DVI Out to LCD TV with DVI-In

[Johanna]

Hi,
I have got the above configuration which I have now tried with two
completely different graphics cards. I don't understand what is going on
and beginning to suspect that I have missed something..

I have tried with one card from Nvidia (5200) and one from ATI (9800).
Neither works when going OUT from the DVI-out on the card.

When booting I see the startup Bios screen, followed by the Windows
loading screen, but as soon as windows itself is supposed to display, it
does not work! I can hear sounds and I know that it is up & running - it
is just not displaying.

I have played around with the TV settings - none of the options make any
difference. (PC analogue/PC digital IN) . Is there a setting in Windows
itself for this, or perhaps a BIOS setting?

Very grateful for advice!

Johanna

O

 

[Brooks Moses]

When booting I see the startup Bios screen, followed by the Windows
loading screen, but as soon as windows itself is supposed to display, it
does not work! I can hear sounds and I know that it is up & running - it
is just not displaying.

I have played around with the TV settings - none of the options make any
difference. (PC analogue/PC digital IN) . Is there a setting in Windows
itself for this, or perhaps a BIOS setting?

What's happening, almost certainly, is that your PC is sending out a
display signal at a resolution and/or refresh rate that the TV can't
display.

Either hook up your old monitor and reset the screen resolution to
640x480 at 60Hz, or just boot into safe mode (which automatically goes
to 640x480 at 60Hz), and make sure that will display on your TV. Once
you get that working, try increasing the resolution a step at a time to
see what the resolution limit on the TV is.

- Brooks

 

[Johanna]

Hi,
Thanks for helping - This is not to do with refresh rates and resolution
though. I know this because the monitor displays with the nVidia card
when I connect from the VGA-out on the card. The problem happens when
using DVI out to the TV (which does not accept VGA, only DVI).

There seem to be a lot of people out there who have experienced the
problem, and some of them believe it is a bug in the drivers for ATI and
nVIdia. However I think the area is just new, and that the instructions
are poor. Am determined to get this to work!

I think I have found something here...
http://nvidia.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...SZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWR2aQ**&p_li=
I am struggling to understand this though!
If anyone has the time and think they may understand this, I would be
very grateful!
Will be working on it this evening.. After that I will draw the line if
I can't get it to work.

Regards
Jo

 

[kony]

Hi,
I have got the above configuration which I have now tried with two
completely different graphics cards. I don't understand what is going on
and beginning to suspect that I have missed something..

I have tried with one card from Nvidia (5200) and one from ATI (9800).
Neither works when going OUT from the DVI-out on the card.

When booting I see the startup Bios screen, followed by the Windows
loading screen, but as soon as windows itself is supposed to display, it
does not work! I can hear sounds and I know that it is up & running - it
is just not displaying.

I have played around with the TV settings - none of the options make any
difference. (PC analogue/PC digital IN) . Is there a setting in Windows
itself for this, or perhaps a BIOS setting?

Very grateful for advice!

Johanna

O

I don't have any experience with the following "TVtool"
software but maybe it's helpful?
http://www.tvtool.com/

 

[David Maynard]

Hi,
Thanks for helping - This is not to do with refresh rates and resolution
though. I know this because the monitor displays with the nVidia card
when I connect from the VGA-out on the card. The problem happens when
using DVI out to the TV (which does not accept VGA, only DVI).

I don't understand how you come to the conclusion it isn't a refresh rate
and resolution issue simply because your monitor works on the VGA port. The
DVI port has it's own settings, so the VGA being one thing says nothing
about the DVI setting, and even if it were the same as the VGA port the
rates supported by your TV are not the same as the monitor.

There seem to be a lot of people out there who have experienced the
problem, and some of them believe it is a bug in the drivers for ATI and
nVIdia. However I think the area is just new, and that the instructions
are poor. Am determined to get this to work!

I think I have found something here...
http://nvidia.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...SZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWR2aQ**&p_li=

I am struggling to understand this though!
If anyone has the time and think they may understand this, I would be
very grateful!

Not being familiar with that card I'm not sure what they're getting at with
the external vs internal TMDS device but the rest of it is them telling you
where to go in the nVidia control panel (advanced) to select the refresh
rate and resolution for (H)DTV. In particular, the EIA-861B settings group
that contain timings for HDTV so you can select one.

I.E. in the 'typical' mode (for a VGA port) when you select 1024x768, 85Hz
refresh rate, the driver knows what that means with respect to standard
VESA video timings. Those timings don't, or are unlikely to, 'work' on a
DVI HDTV, however, so the EIA-861B standard defines new modes that
correspond to HDTV supported scan rates and resolutions.

According to that page, you can only use a HDTV on those cards with an
'external TMDS device'.

 

[Brooks Moses]

Thanks for helping - This is not to do with refresh rates and resolution
though. I know this because the monitor displays with the nVidia card
when I connect from the VGA-out on the card. The problem happens when
using DVI out to the TV (which does not accept VGA, only DVI). [...]
Will be working on it this evening.. After that I will draw the line if
I can't get it to work.

Please try my suggestion of booting Windows in "safe mode" with the TV
attached, and report back to us whether that works or not. Whichever
happens, it will be useful information for figuring out what's wrong.

For instructions on how to boot Windows in "safe mode" see the following
link:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPOR...2001052409420406?OpenDocument&src=sec_doc_nam

- Brooks

 

[Johanna]

Hi guys,
Thanks for your advice!
Being very stubborn I really would like to get this to work!

I re-booted in safe mode and it actually worked with the nVidia card,
using the DVI to DVI cable... !!!
I do not understand what this is telling me though? Hope it means
something to you!

It was interesting to note that while booting, the machine stayed for a
long time loading a file called agp440.sys . I wonder if this may
be relevant.

When not in safe mode, I a 1280 x 760 at 60 Hz which looks great to me.
The TV is set to the same.

Looking at the nVidia display settings there are probably 50 settings
for advanced timing. I suppose I can try them all one-by-one to see if
one works... Quite time consuming though...!

I checked out the "TV Tool" good for reference and to use in the future,
but I do not think it is going to solve this particular problem.

I am determined to work this one out. It would be so silly if both the
TV and the graphics card have the same port, but were unable to talk to
each other through them! Anyway, if I can get it to work really well, I
have a true 'multimedia centre' based on my little Shuttle and my nice
new TV!

If it is the nVidia driver, perhaps I should try this...
http://www.entechtaiwan.net/index.shtm the "Power Strip" tool

Regards
Jo