S-Video don't work on XFX NVIDIA GTX 7900 512 MB with HP L2335 Monitor ?!? >( =D

[Skybuck Flying]

Hello,

I am planning on buying a 7.1 receiver.

This receiver has hdmi, s-video, component video, and video as video output
connectors/formats.

My monitor HP L2335 has primarily vga and dvi but it also has s-video,
component video and video as I presume video inputs.

My graphics cards XFX NVIDIA GTX 7900 512 MB has mainly two dvi and s-video
output.

The s-video output on the graphics card has 7 pins as can be seen on this
picture/review:

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/310/4/

While normally s-video has only 4 pins as can be seen on wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Video

The monitor has a 4 pin connector.

According to wikipedia a 7 pin connector should still work with a 4 pin
cable.

I already tested this in the past and then it didn't work.

I decided to test it today one more time to see if it would work and it
doesn't.

I was hoping to test out the s-video inputs of my monitor so I know I can
connect the receiver to the monitor...

Now I am not sure if the s-video input of my monitor is working.

I shall assume for now it's working... but it's to bad I can't test it now
with my own graphics card ?!?

This is kinda odd... I also tried removing the dvi cable, windows makes a
bleep then... apperently it detects it.

So all in all this is kinda shitty... is this according to the way it's
supposed to work ?

Really weird.

Oh well.

Hoping for the best... it would be very cool if I could connect my PC and my
hopefully-soon-to-be Receiver to my monitor at the same time !

So I could easily switch between PC screen and Receiver screen by simply
pressing the input button on my monitor !

No cabling switching needed... that would be perfect !

So now I am just hoping that my monitor's s-video input is working and that
the problem is with the 7 pin connector on the graphics card ?!

Other option could be component video but I don't have the cables for that.

I don't know what a "video" cable looks like... ? that could also be an
option.

Last option would be hdmi to dvi but then I would have to switch cables...

A very very very last option would be a hdmi,s-video,video or component to
vga convertor but that would probably require a new device.

So I have two questions and a third below:

1. Why is the 7 pin connector on my graphics card not working with a 4-to-4
pin cable to the monitor ? NVIDIA OR XFX DID YOU **** UP ?!?

2. Which video format would give the best quality: s-video, component video
or video ?

I have seen a component video cable before and I didn't like those... those
are 3 seperated fragile cables... what a mess !

So that leaves s-video cable or video cable

(I have two s-video cables of about 1 or 2 meters... but that might be a bit
short... but would do for a first setup, later I might want a longer cable)

So this I just me planning/looking ahead what to expect ! and note to
myself so I never have to try this test again. Unless you guys know a fix
for the 7 pin issue.

Last question out of curiosity:

3. Is a s-video cable from 7 to 4 pin possible and would that make it work ?

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Every graphics card I've owned with one of those high-pin-count mini-DIN
connectors for S-video/composite or component video/etc. has always come
with a short pigtail adapter that breaks out the connection into separate
connector -- a 4-pin S-video mini-DIN, RCA jacks for component or
composite, etc.

The only splitter like cable that came with mine is:

7 pins to composite video.

Which is pretty much useless for me since I don't have composite cables.

So I guess XFX pretty much fucked up ?!

Now I also cut myself in my little pinky because of an asus i/o extension
bracket... those things are razor sharp gjez !

Just little cut but still... maybe I should through it away... those things
life-threatening if I cut my hand/arm joint I could bleeeed to death !

Anyway...

Just out of curiosity I would like to see a 7 pin to 4 pin
splitter/convertor or whatever... just to see how it looks like.

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

http://cgi.ebay.com/9-Pin-S-Video-M-to-F-3-RCA-TV-AV-Cable-Adapter-Nvidia_W0QQitemZ120456972446

It sounds as though your video card was designed to allow you to plug in
an S-video cable directly, though. Did you try lowering your screen
resolution to 800x600 and then switching to the S-video input on the LCD?
(There's no way you'll get 1920x1200 through an S-video connection...)

Good tip, I will try lowering the resolution.

Meanwhile I searched through my appertment to see if I could find any cable
looking like a convertor cable.

I found a third 4pin to 4 pin cable that came with my previous graphics
card... but no convertors.

Maybe my TNT2 had one and I left the cables when I moved but I don't think
so because pretty much
everything came with me... my family made sure of that LOL.

Anyway interesting cable... those 2 extra pins (on the 9 pin cable) look
like the will fit easily into the graphics card 7 pin connector since
it has a big hole where the 2 pins would go.

Ok now I go try the resolution trick !

Reply to you soon

Bye,
Skybuck =D

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Also before I go try it... I also found a "video cable"...

I think that's what it is... and another one of those probably a yellow one.

Since you seemed to ask about that fourth mode...

According to the receiver manual it's simply called: "video"

I think they mean the old fashioned tv cable with this...

I am not sure what kind of tv cables you people in the USA have...

I think it's just an RCA cable ?

Ok now I go try the resolution trick.

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Ok I did it as follows:

1. Turn off monitor
2. Plug in s-video 4 pin to 4 pin cable.
3. Turn on monitor switch to s-video. Nothing.

4. Turn off monitor
5. Detach dvi cable.
6. Turn on monitor

Voila it worked !

I am now typing this message while using s-video and resolution
800x600 and the quality of it is absolutely crap.

It's so vague I can barely see what I am typing ?!

Absolutely amazing !

However this would be kinda useless if I have to keep unplugging
the dvi cable...

So now I will perform a final test and plug the dvi cable back in to see
if it can work.

I also discovered something about my monitor.

It has a sharpness control... maybe I could use that to make my monitor
even more sharp during dvi...

If the world had to use s-video for graphics we would be in deep shit

At least now I know the s-video of my monitor is working !

And the s-video output of the graphics card is working too !

COOL.

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Ok,

I think I know what's happening.

I think the graphics card only allows one output to be used.

So it's either s-video or dvi.

So this could mean that the receiver and the computer can work on the same
monitor.

Hmmm.. coolness ! =D

I don't even have to switch resolutions because the monitor should be able
to understand it...

The resolution switch was probably a graphics card issue

Finally I will test how high I can take s-video. I hope my monitor or
graphic
card don't blow up ?!

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Hmm the highest supported resolution for s-video seems
to be 1024x768.

The lowest xp will allow is 800x600.

There is also a wacky one: 960x600.

Windows automatically switched to 1024x768.

At resolution 800x600 the text is better readable
but ofcourse less screen space

Ok now I switch back to dvi before s-video gives
me glasses !

Thanks dude most cool trick !

Bye,
Skybuck =D

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Ok,

Now I am back at 1920x1200 again...

It was a bit scary though...

At first I couldn't get the DVI working again...

The monitor or graphics card or windows was simply "stuck" in s-video mode


Fortunately I had sound on so I heard the bleeps when I disconnected the DVI
cable the first time...

So I knew it must be a detection issue.

So I pulled the DVI cable out... then it made two bleeps. Like it was
switching to de-confuse itself

So then I plugged the DVI cable in again and a beep followed as normal.

And then I knew everything would be fine again.

So I turned on the LCD monitor and it immediatly detected the dvi signal and
switched to it...

I am now on 1920x1200 again

Last thing I am gonna test is the sharpness thingy to see what that does

Apperently this monitor has a smooth function or so...

Ok here goes:

Nope the sharpness doesn't seem to do anything in DVI mode (digital mode).

I guess digital is always at it's sharpest already ! And sharp it is !

DVI is 1 million times better than s-video

People watching DVD's via s-video on their big screens are out of their mind
!

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

It's probably not as bad as you think -- a lot of the crappiness to what
you're seeing is the upscaling from 800x600 to your LCD's native
resolution of 1920x1200: That L2355 of yours was designed something like 5
years ago, and upscaler ICs at the time used pretty simplistic algorithms.

Oh nooo.. you are very wrong about that.

The HP L2335 cost 1000 euro's back then... and it's pretty awesome... and it
has terrific upscaling.

I can test it myself by setting windows to 800x600 and enabling "fill to
screen" instead of "fill to ratio".

And the quality is pretty good... much much better than the s-video signal.

So it's either the s-video cable being crap.

Or it's the graphics card putting out a crappy s-video signal.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the graphics card.

Maybe the graphics card just has very very very cheap s-video electronics

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Yellow usually is "composite" video.

Hmmm I checked the left side of the LCD again... I got one term wrong...

It didn't say "composite"... it said "component".

Maybe composite video is something else than component video ?

Component video has 3 connectors: red, blue, green (from bottom to top)

There is indeed also a yellow connector it just says: "video".

I guess that could be the composite video ?

Hmm interesting !

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

The only splitter like cable that came with mine is:

7 pins to composite video.

Oops I made a little mistake here...

I ment component video.

7 pins to component video (3 connectors red, blue, green)

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Hmm the highest supported resolution for s-video seems
to be 1024x768.

The lowest xp will allow is 800x600.

There is also a wacky one: 960x600.

Apperently this wacky one has a ratio of 1.6 which is the widescreen ratio
corresponding to 1920x1200...

Thought so

I am pretty sure that one would be very blurry too so it don't matter

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Yup the yellow cable fits on the yellow connector of the monitor.

So it seems I have a yellow video cable too jippee !

(It probably came with my old tnt2 or fx5200 card).

Yup I have the fx5200 in my old pentium III and the fx5200 has vga output,
and s-video output
and composite video output !

So apperently video = composite video ! cool.

The receiver has a lot of these connectors.

Holyshit I am just examining my old TNT2 card which probably still works but
has a fan missing...

It has a shitload of connectors/possibilities !

TNT2 connectors are:

VR out (what the hell is that virtual reality lol ?)
S-VIDEO IN
VGA
S-VIDEO OUT
COMPOSITE VIDEO OUT

I think I actually have a cable that fits into the VR out hold on !

YUP.

Holyshit the TNT2 actually came with a special cable which goes into the
little VR OUT hole and then it has two composite video's out ?!

Holyshit !

I also found a video-to-tv cable... which is composite video to tv cable
connector...

So I could probably have connected my TNT2 to a television or maybe a video
recorder too ?!

Holyshit...

I knew that TNT2 card had many video possibilities but I never really
understood it...

And now I do thanks to these close examinations and reading manuals and
seeing it in action !

Still didn't really see composite video in action...

I could turn on my pentium III and connect the FX 5200 to my television to
see if it would work... it probably will ?!

WOOOWW

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Super cool...

I managed to get a glimpse of what it could be like on a tv... not bad at
all !

Unfortunately my tv-remote control is in a pretty bad state... all beat up
and broken...

many buttons of it don't work... so I couldn't fine tune the channels...

I was expecting I had to use channel 0 (vcr) to be able to use it... but
that's not the case...

I simply flipped through all normal tv channels... and channel 14 I think it
was came closest... and I could definetly make out a vertical taskbar and
some text !

First it was scrolling over the screen... but then like a miracle or so.. or
maybe the tv was trying to compensate... the screen stabalized with lots of
snow on it !

I made some pictures of it... to prove that it works and because it's cool !

I also made a video of it...

I am gonna put it on my webdrive and youtube for ultimate coolness levels !
LOL.

I bet people doing special effects for tv shows would have loved this card !
and they probably did have one of these babies !

I also used an extension cord for the video cable and even that work... very
nice !

Wow... if I still had my TNT2 card plugged in... then maybe I could have
recorded television ?!

Wow... tempting to try this... but I won't... because what would be the
point...

I rarely watch tv... but maybe the point would be just to prove that it
would work...

But then I would have to take my pentium appart... and risk some overheat
damage to the tnt2 card... I could do this... but that's maybe taking it a
little bit too far...

In all honesty I don't believe the tnt2 card can actually do it... and it
would probably require special software to read the tnt2 video input...

I am not sure if I have the software for it... I would guess so... but still
having it working might come in handy some day... kinda sux that the fx5200
doesn't have video in.

Well I am kinda tired and sweaty... and I need an excuse not to do it
today... yeah...

I just don't wanna do it today... it's getting late.

This will be a research/experimental/fun project for another day or so...

It would just take to long, to open the pentium 3, replace the graphics
card, attach everything back, install the software, connect the tv ?!?

AHA ! there's the problem !

Actually it's not a problem... I wouldn't connect the tv to the tnt2 input
?!

I would connect the tv cable to the tnt2 input !

So the tv goes directly to the tnt2 card ! and then somehow I should be able
to view the television on it ?!

Does seem like a very interesting thing...

Maybe I could then watch tv on my P3 LOL. which is right next to my dreampc


I could then even capture television and transfer it to my dreampc for
further processing.

Definetly something I should try sometime... I am not sure in what state the
tnt2 is in because
I powered it up while it was wet to see what happened.. but maybe it still
good =D

IT did work for a while even while being wet... then I stopped that
experiment.. just 3d chip being wet made it crash or so... or maybe it was
3d chip overheat that made it crash... I don't know... that too will be
interesting to find out.

Now last thing to do is check the connections on my older computers. Nope
older computers just have vga only. I guess TNT2 or so started the "video to
computer revolution or so" LOL.

But not really ofcourse... I bet mac's or other computers had it first

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Oh wait I cheered to early for the TNT2 television input part to computer...
good thing too... now I don't have to try it...

The input is actually s-video ! with 7 pins.

It's not composite video.

My television cable is composite video... so the tnt2 would have needed a
composite video in... which it doesn't have...

Few !

So glad I don't have to do that experiment ! Cheers ! YES ! =D

Bye,
Skybuck =D

 

[GMAN]

Oh nooo.. you are very wrong about that.

The HP L2335 cost 1000 euro's back then... and it's pretty awesome... and it
has terrific upscaling.

I can test it myself by setting windows to 800x600 and enabling "fill to
screen" instead of "fill to ratio".

And the quality is pretty good... much much better than the s-video signal.

So it's either the s-video cable being crap.

Or it's the graphics card putting out a crappy s-video signal.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the graphics card.

Maybe the graphics card just has very very very cheap s-video electronics

Bye,
Skybuck.

Its the fact your feeding an interlaced signal into a non interlaced display

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Hmm I am out of disk space on my webdrive ...

But maybe this is a blessing.

The video contained some information which could identify me on the street
and I don't want that

But it did manage to upload a little half-transmitted picture lol.

So that will have to do:

http://members.home.nl/hbthouppermans/WindowsOnMyTV/DSCN1436.JPG

(It was funny seeing windows shutdown and then gray snow !)

Bye,
Bye,
Skybuck !

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Its the fact your feeding an interlaced signal into a non interlaced
display

I would guess the HP L2335 monitor takes care of that ? by compensating for
it ?

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Yeah seeing windows shutdown to gray snow like that is kinda funny.

I guess I could cut out the last part convert it from *.mov to *.mpg and put
it on youtube for the fun of it... This would take care of the identifieing
parts. I could also cut something together to include a little bit of the
start as well which shows the shutdown menu.

But I don't wanna do that now.

I hate cutting video's up with virtualdub.. maybe it's too difficult with
that tool ?!

Cutting video's up is just boring I can't understand how some people can
stand it

Bye,
Skybuck =D

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Hmmm...

The Denon AVR 1709 receiver might not even have a graphical user
interface...

Nor does it do hdmi audio decoding on the hdmi outputs...

Also it's remote is said to be difficult.

The manual is difficult.

Setup might therefore be difficult.

So it has some clear drawbacks.

1. Drawbacks for now.

2. Drawbacks for the future if I ever wanted to connect PS3, Big Screen tv's
or whatever...

Suppose I die in an accident or whatever then maybe my family could use
it... but they won't be happy if it has all these drawbacks... hmmm...

Bottom line is I plan to use it myself mostly for audio... but I was kinda
hoping to play around with the settings as well...

I kinda like that...

So now not being able to use a graphical interface while my monitor does
have plenty of options could seem a bit like a drawback...

Hmmmm...

Bye,
Skybuck.