computer to HDTV

[mrspcy]

Hi guys,

I'm having trouble getting my computer to work on my HDTV. I'm using a 9800 pro AIW card and a DVI to RGB adapter to connect to AV4 on my Phillips rear projection tv. When I hook it up, all I get is lines going across my screen. I set the dip switch on the adapter to use 480i, 720i and 1080i. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

John

[jagabo]

You probably need to set the graphics card to output 1080i or 720p.

Note that a DVI connector can include RGB signals. A cable or small plug adaptor is simply rerouting those signals to the correct pins.

[mrspcy]

Well, I have done that already. Hooked it up to my computer and in the ATI control panel there's an option for 720 and 1080. I checked them both, connected the computer to the tv, still getting just lines acrosss (lines meaning I can't make out anything). I've been playing with this for a while on and off now. I've seen one instance where while loading windows I saw it showing at 480 for a second and then back to lines again. Not sure what to do here.

[Video Head]

Is AV4 on your TV an analog YUV component input? If so, your ATI AIW 9800 should have come with a cable for outputing component video from the small video out port. It has a small DIN type connector at one end and RCA component video, Coaxial SPDIF and an audio line mini-jack at the other.

VH

[mrspcy]

I'm not sure if AV4 is digital or analog. The card I got is just the card so I don't have any accessories with it. I had to buy that little adapter that converts DVI to RGB from ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220106492398&ru=http://search.ebay....romZR40QQfviZ1 So I'm just connecting that adapter to the DVI port on my video card and connecting it directly to the tv with a monster cable. I can't even do anything since all I see is lines going across.

[redwudz]

I've used one of those DVI to Component adapters, but I got the one from ATI. Make sure your TV is hooked up before turning on the computer. Check your refresh rate for your video card. Best to set it to 60Hz. Your ATI card should have some custom resolution settings that may work better.

In 'Display>Settings', are you seeing both your PC monitor and the TV? If you click on the TV (HDTV) and then 'Advanced>Adapter>List All Modes', you should see some in the 800 X 600 range with 60Hz refresh. You may have to try a few to get the right one. My HDTV is a projector and works better in progressive mode.

Those setups can be temperamental at times until you find a setting that your TV and your video card likes.
I've gotten my video card settings so messed up that I had to uninstall the drivers and the card, then reinstall everything to get it working again.

It sounds like the two aren't syncing together properly. Follow the instructions from E-bay for the adapter dip switch settings and it should work. It sounds like you have the component cable hooked up properly. If not, you will have no video or just one color.

[mrspcy]

I feel like an idiot now. Usually whe you connect it through S-Video it knows to switch it down to 60hz but I forgot to change the refresh rate when I had the computer hooked up to a monitor. I'm going to see what refresh rate it's on and change it accordingly. When I saw the listing for the DVI to RGB adapter I did some research on it and bought it cause people were saying it worked, but who knows. Let me try the refresh rate and see if it works. Since the video card doesn't know it's connecting to a TV it's prob at 70 or 75. I'm gonna go home and try it out real quick and let you guys know how it went. Crossing my fingers. Thanks guys.

[mrspcy]

Well..it didn't work. I tried 47hz interlaced and 60hz but still getting the same result. I have no idea what the problem is. Maybe it's because the RGB input on my TV is analog. I don't know if there's any digital input on my tv. If anyone knows what to do, please help me out here cause I've been scratching my head on and off for quite some time now. Thanks in advance.

[jagabo]

That adaptor simply sending the analog pins from the DVI connector to RCA connectors. So you would need an TV with analog inputs.

But from what I've read, the analog pins on the Radeon 9800 output YpBpR, component video, not RGB. If your monitor really wants RGB you'll have to use the VGA (D15) connector on the 9800. Most TVs that accept RGB input expect normal computer resolutions like 800x600, 1024x768, etc.

[mrspcy]

I've tried the VGA port before. I don't remember if I put the refresh rate to 60hz or not but I'm pretty sure I did. Same thing happened. I don't know what I need to do to get this thing to work. I'm gonna try to connect it to the VGA port again tonight for the hell of it and see what happens. I'll have to start looking for VGA to RGB adapter now.

[Video Head]

You need to check what your TV's inputs are (RTFM). Is this RGB or component YpBpR? Usually it is marked beside the input jacks. Do you have an HDMI input on your TV? If so you can go from the DVI output of your video card to the HDMI with a simple cable adapter. This would give you a digital solution.

If your TV has a component YpBpR input (3 RCA jacks) then your ATI Radeon 9800 AIW was designed to output that signal through the video out jack. You will need to get the cable designed for this purpose from ATI:

http://ati.amd.com/products/hdtvadapter/index.html

Using this cable makes connecting the AIW to an HDTV a simple process...well, as close as Catalyst can get to simple...

PS: only connect one output device - if you connect to a TV through the video out jack and have a monitor connected to the DVI or VGA output it will overheat the card.

VH