Laptop/Notepad to TV connection

[Miles High]

My laptop has a dvd drive. When I try to play a dvd film on my telly with S-VHS to Scart cable, I can only get a black and white picture (and the quality isn't good).

Why should this be so and what can I do about it?

Thanks. http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/confused.gif

[fobotcso]

MH, I've recently got a similar system going very well and am "current" on this topic, but you don't give much background info so I have to make some assumptions.

You're on 98 with a software player and the movies play well on the notebook screen.

You can't see the Notebook's "desktop" properly on the TV either. If you can, the problem is with the player you're using.

You're using the correct lead.

So, assuming that the problem is with the Notebook graphics setup;

Step One: start in the BIOS during boot up and check that the TV output is set to PAL not NTSC.

Step Two: go to your display set up dialogue boxes in the contol panel; also available by right clicking an open area of the screen and choosing "settings". Then go Settings/Advanced/Displays and look around for something out of place (I'm basing this on my ATI Rage LT PRO AGP setup so can't be more specific).

Still no luck? Then right click "My Computer" and select properties. Then select the "Device Manager" tab and look at the the Display adapter(s) to see if an error is reported. You may be invited to re-install your drivers.

While you're there, check your "Other Devices" and see if any devices (eg PCI Multimedia Video) are having problems.

That's enough for now; I'll need more info to go any further. Good Luck.

[Miles High]

Thanks fobotcso

Yes I have Win98 and yes the desktop is affected.

In BIOS there are 6 menus and I can't find any mention of TV output.
The displays settings appear all in order.
The drives have no errors reported.

Well I'm foxed. If you have other suggestions I'd be grateful...

[Miles High]

Oh I forgot
The playback on the notepads screen is fine.

[fobotcso]

So it seems that the problem is with the lead or connection.

I plug my S-video/S-video lead straight into an S-video socket on the front of the TV so I don't have to make a choice. But there may be two kinds of Scart socket on your TV. There are on mine.

One Scart socket is for RGB (Games etc)and the other is for S-video (SVHS)inputs. I bet you've already tried both sockets if there are two. But if not try the other Scart socket and see if that works.

[AquaPlane]

The switching between the front panel S-video and composite stuff on my TV is done by switching it between AV3 and AV3S. You get a b/w pic if it's not set to 'S' when using S Video.

Alternatively, check the DVD software is set to play back using PAl, or 'always force to PAL' or similar.

Aq

[Miles High]

http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/redface.gif
OK, I assumed (shouldn't have - 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me') that, unlike scart plugs, a scart socket was a scart socket, they all having 20 holes.

I have now used the other socket and I have colour. Thing is the quality is still poor - substantially worse than a video cassette.

I'm pretty sure now this must be due to the signal degradation when converting from SVHS to scart - I'm surprised though that the loss in quality is so marked. If anyone is thinking of using a computer dvd drive to watch films on a TV, make sure your TV has a SVHS input!

Thanks to the both of you.

MH

[R O Tiree]

I had exactly the same problem - solved it by putting my VCR to sleep - it was pushing out its own signal that was interfering with the signal from the computer. Once the VCR was switched to standby, glorious colour!

[Miles High]

Yeah - Did you know that is entirely deliberate?
Apparently a dvd drive/player can detect the circuitry of a VCR. The dvd drive then intentionally messes up its output by alternately going light and dark constantly, as well as putting out black and white pictures only. This is to protect the dvd industry from copying. -So you have to wire up your system avoiding the VCR.

[spannersatcx]

Or get a DVD player with macro protection disabled!!!!