Anybody know why ... ? Video card fixed, but need help with

Sat Jan 31, 2004 7:11 am by Sir Spectre

EDIT: Video card fixed, but look down the list for my DVD-Rom woes!

I just received my new system, but the ATI Radeon 9600 Pro 256MB card does not send a color, nor quality signal to the television. It shows only greyscale and is enlarged so extremely as to not see the borders of the screen, thus no menus are visible. TVOut is the one feature I absolutely had to have, as I've been working off a large screen TV on my previous system for 3 years, and cable internet is only near this one location. Right now I am forced to use an old monitor sitting on my coffee table.

I have already installed a "General Television" Driver, as it had come with a "General Monitor" driver, no difference in functionality. I changed and tried a few different resolutions and color ratios (16-bit & 32-bit) to no avail. I made the TVOut the primary monitor, I returned it to be the secondary as that did not work. I am not as familiar with these newer cards so I am at a loss as to what I should do beyond what I have already done.

I did also visit the ATI site and saw a mention of a similar problem with this specific series of Video card, but it wasn't exactly the same situation as I can see a picture (albeit grey and enlarged) and the TVOut is enabled, unlike the description in this common problem. I can't contact ATI for my problem as the company who built my computer did not send with it any of the serial or model numbers from the video card box which I need to register the product for support.

I am disappointed in having bought myself a $1200 computer problem. Please help me solve this, I cannot keep the computer without TVOut.

Sir Spectre

EDIT: Video card fixed, but look down the list for my DVD-Rom woes!

Edited by - Sir Spectre on 1/31/2004 8:20:50 PM

Sat Jan 31, 2004 8:12 am by Tawakalna

Comrade Esquilaxov has the answer to this problem, I believe, I don't really do that TV stuff. He's asleep now but he'll be awake in a few hrs. Why don't you drop him a line, he's ever so good at this sort of thing and he actually enjoys helping!

presumably you have tried to tune it, yes? and it's not set to PAL is it, cos that's European. You need NTSC.

Edited by - Tawakalna on 1/31/2004 8:22:56 AM

Sat Jan 31, 2004 9:04 am by Sir Spectre

What do you mean by "Tuning" it? Yes it is NTSC, they don't even make a PAL version of this series if I read correctly when looking for a solution to my problem.

Sir S

Sat Jan 31, 2004 9:10 am by Tawakalna

forget that for now. I thort you meant for TV reception, not using it as a display.what connector are you using on the card? 25-pin D (monitor style) or the new DVI type? what o/s are you using? are you still on 98? are you using the updated rivers for the display adapter?

Sat Jan 31, 2004 9:22 am by Sir Spectre

I am forced to use the montior cable to my monitor at this moment, but the TV-Out is S-Video. I am using Windows XP Pro as per your suggestion. It's a brand new card, installed by the people who built my computer I would think the drivers are the latest, but I know from ATI website there is an upgrade available for other problems they list, nothing said about my problem. I'll give that a go and see what happens. But what if that doesn't work?

Sir S

Sat Jan 31, 2004 9:27 am by Tawakalna

just cos it was installed by the people who built your computer means nothing, they could easily have just used an old reference driver.

let me look into it and I'll get back to you in a while. And i really would wake Esquilax up, he's ever so good at this.

Sat Jan 31, 2004 10:27 am by Setsuna

Smells like hardware problem to me... S-Video uses dual-overlay (one B/W channel and one Color), with dynamic synchronisation and pan/scanlines. If any of the 4 components i screwed, you get a pic problem that sS described. It could be the S-V out on the card, the S-V in on the TV, and/or the S-V cable (not kidding). It could be that you're trying to use NTSC 4.43 on a NTSC 3.58 TV, check this too. Another thing: sometimes TV out suffers when you overclock the card (core or memory), and/or the AGP (I'm not saying you did this).
Try forcing the span mode instead of clone, if this gives color, clean-install latest drivers, and update the card BIOS (some early versions had issues w/ clone mode). Also, try fiddling around w/ overlay mode options... Maybe you'll figure something out.
Good luck!

P.S. ATi SUCKS!

Careful what you wish... You just might get it.

Edited by - Chetnik on 1/31/2004 10:27:42 AM

Sat Jan 31, 2004 10:59 am by Sir Spectre

As per Taw & Chet's suggestion I installed the new available drivers off the ATI site, I don't know if the drivers helped, but the ATI control panel that came with it certainly did!

The card was set on PAL! But under XP Display Properties alone I couldn't tell this. Now that the new overlay control panel is on my comp, I am able to change to NTSC and it works!!!

Now I can feel good about gutting my old computer for the spare hard drive and DVD-Rom.

Thanks for your help guys!

Sir S

Sat Jan 31, 2004 12:32 pm by Tawakalna

ha well, case closed then. another satisfied customer

we really should start charging for our services!

Sat Jan 31, 2004 2:06 pm by Esquilax

Damn! I get up at 8.30am and I still miss out on giving people my wisdom! Damn these time zones!!!

Ah well, I'm glad to hear that it is working. Are you using Catalyst 4.1?

In regard to TV-out, I'd probably use component to connect the card to the TV. This is for two reasons; a) not all TVs support S-Video, and b) there is a lot less to worry about using component. Sure, the quality isn't as good, but they differences are negligible (unless you are specifically looking for them).

Sat Jan 31, 2004 4:10 pm by Sir Spectre

@Esq, don't feel bad, soon I'll be putting in my DVD-Rom drive and 40 gig HD from the old computer (both new parts) so maybe I'll find a way to screw that up so you can help me.

Or better yet, hang around for the good times of me trying to reset my whole wirelass network. I had a horrible time dealing with it last time.

As for not using S-Video, I need it and my TV does have the option, otherwise I wouldn't be asking for help in using it now would I?

Sir S

Edited by - Sir Spectre on 1/31/2004 4:11:46 PM

Sat Jan 31, 2004 4:33 pm by Aod

Chet,

P.S. ATi SUCKS!

How could you! they make the best, the best of the best

Sat Jan 31, 2004 4:44 pm by Esquilax

SS - You're just trying to make me feel better!

As for wireless, alas I know a few things, however I have never had the chance to work on a wireless system

. Oh well, in time I'm sure.

Sat Jan 31, 2004 7:55 pm by Sir Spectre

DVD-Rom woes begin here!

@Esq, okay, I've got a problem for you. I have just installed the Western DIgital 40 GB Harddrive in as a slave to the Western Digital 120 GB master. No problems there. The 40 GB is now drive D.

I moved the PIONEER DVR-A06 DUAL FORMAT DVD-RW/DVD+RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE (formerly drive D) to the slave position from its former master position and replaced as master my Creative DVD-Rom, now labeled drive E: The computer does not recorgnize nor detect the Pioneer DVR-A06 in the slave position. So I don't have it showing up in the list.

I also have a 6-in-1 card reader which takes up drives F - I.

I went into the Bios, the motherboard detects the new HD just fine, but it doesn't detect whatsoever the DVR-A06 in its new position. Maybe a wire is loose, I'll check that after this post. But start thinking about what it might be, because I was pretty careful and made sure the wires were connected properly.

If I move it back to its first position and move the DVD-Rom to the slave position would that cause me more strife or be a remedy to my problem?

Thanks

Sir S

EDIT: I know the power works to both DVD drives, the trays open. BTW, maybe I can take a screen capture of my layout, how do you do that in Win XP Pro and where do I find the pic once I've done it?

Edited by - Sir Spectre on 1/31/2004 8:21:28 PM

Sat Jan 31, 2004 11:38 pm by Esquilax

Yay! Technical Support! It's nice to feel needed

. First things first, use "Control-PrintScreen" and then paste into Paint. That is the easiest way to get a screenshot.

Now, I assume that you have changed the jumper on the rear of the A06 to Slave, or are you using "Cable Select" mode? Also triple-check your cable connection, and make sure that there are no bent pins. That'll do for starters. 99% of such problems are caused by incorrect jumper settings and/or loose cables.

Also, would I be correct in assuming that the card reader is external ie. USB?

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