How do I connect to a TV (1 Viewer)

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Anonymous

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Hello. So I've eventually got round to trying to upgrade my computer to become a media centre. Sorry if this has been answered before, but i can't seem to find anything like it with a search. I'm wondering how exactly I would go about connecting my pc to my tv.

I have an AthlonXP based system with nForce 2 motherboard (no video) and a GeForce2 Ti. This has S-Video out on it, but I tried connecting this with an S-Video cable to a scart plug and it came out black and white. Research told me that s-video doesn't work on scart as it expects a composite signal.

So would someone be able to point me in the right direction for this please? The tv isn't anything special, just an old 15" (in UK so its PAL) with an arial input and a scart input.

Thanks
DiGiTaLFX
 

FlipGer

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  • April 27, 2004
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    Hi,

    you should consider to buy a new graphics card. The GF2 is not fully DX9 compatible, which causes MP slow downs. With a new graphics card you may also get a better TV out.

    But these are just my two cents. ;)

    Flip.
     
    A

    Anonymous

    Guest
    ah awesum! I'll move me comp downstairs today and give it a try. In reference to a new gfx card, I'd love to get one, but at the moment i'm not forking out for anything. I've been running MP through my normal monitor and its fine. But as I work on silencing the computer I will replace it (as I want a card with a heatsink and not a fan). Probs with a 5200/6200 depending on prices when i do it.

    One more question. If I do hook it up to the TV. Will I be able to see like the BIOS etc when I turn the pc on? If not, at which stage will I see the screen come up? Basically I only want to have the TV downstairs, but if everything messes up it would be good to be able to fix it using the tv.

    Cheers

    DiGiTaLFX
     
    A

    Anonymous

    Guest
    S-Video to Scart

    Hi

    You cant connect s-video to scart adapter directly cause they are all defective for PAL... :)

    Yes that true...I live in portugal and all s-video cables connected to scart adapters gives black and white.!!
    I never had time do open one scart to see what are they making wrong, cause its all about wires and a 470pf capacitor, not chips inside!!!

    Talking about s-video with 4 pins:

    Y-ground------------------+
    +---------- RCA/composite ground
    C-ground------------------+

    Y-------------------------+
    +--------- RCA/composite video
    C------------||-----------+
    470pF

    If you have a 7-pin s-video (not standart), you must know whats in it, cause the extra 3 pins can carry composite already and some controls not used... dependsof the video card.

    My work around for tvs that only have scart connectors is to buy one s-video to RCA (a small peace and very cheap) and then with a cable connect it to the scart adapter. its easy and it works... quality is aceptable.

    http://www.epanorama.net/circuits/svideo2cvideo.html

    Regards
    Goahead
     
    A

    Anonymous

    Guest
    Why's this not simple :(
    I have a 7-pin connector on the computer. So presumably I need a cable with 7 pins on the S-Video bit and then that will do the composite stuff automatically? How come jpskiller says I can just change the settings to composite? Would this work with a cable with just 4 pins?
    Cheers
    DiGiTaLFX
     
    A

    Anonymous

    Guest
    Well this is just an update incase anyone comes across this thread. I ended up buying a 7-pin to RCA adapter off the net. Tried plugging it in and then realised that my computer actually has 9-pins on the tv out and the big black plastic bit on the adapter's plug got in the way. So all I did was cut this out with a stanley knife and wayhey it worked!
     

    fathead

    Portal Pro
    March 17, 2005
    209
    0
    Simple solution - Treat yourself to a new TV with a PC input e.g. an LCD with VGA/DVI port. :wink:
     

    maxtrash

    Portal Pro
    November 27, 2004
    91
    0
    Tilburg, Netherlands
    Re: S-Video to Scart

    Goahead said:
    You cant connect s-video to scart adapter directly cause they are all defective for PAL... :)
    well, it works for me.... sort of. I have a scart with svideo connected to my receiver and svideo from receiver to pc and dvd-player. For some unknown reason though sometimes I get a black and white picture also. Can't figure out how to get it back to color then but after some time it starts working again :roll:

    I'll be getting myself a LCD with dvi sometime this year like fathead suggested though...
     

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