Blank video window on TV display?

[FelixC]

I'm trying to hook up my All-In-Wonder 9000 video output to a TV
monitor to display video. The TV display is detected, and a copy of
the Windows desktop appears on it, duplicating the regular computer
monitor display. Except when I try to show a video - the video window
is fine on the PC monitor, but blank on the TV display. What's wrong
and how can I fix it?

I suspect it's something to do with DirectX writing directly to the
video display memory for the main monitor only. I've tried playing
around with the ATI Display settings, and I can't seem to do anything
about it. If try to turn off the computer monitor, it turns off the TV
too. I guess I could try booting without the computer monitor
connected, but that seems to be a pretty awkward workaround.

 

[Vellu]

This is how it is supposed to be, video overlay is not (and cannot be) shown
on secondary monitor windowed. In order to see video on your TV you need to
go to CAT settings section "Overlay" and "Clone mode options". There enable
"Theater mode". Your desktop is still shown normally, but when you start
video playback, the video will automatically go full screen on your TV.

And you are right about direct memory writing. Video overlay is just that,
the image is drawn directly into video card memory. It is not part of the
desktop image, therefore it is not dublicated via simple clone mode. It
needs to be shown full screen (that is, only one or the other can shown,
desktop or the video). That's also the reason why you cannot "take a
picture" of your video playback simply by pressing 'print screen'. The video
overlay isn't part of the desktop which is captured. You need a video
editing program for that (or some playback program that has frame capture
capability).

 

[FelixC]

This is how it is supposed to be, video overlay is not (and cannot be) shown
on secondary monitor windowed. In order to see video on your TV you need to
go to CAT settings section "Overlay" and "Clone mode options". There enable
"Theater mode". Your desktop is still shown normally, but when you start
video playback, the video will automatically go full screen on your TV.

Thanks, that works. I see that there's a choice of having the video go
to full-screen on the TV, or staying in a window. Either one works.

I'm a little puzzled as to why this isn't the default setting (clone
video in window). The setting seems obscure and buried deep in the
interface. I don't see any performance impact. Why have to go the
extra step to "enable" the expected behaviour?

 

[FelixC]

Thanks, that works. I see that there's a choice of having the video go
to full-screen on the TV, or staying in a window. Either one works.

I've been playing around a bit more, and I have to say that ATI's user
interface and functionality is extremely frustrating.

Pardon the venting, but they could teach a class in "how not to design
a user interface" based this ATI driver software. The documentation
and help stinks. Almost nothing works intuitively or as expected.
Random experimentation for hours seems to be the only way to find out
anything.

Especially annoying is the problem that playing with the "TV" controls
seems to affect the computer monitor display in various unexpected
ways, depending on what other cryptic control options are set. Now
I've got it in a mode where the computer monitor goes to full screen
and the TV doesn't when a video starts. I can't seem to convince it
otherwise. Looks like a registry restore and start again is the only
way to fix it.

 

[Vellu]

True, it's quite "buried" in there...I'd prefer it to be in the Displays
tab, right next to where you actually enable TV-out/Clone mode. As to why
it's not default, I believe it has something to do with the fact that not
everyone plugs their TV into their computer.

 

[Vellu]

It's indeed far from user friendly. Though other manufactures have some
problems aswell. Do Nvidia users still need to use TVTool (an external
program) to get their TV-outs working properly?