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Koodari
2004-08-29, 17:50
First time I tried connecting my new Powerbook to a friend's TV, IIRC it didn't seem to recognize it was attached to anything, didn't get dual screen options in System Preferences. No picture came out. With a different TV, picture was fine. I'm now wondering what could have gone wrong with TV #1. Suggestions? I probably need to try this again later...

Also, if I connect them with SVHS, is the sound included? I know I need a separate audio cable when using composite out.

Edit: I've been wondering about the design decision that each display's preferences are only displayed on that particular display. What if you don't get a working picture in the first place due to display not supporting the initial resolution/etc, and you have to configure the new display before you get it going? Is there a way to handle this?

Ryan
2004-08-29, 19:53
Could you have plugged it into a component input instead of composite?

DMBand0026
2004-08-29, 20:20
You will need an audio cable. The video out on PBs is just that, video.

MacDr
2004-08-30, 11:55
Whenever you connect your PB to a TV or any other video device you'll always have to use another audio cable. S-Video is just video.

If you get no picture on the second screen but it does show up in Sys prefs arrange the TV to where you want it & try to aim for the middle of screen & try to grab it's preference pane & drag it back to your PB display & try to adjust it there. You could also try checking Mirror Displays, which will probably knock your Display resolution out of whack but, at least that way you'll be able to tell if you can even get an image on the TV.

Koodari
2004-08-30, 19:28
Could you have plugged it into a component input instead of composite?This sounds feasible. Is there a place on the web where I could learn more about the various video signal types? I've never had a TV, so I don't know about all that, but now with the PB I find myself using the TV output at friends' places.

Koodari
2004-08-30, 19:32
If you get no picture on the second screen but it does show up in Sys prefs arrange the TV to where you want it & try to aim for the middle of screen & try to grab it's preference pane & drag it back to your PB display & try to adjust it there. You could also try checking Mirror Displays, which will probably knock your Display resolution out of whack but, at least that way you'll be able to tell if you can even get an image on the TV.Turning mirroring on didn't occur to me, but I'm pretty sure the PB didn't show dual screen preference pane last time. Could definitely be worth a try if I reach the panel in the first place.

jmd2121
2005-04-01, 18:56
one other note for people trying to do this...

I got nothing on my TV for some time and had to click "Detect Displays" before my powerbook started putting out data to the SVGA output

ast3r3x
2005-04-01, 19:54
one other note for people trying to do this...

I got nothing on my TV for some time and had to click "Detect Displays" before my powerbook started putting out data to the SVGA output

This is the reason...if you do this it'll work.

curiousuburb
2005-04-01, 20:09
This sounds feasible. Is there a place on the web where I could learn more about the various video signal types? I've never had a TV, so I don't know about all that, but now with the PB I find myself using the TV output at friends' places.
TV Cables explained (http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/114333.html)

Preferential hierarchy of connections (http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/vidconn.htm#Connect2) from Video Technicalia (http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm)

DVD to TV listing
First choice is digital (e.g. DVI) at 720 x 480 or greater
Second choice is component video (Y/Pb/Pr), or RGB
Third choice is DVI at 640 x 480
Fourth choice is S-video (Y/C)
Distant fifth choice is composite video (yellow video jack)