How can I display my PC on my TV?

[Stan Hilliard]

I want to display my PC on my TV to show video from the Internet.

I set the TV as a second monitor. When I boot the PC, the TV will
display the bios screen and the windows startup icon but will not
display the welcome screen or the desktop or programs.

In PC's display settings, the "identify" button puts a "1" on the
monitor and "2" on the TV -- as it should.

Equipment:
Video Card: GeForce 5500, ports are analog VGA and digital DVI.
The DVI port is cabled to monitor -- Viewsonic 912b LCD, 1280x1024.
The VGA port is cabled to a wireless sender ---> wireless receiver.
The wireless receiver has a composite cable to the TV's video2 port.
The TV is a Sony kdl-40V4100.

The monitor is set to 1280x1024, 32 bit color. The TV is set to
640x480 pixels, 32 bit color.

Question: Why can I transmit the "Identify" number to the TV but
cannot transmit the PC's desktop or programs?

An explanation will be appreciated,
Stan Hilliard

 

[M.I.5¾]

I want to display my PC on my TV to show video from the Internet.

I set the TV as a second monitor. When I boot the PC, the TV will
display the bios screen and the windows startup icon but will not
display the welcome screen or the desktop or programs.

In PC's display settings, the "identify" button puts a "1" on the
monitor and "2" on the TV -- as it should.

Equipment:
Video Card: GeForce 5500, ports are analog VGA and digital DVI.
The DVI port is cabled to monitor -- Viewsonic 912b LCD, 1280x1024.
The VGA port is cabled to a wireless sender ---> wireless receiver.
The wireless receiver has a composite cable to the TV's video2 port.
The TV is a Sony kdl-40V4100.

The monitor is set to 1280x1024, 32 bit color. The TV is set to
640x480 pixels, 32 bit color.

Question: Why can I transmit the "Identify" number to the TV but
cannot transmit the PC's desktop or programs?

An explanation will be appreciated,

Your set up has configured itself for dual monitor operation where the 2
displays are showing different parts of the same desktop. There are two
solutions to your problem depending on what you actually wish to achieve.

1. If the video window (presumably Media Player) is not maximised, you can
drag it onto the second monitor (in your case the TV). Monitor 2 is by
default to the right of monitor 1, but this can be changed in the video
settings dialogue (right click anywhere on the desktop, select properties
and then the settings tab). Just drag mionitor 2 to wherever you want it).
The window can then be maximised on the TV if you wish.

2. If you want the TV to display the same as the monitor, enter the settings
dialogue as above and uncheck "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor".
Now click 'advanced'. One of the tabs (usually labelled 'displays') will
allow you to 'switch on' the TV* and it should display the same as the
monitor. Note that depending on the graphic card, the TV may only show a
section of the desktop.

*Some graphic cards don't offer this via the settings dialogue and require
you instead to run a graphics configuration utility. You will need to check
the book of instructions.

 

[pjp]

You seem to have what's called a dual-head video card. Likely you can attach
a monitor to one connector and either a tv or second monitor to a 2nd
connector (using suitable convertor cable). Note, it may be you actually
have three connectors, two are for monitors and a composite (and/or svga)
connector for the tv.

I'll use my own nVidia card as an example. It has two monitor connections
and a composite (rca stereo style plug) to connect to tv/vcr. In this
configuration I can use any two of the three devices, e.g. 2 monitors or one
monitor and tv as my desktop.

All the versatility is found with the specific device dependant dialogs
added by your video card device driver. They're usually accessed via Display
Properties/Settings the Advanced button and look for the extra added tabs.

First thing is to get two devices working. Because you see the '1' & '2' on
each monitor implies you have that going. Look under Display Propertis for
the checkbox "Extend ..." and notice the 2nd monitor is to the right of the
primary in the graphic. Note you can move the displays in the graphic to
reflect the physical location of the devices, e.g. 2nd display can be right,
top, left or bottom of primary. Try and drag the current dialog box to the
right (assuming default location) and it should move off the primary display
and appear on the secondary one. You have the extended desktop working if
so. Note - things like 'maxmize across entire display' is a driver function
and not per se provided by Windows itself. In my case, under the
forementioned Advanced dialog(s) there's an option to add an extra icon to
windows to provide this feature. Your specific card may vary, you'll have to
play with the various Advanced options or ask in a newsgroup dedicated to
your brand card, e.g. ATI or nVidia most likely.

Now, also, somewhere within that same Advanced tab will be options for what
to do when video starts playing. There's a couple of choices but the one I'd
suggest most usefull is 'Display video full screen on secondary display' (or
however it's worded). That allows the video to be a very small (maybe even
minimized) window on primary display but shows full screen on whatever is
being used as 2nd display, tv or pc monitor.

Setup like this, here's what I do. I first change my secondary monitor from
another pc monitor (normal configuration) to the tv. This is done by using
little tray icon gives ready access to many options. TV comes alive, 2nd pc
monitor goes dead. Desktop background appears on tv and I can drag windows
etc. back and forth as expected. Note - usually the tv output is limited in
resolution, todays crop of cards it tends to be 1024x768. I suggest leave it
at that rather than make it less unless reading text on your tv is a must
(you'll see what I mean), e.g. 640x480. The hardware will downsample the
image anyway to fit on the tv. When I start a video the tv flickers for a
moment then presto movie full screen on tv. Have sound routed to stereo and
viola.

 

[Stan Hilliard]

You seem to have what's called a dual-head video card. Likely you can attach
a monitor to one connector and either a tv or second monitor to a 2nd
connector (using suitable convertor cable). Note, it may be you actually
have three connectors, two are for monitors and a composite (and/or svga)
connector for the tv.

I'll use my own nVidia card as an example. It has two monitor connections
and a composite (rca stereo style plug) to connect to tv/vcr. In this
configuration I can use any two of the three devices, e.g. 2 monitors or one
monitor and tv as my desktop.

All the versatility is found with the specific device dependant dialogs
added by your video card device driver. They're usually accessed via Display
Properties/Settings the Advanced button and look for the extra added tabs.

First thing is to get two devices working. Because you see the '1' & '2' on
each monitor implies you have that going. Look under Display Propertis for
the checkbox "Extend ..." and notice the 2nd monitor is to the right of the
primary in the graphic. Note you can move the displays in the graphic to
reflect the physical location of the devices, e.g. 2nd display can be right,
top, left or bottom of primary. Try and drag the current dialog box to the
right (assuming default location) and it should move off the primary display
and appear on the secondary one. You have the extended desktop working if
so. Note - things like 'maxmize across entire display' is a driver function
and not per se provided by Windows itself. In my case, under the
forementioned Advanced dialog(s) there's an option to add an extra icon to
windows to provide this feature. Your specific card may vary, you'll have to
play with the various Advanced options or ask in a newsgroup dedicated to
your brand card, e.g. ATI or nVidia most likely.

Now, also, somewhere within that same Advanced tab will be options for what
to do when video starts playing. There's a couple of choices but the one I'd
suggest most usefull is 'Display video full screen on secondary display' (or
however it's worded). That allows the video to be a very small (maybe even
minimized) window on primary display but shows full screen on whatever is
being used as 2nd display, tv or pc monitor.

Setup like this, here's what I do. I first change my secondary monitor from
another pc monitor (normal configuration) to the tv. This is done by using
little tray icon gives ready access to many options. TV comes alive, 2nd pc
monitor goes dead. Desktop background appears on tv and I can drag windows
etc. back and forth as expected. Note - usually the tv output is limited in
resolution, todays crop of cards it tends to be 1024x768. I suggest leave it
at that rather than make it less unless reading text on your tv is a must
(you'll see what I mean), e.g. 640x480. The hardware will downsample the
image anyway to fit on the tv. When I start a video the tv flickers for a
moment then presto movie full screen on tv. Have sound routed to stereo and
viola.

Thanks pip,

I am still having trouble making it work. The changes I made have
actually set be back, so I get no wireless transmitted image at all
now. So I will start over and describe my current situation from the
beginning.

I want to display whatever is on my PC desktop on my TV.

Windows XP Pro, GeForce 5500 I am a novice.

The LCD Monitor has analog and digital inputs. I want to wire up both
and use the buttons on the monitor to select which is used. I mostly
use the digital post but some purposes require using analog.

The only input to the X10 wireless sender is VGA. I use a splitter on
the 5500's VGA port to both the wireless sender and the monitor.

Q1: In [Control Panel] [display settings] do I need to set the TV as a
second monitor, or can I just reflect the same analog signal to the
monitor and TV? I currently have a second monitor in [display
settings] but it is "not active" and I don't know how to activate it?

Q2: I am confused about drivers. Having both monitor and TV on the
same port with a splitter cable must make a difference. I don't know
if TVs need a special driver. Any advice here?

Q3: What settings should I use for the NVIDIA 5500 desktop manager.
Note: I have tried to run it, but I suspect its settings for TV don't
apply - how could it Know which port I have the TV on?

Currently [Control Panel] [display settings] show a not active second
monitor with generic driver. [Device manager] shows:
Display Adaptor: NVIDIA v8.4.2.1
Monitor: 3 "default monitors" and 1 ViewSonic VA912b.

Equipment:
Video Card: GeForce 5500, ports are analog VGA and digital DVI.
The DVI port is cabled to monitor -- ViewSonic VA912b LCD, 1280x1024.
The VGA port is cabled to a wireless sender ---> wireless receiver.
The wireless receiver has a composite cable to the TV's video2 port.
The TV is a Sony KDL-40V4100.

Question: Can someone please point me in the right direction to get
started?

An explanation will be appreciated,
Stan Hilliard

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Thanks pip,

I am still having trouble making it work. The changes I made have
actually set be back, so I get no wireless transmitted image at all
now. So I will start over and describe my current situation from the
beginning.

I want to display whatever is on my PC desktop on my TV.

Windows XP Pro, GeForce 5500 I am a novice.

The LCD Monitor has analog and digital inputs. I want to wire up both
and use the buttons on the monitor to select which is used. I mostly
use the digital post but some purposes require using analog.

The only input to the X10 wireless sender is VGA. I use a splitter on
the 5500's VGA port to both the wireless sender and the monitor.

This is probably a bad idea, because it forces you to use the same
resolution, depth and refresh settings for both screens on the splitter.
You can easily send an out-of-range signal to one of the monitors. And at
best, that will just send the screen to black.

Better to connect the TV display on the TV and get the correct resolution.
Be warned, though - the results are often poor, particularly if the TV is
larger.

Q1: In [Control Panel] [display settings] do I need to set the TV as a
second monitor, or can I just reflect the same analog signal to the
monitor and TV? I currently have a second monitor in [display
settings] but it is "not active" and I don't know how to activate it?

Connect the two displays to the adapter, then activate both of them; the
card should sense this Be sure that the PC screen is set to 1, and
primary.

Sometimes you have to power cycle the TV to let it know that there is a new
signal source.

Q2: I am confused about drivers. Having both monitor and TV on the
same port with a splitter cable must make a difference. I don't know
if TVs need a special driver. Any advice here?

No, they do not need special drivers. The issue is not the drivers, it's
the resolution setting and the capabilites of the display electronics.

As noted above, if you use a splitter, you can easily be out of range on the
TV, or a hopelessly coarse image on the PC display.

Q3: What settings should I use for the NVIDIA 5500 desktop manager.
Note: I have tried to run it, but I suspect its settings for TV don't
apply - how could it Know which port I have the TV on?

The 2nd port. use the Identify function to see which port is which.

Currently [Control Panel] [display settings] show a not active second
monitor with generic driver. [Device manager] shows:
Display Adaptor: NVIDIA v8.4.2.1
Monitor: 3 "default monitors" and 1 ViewSonic VA912b.

Some video adapters will detect a TV and display at TV option. A splitter
may prevent this detection.

Equipment:
Video Card: GeForce 5500, ports are analog VGA and digital DVI.
The DVI port is cabled to monitor -- ViewSonic VA912b LCD, 1280x1024.
The VGA port is cabled to a wireless sender ---> wireless receiver.
The wireless receiver has a composite cable to the TV's video2 port.
The TV is a Sony KDL-40V4100.

Question: Can someone please point me in the right direction to get
started?

I would get this working with wires before even thinking of introducing the
wireless sender OR the splitter. There's no way for you to know if the
problem is in the setup, the splitter, or the wireless. As long as you
use known-good cables, it shgould be much easier to get going. Once you
have the settings worked out, then you can introduce splitter and the
wireless, and troubleshoot the problems that introduces, one component at a
time.

But again, using a TV as a dislpay is not always an optimal solution.

HTH
-pk

 

[Stan Hilliard]

Thanks Patrick. Some improvements, but not completely fixed. See my
inserted remarks.
Stan

This is probably a bad idea, because it forces you to use the same
resolution, depth and refresh settings for both screens on the splitter.
You can easily send an out-of-range signal to one of the monitors. And at
best, that will just send the screen to black.

I stopped using the splitter on the analog/VGA output by disconnecting
the part that went to the Monitor. Then I used the NVIDIA Desktop
Manager v110.26 & selected "typical setup". As desired, it set the DVI
port to monitor to #1 and the VGA port to monitor #2. Both are 1280 X
1024.

The monitor is good. Except the mouse pointer does not stop at the
right edge of the screen. I think it is in span view instead of clone
view. Can anything be done about that?

This solves another problem. When I had analog splitter hooked up to
the monitor there were some (but not all) video players that showed
black video in digital & played OK in analog. Now that the monitor is
connected to digital only it works fine.

The TV receives audio by wireless but still not video.

Better to connect the TV display on the TV and get the correct resolution.
Be warned, though - the results are often poor, particularly if the TV is
larger.

The NVIDIA nView Desktop Manager TV wizard HDTV screen asked me if the
display on the DVI port supports HDTV (Y/N?). By this I assume that
the wizard is trying to configure the TV to the DVI port -- which it
is not. So I did cancelled out of the wizard. Maybe I should be
setting the PC monitor as if it were a TV because it is on the DVI
port , and maybe I should be setting the TV as if it were a monitor
because it has to be on the VGA port. (The X10 wireless sender only
inputs VGA.)

Q1: In [Control Panel] [display settings] do I need to set the TV as a
second monitor, or can I just reflect the same analog signal to the
monitor and TV? I currently have a second monitor in [display
settings] but it is "not active" and I don't know how to activate it?

Connect the two displays to the adapter, then activate both of them; the
card should sense this Be sure that the PC screen is set to 1, and
primary.

According to [Control Panel] [display settings] this is working now.

Sometimes you have to power cycle the TV to let it know that there is a new
signal source.

I have restarted both TV and PC. Still no video to the TV.

No, they do not need special drivers. The issue is not the drivers, it's
the resolution setting and the capabilites of the display electronics.

As noted above, if you use a splitter, you can easily be out of range on the
TV, or a hopelessly coarse image on the PC display.

I stopped using the splitter.

The 2nd port. use the Identify function to see which port is which.

The PC Monitor is #1 on the DVI port.

Currently [Control Panel] [display settings] show a not active second
monitor with generic driver. [Device manager] shows:
Display Adapter: NVIDIA v8.4.2.1
Monitor: 3 "default monitors" and 1 ViewSonic VA912b.

Some video adapters will detect a TV and display at TV option. A splitter
may prevent this detection.

Equipment:
Video Card: GeForce 5500, ports are analog VGA and digital DVI.
The DVI port is cabled to monitor -- ViewSonic VA912b LCD, 1280x1024.
The VGA port is cabled to a wireless sender ---> wireless receiver.
The wireless receiver has a composite cable to the TV's video2 port.
The TV is a Sony KDL-40V4100.

Question: Can someone please point me in the right direction to get
started?

I would get this working with wires before even thinking of introducing the
wireless sender OR the splitter. There's no way for you to know if the
problem is in the setup, the splitter, or the wireless. As long as you
use known-good cables, it should be much easier to get going. Once you
have the settings worked out, then you can introduce splitter and the
wireless, and troubleshoot the problems that introduces, one component at a
time.

As you suggest, I will send for a 25' VGA cable to try a direct
connection to the TV. Somewhere I saw different qualities of VGA
cable. I wonder if it makes a difference?

But again, using a TV as a display is not always an optimal solution.
HTH

-pk

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Thanks Patrick. Some improvements, but not completely fixed. See my
inserted remarks.
Stan




I stopped using the splitter on the analog/VGA output by disconnecting
the part that went to the Monitor. Then I used the NVIDIA Desktop
Manager v110.26 & selected "typical setup". As desired, it set the DVI
port to monitor to #1 and the VGA port to monitor #2. Both are 1280 X
1024.

The monitor is good. Except the mouse pointer does not stop at the
right edge of the screen. I think it is in span view instead of clone
view. Can anything be done about that?

If the desktop is extended rather than mirrored (or cloned), the display
area is defined by the outer edges of both monitors. So no, you can't do
anything about that.

The only other way to that would be a desktop manager that allowed you to
load different desktops to different screens, then switch between them with
hotkeys. That isn't an XP feature.

This solves another problem. When I had analog splitter hooked up to
the monitor there were some (but not all) video players that showed
black video in digital & played OK in analog. Now that the monitor is
connected to digital only it works fine.

The TV receives audio by wireless but still not video.


The NVIDIA nView Desktop Manager TV wizard HDTV screen asked me if the
display on the DVI port supports HDTV (Y/N?). By this I assume that
the wizard is trying to configure the TV to the DVI port -- which it
is not. So I did cancelled out of the wizard. Maybe I should be
setting the PC monitor as if it were a TV because it is on the DVI
port , and maybe I should be setting the TV as if it were a monitor
because it has to be on the VGA port. (The X10 wireless sender only
inputs VGA.)

What does nVidia support say? How about Sony?

Q1: In [Control Panel] [display settings] do I need to set the TV as a
second monitor, or can I just reflect the same analog signal to the
monitor and TV? I currently have a second monitor in [display
settings] but it is "not active" and I don't know how to activate it?

Connect the two displays to the adapter, then activate both of them; the
card should sense this Be sure that the PC screen is set to 1, and
primary.

According to [Control Panel] [display settings] this is working now.

Sometimes you have to power cycle the TV to let it know that there is a
new
signal source.

I have restarted both TV and PC. Still no video to the TV.

Check that it isn't out of range.

No, they do not need special drivers. The issue is not the drivers, it's
the resolution setting and the capabilites of the display electronics.

As noted above, if you use a splitter, you can easily be out of range on
the
TV, or a hopelessly coarse image on the PC display.

I stopped using the splitter.

The 2nd port. use the Identify function to see which port is which.

The PC Monitor is #1 on the DVI port.

Currently [Control Panel] [display settings] show a not active second
monitor with generic driver. [Device manager] shows:
Display Adapter: NVIDIA v8.4.2.1
Monitor: 3 "default monitors" and 1 ViewSonic VA912b.

Some video adapters will detect a TV and display at TV option. A
splitter
may prevent this detection.

Equipment:
Video Card: GeForce 5500, ports are analog VGA and digital DVI.
The DVI port is cabled to monitor -- ViewSonic VA912b LCD, 1280x1024.
The VGA port is cabled to a wireless sender ---> wireless receiver.
The wireless receiver has a composite cable to the TV's video2 port.
The TV is a Sony KDL-40V4100.

Question: Can someone please point me in the right direction to get
started?

I would get this working with wires before even thinking of introducing
the
wireless sender OR the splitter. There's no way for you to know if the
problem is in the setup, the splitter, or the wireless. As long as you
use known-good cables, it should be much easier to get going. Once you
have the settings worked out, then you can introduce splitter and the
wireless, and troubleshoot the problems that introduces, one component at
a
time.

As you suggest, I will send for a 25' VGA cable to try a direct
connection to the TV. Somewhere I saw different qualities of VGA
cable. I wonder if it makes a difference?

I'm not at an XP system at the moment and can't check the dialogs for other
points, but for setup, can you not just bring the systems closer together?
Yes, there can be issues with longer cable lengths, and it can degrade the
image. Lesser quality cables can also be problematic.

 

[Stan Hilliard]

If the desktop is extended rather than mirrored (or cloned), the display
area is defined by the outer edges of both monitors. So no, you can't do
anything about that.

I don't think I understand extended vs not extended. I would like to
have my regular PC monitor unchanged, and have monitor #2=TV show the
same image. With same resolution? With different resolution?

The only other way to that would be a desktop manager that allowed you to
load different desktops to different screens, then switch between them with
hotkeys. That isn't an XP feature.

This solves another problem. When I had analog splitter hooked up to
the monitor there were some (but not all) video players that showed
black video in digital & played OK in analog. Now that the monitor is
connected to digital only it works fine.

The TV receives audio by wireless but still not video.


The NVIDIA nView Desktop Manager TV wizard HDTV screen asked me if the
display on the DVI port supports HDTV (Y/N?). By this I assume that
the wizard is trying to configure the TV to the DVI port -- which it
is not. So I did cancelled out of the wizard. Maybe I should be
setting the PC monitor as if it were a TV because it is on the DVI
port , and maybe I should be setting the TV as if it were a monitor
because it has to be on the VGA port. (The X10 wireless sender only
inputs VGA.)

What does nVidia support say? How about Sony?

Q1: In [Control Panel] [display settings] do I need to set the TV as a
second monitor, or can I just reflect the same analog signal to the
monitor and TV? I currently have a second monitor in [display
settings] but it is "not active" and I don't know how to activate it?

Connect the two displays to the adapter, then activate both of them; the
card should sense this Be sure that the PC screen is set to 1, and
primary.

According to [Control Panel] [display settings] this is working now.

Sometimes you have to power cycle the TV to let it know that there is a
new
signal source.

I have restarted both TV and PC. Still no video to the TV.

Check that it isn't out of range.

Q2: I am confused about drivers. Having both monitor and TV on the
same port with a splitter cable must make a difference. I don't know
if TVs need a special driver. Any advice here?

No, they do not need special drivers. The issue is not the drivers, it's
the resolution setting and the capabilites of the display electronics.

As noted above, if you use a splitter, you can easily be out of range on
the
TV, or a hopelessly coarse image on the PC display.

I stopped using the splitter.

Q3: What settings should I use for the NVIDIA 5500 desktop manager.
Note: I have tried to run it, but I suspect its settings for TV don't
apply - how could it Know which port I have the TV on?

The 2nd port. use the Identify function to see which port is which.

The PC Monitor is #1 on the DVI port.

Currently [Control Panel] [display settings] show a not active second
monitor with generic driver. [Device manager] shows:
Display Adapter: NVIDIA v8.4.2.1
Monitor: 3 "default monitors" and 1 ViewSonic VA912b.

Some video adapters will detect a TV and display at TV option. A
splitter
may prevent this detection.

Equipment:
Video Card: GeForce 5500, ports are analog VGA and digital DVI.
The DVI port is cabled to monitor -- ViewSonic VA912b LCD, 1280x1024.
The VGA port is cabled to a wireless sender ---> wireless receiver.
The wireless receiver has a composite cable to the TV's video2 port.
The TV is a Sony KDL-40V4100.

Question: Can someone please point me in the right direction to get
started?

I would get this working with wires before even thinking of introducing
the
wireless sender OR the splitter. There's no way for you to know if the
problem is in the setup, the splitter, or the wireless. As long as you
use known-good cables, it should be much easier to get going. Once you
have the settings worked out, then you can introduce splitter and the
wireless, and troubleshoot the problems that introduces, one component at
a
time.

As you suggest, I will send for a 25' VGA cable to try a direct
connection to the TV. Somewhere I saw different qualities of VGA
cable. I wonder if it makes a difference?

I'm not at an XP system at the moment and can't check the dialogs for other
points, but for setup, can you not just bring the systems closer together?
Yes, there can be issues with longer cable lengths, and it can degrade the
image. Lesser quality cables can also be problematic.

I will have a 25 ft coax, HD15, M/M, VGA, ferrite cable.

I don't have the cable yet so I am working with the wireless. This
question should apply to both. Currently, after updating my nVidia
fx555 drivers to v175.19, I can show the monitor's desktop picture and
its screen saver on the TV screen.

Now, how can I send other objects to the TV=monitor2 -- like movie
player output, desktop icons, etc.

Stan Hilliard

 

[clintonG]

PC Magazine has a new review on this topic. Use search for media extenders

If the desktop is extended rather than mirrored (or cloned), the display
area is defined by the outer edges of both monitors. So no, you can't
do
anything about that.

I don't think I understand extended vs not extended. I would like to
have my regular PC monitor unchanged, and have monitor #2=TV show the
same image. With same resolution? With different resolution?

The only other way to that would be a desktop manager that allowed you to
load different desktops to different screens, then switch between them
with
hotkeys. That isn't an XP feature.

This solves another problem. When I had analog splitter hooked up to
the monitor there were some (but not all) video players that showed
black video in digital & played OK in analog. Now that the monitor is
connected to digital only it works fine.

The TV receives audio by wireless but still not video.

Better to connect the TV display on the TV and get the correct
resolution.
Be warned, though - the results are often poor, particularly if the TV
is
larger.

The NVIDIA nView Desktop Manager TV wizard HDTV screen asked me if the
display on the DVI port supports HDTV (Y/N?). By this I assume that
the wizard is trying to configure the TV to the DVI port -- which it
is not. So I did cancelled out of the wizard. Maybe I should be
setting the PC monitor as if it were a TV because it is on the DVI
port , and maybe I should be setting the TV as if it were a monitor
because it has to be on the VGA port. (The X10 wireless sender only
inputs VGA.)

What does nVidia support say? How about Sony?

Q1: In [Control Panel] [display settings] do I need to set the TV as a
second monitor, or can I just reflect the same analog signal to the
monitor and TV? I currently have a second monitor in [display
settings] but it is "not active" and I don't know how to activate it?

Connect the two displays to the adapter, then activate both of them; the
card should sense this Be sure that the PC screen is set to 1, and
primary.

According to [Control Panel] [display settings] this is working now.

Sometimes you have to power cycle the TV to let it know that there is a
new
signal source.

I have restarted both TV and PC. Still no video to the TV.

Check that it isn't out of range.

Q2: I am confused about drivers. Having both monitor and TV on the
same port with a splitter cable must make a difference. I don't know
if TVs need a special driver. Any advice here?

No, they do not need special drivers. The issue is not the drivers,
it's
the resolution setting and the capabilites of the display electronics.

As noted above, if you use a splitter, you can easily be out of range on
the
TV, or a hopelessly coarse image on the PC display.

I stopped using the splitter.

Q3: What settings should I use for the NVIDIA 5500 desktop manager.
Note: I have tried to run it, but I suspect its settings for TV don't
apply - how could it Know which port I have the TV on?

The 2nd port. use the Identify function to see which port is which.

The PC Monitor is #1 on the DVI port.

Currently [Control Panel] [display settings] show a not active second
monitor with generic driver. [Device manager] shows:
Display Adapter: NVIDIA v8.4.2.1
Monitor: 3 "default monitors" and 1 ViewSonic VA912b.

Some video adapters will detect a TV and display at TV option. A
splitter
may prevent this detection.

Equipment:
Video Card: GeForce 5500, ports are analog VGA and digital DVI.
The DVI port is cabled to monitor -- ViewSonic VA912b LCD, 1280x1024.
The VGA port is cabled to a wireless sender ---> wireless receiver.
The wireless receiver has a composite cable to the TV's video2 port.
The TV is a Sony KDL-40V4100.

Question: Can someone please point me in the right direction to get
started?

I would get this working with wires before even thinking of introducing
the
wireless sender OR the splitter. There's no way for you to know if
the
problem is in the setup, the splitter, or the wireless. As long as
you
use known-good cables, it should be much easier to get going. Once you
have the settings worked out, then you can introduce splitter and the
wireless, and troubleshoot the problems that introduces, one component
at
a
time.

As you suggest, I will send for a 25' VGA cable to try a direct
connection to the TV. Somewhere I saw different qualities of VGA
cable. I wonder if it makes a difference?

I'm not at an XP system at the moment and can't check the dialogs for
other
points, but for setup, can you not just bring the systems closer together?
Yes, there can be issues with longer cable lengths, and it can degrade the
image. Lesser quality cables can also be problematic.

I will have a 25 ft coax, HD15, M/M, VGA, ferrite cable.

I don't have the cable yet so I am working with the wireless. This
question should apply to both. Currently, after updating my nVidia
fx555 drivers to v175.19, I can show the monitor's desktop picture and
its screen saver on the TV screen.

Now, how can I send other objects to the TV=monitor2 -- like movie
player output, desktop icons, etc.

Stan Hilliard

 

[Stan Hilliard]

Thanks Patrick. Some improvements, but not completely fixed. See my
inserted remarks.
Stan

message
On Wed, 21 May 2008 18:20:44 -0300, "pjp"

You seem to have what's called a dual-head video card. Likely you can
attach
a monitor to one connector and either a tv or second monitor to a 2nd
connector (using suitable convertor cable). Note, it may be you
actually
have three connectors, two are for monitors and a composite (and/or
svga)
connector for the tv.

I'll use my own nVidia card as an example. It has two monitor
connections
and a composite (rca stereo style plug) to connect to tv/vcr. In this
configuration I can use any two of the three devices, e.g. 2 monitors
or
one
monitor and tv as my desktop.

All the versatility is found with the specific device dependant
dialogs
added by your video card device driver. They're usually accessed via
Display
Properties/Settings the Advanced button and look for the extra added
tabs.

First thing is to get two devices working. Because you see the '1' &
'2'
on
each monitor implies you have that going. Look under Display Propertis
for
the checkbox "Extend ..." and notice the 2nd monitor is to the right
of
the
primary in the graphic. Note you can move the displays in the graphic
to
reflect the physical location of the devices, e.g. 2nd display can be
right,
top, left or bottom of primary. Try and drag the current dialog box to
the
right (assuming default location) and it should move off the primary
display
and appear on the secondary one. You have the extended desktop working
if
so. Note - things like 'maxmize across entire display' is a driver
function
and not per se provided by Windows itself. In my case, under the
forementioned Advanced dialog(s) there's an option to add an extra
icon
to
windows to provide this feature. Your specific card may vary, you'll
have
to
play with the various Advanced options or ask in a newsgroup dedicated
to
your brand card, e.g. ATI or nVidia most likely.

Now, also, somewhere within that same Advanced tab will be options for
what
to do when video starts playing. There's a couple of choices but the
one
I'd
suggest most usefull is 'Display video full screen on secondary
display'
(or
however it's worded). That allows the video to be a very small (maybe
even
minimized) window on primary display but shows full screen on whatever
is
being used as 2nd display, tv or pc monitor.

Setup like this, here's what I do. I first change my secondary monitor
from
another pc monitor (normal configuration) to the tv. This is done by
using
little tray icon gives ready access to many options. TV comes alive,
2nd
pc
monitor goes dead. Desktop background appears on tv and I can drag
windows
etc. back and forth as expected. Note - usually the tv output is
limited
in
resolution, todays crop of cards it tends to be 1024x768. I suggest
leave
it
at that rather than make it less unless reading text on your tv is a
must
(you'll see what I mean), e.g. 640x480. The hardware will downsample
the
image anyway to fit on the tv. When I start a video the tv flickers
for
a
moment then presto movie full screen on tv. Have sound routed to
stereo
and
viola.

Thanks pjp,
I am still having trouble making it work. The changes I made have
actually set be back, so I get no wireless transmitted image at all
now. So I will start over and describe my current situation from the
beginning.

I want to display whatever is on my PC desktop on my TV.

Windows XP Pro, GeForce 5500 I am a novice.

The LCD Monitor has analog and digital inputs. I want to wire up both
and use the buttons on the monitor to select which is used. I mostly
use the digital post but some purposes require using analog.

The only input to the X10 wireless sender is VGA. I use a splitter on
the 5500's VGA port to both the wireless sender and the monitor.

This is probably a bad idea, because it forces you to use the same
resolution, depth and refresh settings for both screens on the splitter.
You can easily send an out-of-range signal to one of the monitors.
And
at
best, that will just send the screen to black.

I stopped using the splitter on the analog/VGA output by disconnecting
the part that went to the Monitor. Then I used the NVIDIA Desktop
Manager v110.26 & selected "typical setup". As desired, it set the DVI
port to monitor to #1 and the VGA port to monitor #2. Both are 1280 X
1024.

The monitor is good. Except the mouse pointer does not stop at the
right edge of the screen. I think it is in span view instead of clone
view. Can anything be done about that?

If the desktop is extended rather than mirrored (or cloned), the display
area is defined by the outer edges of both monitors. So no, you can't
do
anything about that.

I don't think I understand extended vs not extended. I would like to
have my regular PC monitor unchanged, and have monitor #2=TV show the
same image. With same resolution? With different resolution?

The only other way to that would be a desktop manager that allowed you to
load different desktops to different screens, then switch between them
with
hotkeys. That isn't an XP feature.



This solves another problem. When I had analog splitter hooked up to
the monitor there were some (but not all) video players that showed
black video in digital & played OK in analog. Now that the monitor is
connected to digital only it works fine.

The TV receives audio by wireless but still not video.

Better to connect the TV display on the TV and get the correct
resolution.
Be warned, though - the results are often poor, particularly if the TV
is
larger.

The NVIDIA nView Desktop Manager TV wizard HDTV screen asked me if the
display on the DVI port supports HDTV (Y/N?). By this I assume that
the wizard is trying to configure the TV to the DVI port -- which it
is not. So I did cancelled out of the wizard. Maybe I should be
setting the PC monitor as if it were a TV because it is on the DVI
port , and maybe I should be setting the TV as if it were a monitor
because it has to be on the VGA port. (The X10 wireless sender only
inputs VGA.)

What does nVidia support say? How about Sony?


Q1: In [Control Panel] [display settings] do I need to set the TV as a
second monitor, or can I just reflect the same analog signal to the
monitor and TV? I currently have a second monitor in [display
settings] but it is "not active" and I don't know how to activate it?

Connect the two displays to the adapter, then activate both of them; the
card should sense this Be sure that the PC screen is set to 1, and
primary.

According to [Control Panel] [display settings] this is working now.

Sometimes you have to power cycle the TV to let it know that there is a
new
signal source.

I have restarted both TV and PC. Still no video to the TV.

Check that it isn't out of range.


Q2: I am confused about drivers. Having both monitor and TV on the
same port with a splitter cable must make a difference. I don't know
if TVs need a special driver. Any advice here?

No, they do not need special drivers. The issue is not the drivers,
it's
the resolution setting and the capabilites of the display electronics.

As noted above, if you use a splitter, you can easily be out of range on
the
TV, or a hopelessly coarse image on the PC display.

I stopped using the splitter.

Q3: What settings should I use for the NVIDIA 5500 desktop manager.
Note: I have tried to run it, but I suspect its settings for TV don't
apply - how could it Know which port I have the TV on?

The 2nd port. use the Identify function to see which port is which.

The PC Monitor is #1 on the DVI port.

Currently [Control Panel] [display settings] show a not active second
monitor with generic driver. [Device manager] shows:
Display Adapter: NVIDIA v8.4.2.1
Monitor: 3 "default monitors" and 1 ViewSonic VA912b.

Some video adapters will detect a TV and display at TV option. A
splitter
may prevent this detection.

Equipment:
Video Card: GeForce 5500, ports are analog VGA and digital DVI.
The DVI port is cabled to monitor -- ViewSonic VA912b LCD, 1280x1024.
The VGA port is cabled to a wireless sender ---> wireless receiver.
The wireless receiver has a composite cable to the TV's video2 port.
The TV is a Sony KDL-40V4100.

Question: Can someone please point me in the right direction to get
started?

I would get this working with wires before even thinking of introducing
the
wireless sender OR the splitter. There's no way for you to know if
the
problem is in the setup, the splitter, or the wireless. As long as
you
use known-good cables, it should be much easier to get going. Once you
have the settings worked out, then you can introduce splitter and the
wireless, and troubleshoot the problems that introduces, one component
at
a
time.

As you suggest, I will send for a 25' VGA cable to try a direct
connection to the TV. Somewhere I saw different qualities of VGA
cable. I wonder if it makes a difference?

I'm not at an XP system at the moment and can't check the dialogs for
other
points, but for setup, can you not just bring the systems closer together?
Yes, there can be issues with longer cable lengths, and it can degrade the
image. Lesser quality cables can also be problematic.

I will have a 25 ft coax, HD15, M/M, VGA, ferrite cable.

I don't have the cable yet so I am working with the wireless. This
question should apply to both. Currently, after updating my nVidia
fx555 drivers to v175.19, I can show the monitor's desktop picture and
its screen saver on the TV screen.

Now, how can I send other objects to the TV=monitor2 -- like movie
player output, desktop icons, etc.
Stan Hilliard

PC Magazine has a new review on this topic. Use search for media extenders
clintonG

Thanks, but the media extenders seem to be hardware systems. All I
want to do is to direct what is on monitor #1 to monitor #2. Isn't
that related to XP's 2-monitor setup? What directs the contents of an
application's window on the PC's monitor to monitor #2? Isn't that the
point of having more than one monitor?

 

[Stan Hilliard]

Q1: In [Control Panel] [display settings] do I need to set the TV as a
second monitor, or can I just reflect the same analog signal to the
monitor and TV? I currently have a second monitor in [display
settings] but it is "not active" and I don't know how to activate it?
Connect the two displays to the adapter, then activate both of them; the
card should sense this Be sure that the PC screen is set to 1, and
primary.
According to [Control Panel] [display settings] this is working now.
Sometimes you have to power cycle the TV to let it know that there is a
new
signal source.
I have restarted both TV and PC. Still no video to the TV.
Check that it isn't out of range.

Q2: I am confused about drivers. Having both monitor and TV on the
same port with a splitter cable must make a difference. I don't know
if TVs need a special driver. Any advice here?
No, they do not need special drivers. The issue is not the drivers,
it's
the resolution setting and the capabilites of the display electronics.

As noted above, if you use a splitter, you can easily be out of range on
the
TV, or a hopelessly coarse image on the PC display.
I stopped using the splitter.
Q3: What settings should I use for the NVIDIA 5500 desktop manager.
Note: I have tried to run it, but I suspect its settings for TV don't
apply - how could it Know which port I have the TV on?
The 2nd port. use the Identify function to see which port is which.
The PC Monitor is #1 on the DVI port.
Currently [Control Panel] [display settings] show a not active second
monitor with generic driver. [Device manager] shows:
Display Adapter: NVIDIA v8.4.2.1
Monitor: 3 "default monitors" and 1 ViewSonic VA912b.
Some video adapters will detect a TV and display at TV option. A
splitter
may prevent this detection.
Equipment:
Video Card: GeForce 5500, ports are analog VGA and digital DVI.
The DVI port is cabled to monitor -- ViewSonic VA912b LCD, 1280x1024.
The VGA port is cabled to a wireless sender ---> wireless receiver.
The wireless receiver has a composite cable to the TV's video2 port.
The TV is a Sony KDL-40V4100.

Question: Can someone please point me in the right direction to get
started?
I would get this working with wires before even thinking of introducing
the
wireless sender OR the splitter. There's no way for you to know if
the
problem is in the setup, the splitter, or the wireless. As long as
you
use known-good cables, it should be much easier to get going. Once you
have the settings worked out, then you can introduce splitter and the
wireless, and troubleshoot the problems that introduces, one component
at
a
time.
As you suggest, I will send for a 25' VGA cable to try a direct
connection to the TV. Somewhere I saw different qualities of VGA
cable. I wonder if it makes a difference?

I'm not at an XP system at the moment and can't check the dialogs for
other
points, but for setup, can you not just bring the systems closer together?
Yes, there can be issues with longer cable lengths, and it can degrade the
image. Lesser quality cables can also be problematic.
I will have a 25 ft coax, HD15, M/M, VGA, ferrite cable.

I don't have the cable yet so I am working with the wireless. This
question should apply to both. Currently, after updating my nVidia
fx555 drivers to v175.19, I can show the monitor's desktop picture and
its screen saver on the TV screen.

Now, how can I send other objects to the TV=monitor2 -- like movie
player output, desktop icons, etc.
Stan Hilliard

PC Magazine has a new review on this topic. Use search for media extenders
clintonG

Thanks, but the media extenders seem to be hardware systems. All I
want to do is to direct what is on monitor #1 to monitor #2. Isn't
that related to XP's 2-monitor setup? What directs the contents of an
application's window on the PC's monitor to monitor #2? Isn't that the
point of having more than one monitor?
Stan

Answering myself: Happily for me, I succeeded in having the TV
identical to the PC monitor. With the nVidia control panel, I set the
TV as a clone of the monitor. That is all it took.

Also the nVidia control panel I set the TV to show video content in
full screen.
Stan Hilliard

 

[Anthony Buckland]

Something approaching 300 lines of quoted material
from earlier posts, down to a depth of nine levels of
quote, a lot of it at level eight, culminating _finally_
in a six-line response to a six-line post.

Was there _nothing_ that could have been pruned
before posting the response before mine, by Stan?