.

There are no settings in the TV menu to switch S-Video or SCART.

The cable that I test with is a Monster cable gold plated and I swapped it out once to make sure it wasn't a cable issue.

How do you configure the external connector of your TV for "S"???

Am I Still S.O.L.???

[Jorden]

Saud, what you could try is relay the signal through a VCR, if you have one. My TV couldn't make out the S-Video signal either, but when I hooked up the G400 to my video, I had colour !!

Might work with you as well.

Jord.

[spoogenet]

I even had problems connecting the RCA to an old TV (no S-video). Had to run it through the VCR to make it work.

This is not to say it'll fix your problem, but it's worth a try to patch through your VCR. Only problem I had with that was the occasional Macrovision protection problem, but got around that easily enough.

b

[Saud]

You know, it's wierd, cause it's black & white every way I try it.

I ran it through my VCR's S-Video, still black & white.

I tried it though the RCA cable to the TV & tried it through the VCR's RCA, still black & white.

I tried routing the signal just about every way I could think of, still black & white.

It seems very much TV Dependent, cause one shows color, and the other does not.

But, the LeadTek GTS2 will give me a color signal, but I want to use the G400!?!?!

The new JVC TV & Matrox G400 just don't jive.

[xortam]

You can always try SCART.

[Werdna]

You still haven't said that you've checked that you're using the correct TV Standard, I get no colour if I output in NTSC to my TV when it's set to PAL, my TV can be set to NTSC3.1, 4.3 (I think those are the numbers) and PAL but I just set it to auto and then depending on what I'm doing (whether I want high res or high refresh) I set the Clone to either.

[Saud]

Thanks for the reply Werdna,

I'm pretty sure I tried that, but I double check.

I discovered that my monitor was going bad. It turned off every 10 minutes or so, like something was getting too hot. It totally died the other day so now I can't test anything till I get a new monitor.

But that's a good question; I wonder if a bad monitor could effect the output to the TV in this way. Could a bad monitor degrade the S-Video signal to make it so there is no color??? Hummmm....

[Werdna]

I highly doubt that that would be the problem, although you computers can be weird sometimes.