Graphics Card problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Carole UK
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Carole UK

I've just bought and installed a new graphics card (XFX GeForce 5200). I
got it from Dell, so it's a 'good' card (not a dodgy second-hand one !). I
recognise it's not the 'best and latest' card available, but it is new and
it should work (someone on here told me to dump it and just get a newer
card - but you don't need a Ferrari necessarily to get from A to B !). I'm
running XP SP2, plenty of RAM etc, no other problems.
I want to attach a second monitor to my PC - an new flat panel LCD TV screen
which says it can be used as a PC monitor. The TV monitor is in a room
next to my office - I want to run a cable from my PC to the TV monitor so I
can watch DVDs, and other stuff I've downloaded in that room. I therefore
need to be able to run both monitors AT THE SAME TIME in 'clone' mode. I
found out that many graphics cards have two ports (DVI and VGA) but will
only support one or the other, not both at once. My new card claims it will
support two together. I've connected everything, downloaded latest driver
from website, set up 'clone' mode etc.
Problem - the TV monitor shows all the startup screens exactly as on my PC
monitor when I'm booting up, but as soon as Windows startup is finished I
just get 'no signal'. I've tried changing screen resolutions - no joy.
I've sent emails off to XFX and to LG (the TV manufacturer) but I guess I
won't get a reply till next week because of Easter. I've spent 3 days so
far fiddling with it - driving me nuts.........can any of you clever guys
suggest anything please ?
 
Carole said:
I've just bought and installed a new graphics card (XFX GeForce 5200). I
got it from Dell, so it's a 'good' card (not a dodgy second-hand one !). I
recognise it's not the 'best and latest' card available, but it is new and
it should work (someone on here told me to dump it and just get a newer
card - but you don't need a Ferrari necessarily to get from A to B !). I'm
running XP SP2, plenty of RAM etc, no other problems.
I want to attach a second monitor to my PC - an new flat panel LCD TV screen
which says it can be used as a PC monitor. The TV monitor is in a room
next to my office - I want to run a cable from my PC to the TV monitor so I
can watch DVDs, and other stuff I've downloaded in that room. I therefore
need to be able to run both monitors AT THE SAME TIME in 'clone' mode. I
found out that many graphics cards have two ports (DVI and VGA) but will
only support one or the other, not both at once. My new card claims it will
support two together. I've connected everything, downloaded latest driver
from website, set up 'clone' mode etc.
Problem - the TV monitor shows all the startup screens exactly as on my PC
monitor when I'm booting up, but as soon as Windows startup is finished I
just get 'no signal'. I've tried changing screen resolutions - no joy.
I've sent emails off to XFX and to LG (the TV manufacturer) but I guess I
won't get a reply till next week because of Easter. I've spent 3 days so
far fiddling with it - driving me nuts.........can any of you clever guys
suggest anything please ?
Click to expand...

Generally, there will be a practical resolution limit, when driving a
TV over a composite or S-video connection. Try a lower resolution
setting in "Clone" mode, and see if both work that way. Start with
640x480, for example.

A second function for a TV set, is "Force detection". If the software
thinks there is no TV connected, it may disable the signal to the
TV set. The Display Control Panel may reflect this, in some way.
"Force Detection", if the check box is available, basically declares
there is always a 75 ohm load on the TV cable, bypassing the hardware
detection.

Paul
 
Thanks for this Paul - I tried every different screen resolution that exists
and it had no effect.
BUT ...after several more hours of fiddling about I decided to swap the two
monitors over on the two ports on the card - I plugged my primary PC monitor
into the DVI port (with a DVI/VGA adaptor on it), and the secondary TV
monitor into the VGA port.
Bingo - both worked great in 'clone mode'.

HOWEVER - I still have one problem you may have some ideas on - the entire
point of doing all this was so that I can watch videos that I've downloaded
onto my PC, on the large flat panel TV screen in my bedroom next door to my
office (BBC iPLayer programmes mainly) instead of sitting at my desk to
watch them. When I start the videos they play perfectly normally on my PC,
but the secondary screen shows the application window/frame (Windows Media
Player or whatever else) but the space in the middle where the film should
be is blank. Same when I put it up to full-screen. Any thoughts ?

Thanks very much for your time :-)
Carole
 
Thanks for this Paul - I tried every different screen resolution that exists
and it had no effect.
BUT ...after several more hours of fiddling about I decided to swap the two
monitors over on the two ports on the card - I plugged my primary PC monitor
into the DVI port (with a DVI/VGA adaptor on it), and the secondary TV
monitor into the VGA port.
Bingo - both worked great in 'clone mode'.

HOWEVER - I still have one problem you may have some ideas on - the entire
point of doing all this was so that I can watch videos that I've downloaded
onto my PC, on the large flat panel TV screen in my bedroom next door to my
office (BBC iPLayer programmes mainly) instead of sitting at my desk to
watch them.   When I start the videos they play perfectly normally on myPC,
but the secondary screen shows the application window/frame (Windows Media
Player or whatever else) but the space in the middle where the film should
be is blank.   Same when I put it up to full-screen.  Any thoughts ?

Thanks very much for your time :-)
Carole








- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...

Which drivers are you using? The default video card drivers that are
built into XP are extremely old and "lamed." It is always better to
get the revised drivers from the card's manufacturer or video chip
makers (nVidia.)

Also, if you have a LCD TV, yo should look for pssible drivers on the
manufacturer's web site.
 
Carole said:
Thanks for this Paul - I tried every different screen resolution that exists
and it had no effect.
BUT ...after several more hours of fiddling about I decided to swap the two
monitors over on the two ports on the card - I plugged my primary PC monitor
into the DVI port (with a DVI/VGA adaptor on it), and the secondary TV
monitor into the VGA port.
Bingo - both worked great in 'clone mode'.

HOWEVER - I still have one problem you may have some ideas on - the entire
point of doing all this was so that I can watch videos that I've downloaded
onto my PC, on the large flat panel TV screen in my bedroom next door to my
office (BBC iPLayer programmes mainly) instead of sitting at my desk to
watch them. When I start the videos they play perfectly normally on my PC,
but the secondary screen shows the application window/frame (Windows Media
Player or whatever else) but the space in the middle where the film should
be is blank. Same when I put it up to full-screen. Any thoughts ?

Thanks very much for your time :-)
Carole
Click to expand...

The second post in this thread, suggests changing the video playback
program, to using VMR9 from the old-fashioned overlay plane output
option. AFAIK, there is only one overlay plane, so only one monitor
would have video if that option was used. I understand the VMR9 option
may change that for you, but don't know anything about the actual
mechanics, and why it works. In may be buried deep in the playback options
of your video player program.

http://forum.digital-digest.com/archive/index.php/t-59754.html

Paul
 
HOWEVER - I still have one problem you may have some ideas on - the entire
point of doing all this was so that I can watch videos that I've
downloaded
onto my PC, on the large flat panel TV screen in my bedroom next door to
my
office (BBC iPLayer programmes mainly) instead of sitting at my desk to
watch them. When I start the videos they play perfectly normally on my PC,
but the secondary screen shows the application window/frame (Windows Media
Player or whatever else) but the space in the middle where the film should
be is blank. Same when I put it up to full-screen. Any thoughts ?

Thanks very much for your time :-)
Carole
Click to expand...

Which drivers are you using? The default video card drivers that are
built into XP are extremely old and "lamed." It is always better to
get the revised drivers from the card's manufacturer or video chip
makers (nVidia.)

Also, if you have a LCD TV, yo should look for pssible drivers on the
manufacturer's web site.

OK - yes I did download latest driver from the card's manufacturer, mainly
because the one on the shipped CD was older than the one I already had
installed (typical)... so I have the latest driver for the card.
However...hadn't thought of downloading anything for the LCD TV site ...to
be honest, I didn't really imagine that drivers for LCD TV's existed....am I
having a 'senior moment'...how the hell do you install a driver on a TV
????? I have a tech support call out to the TV manufacturer (LG), but don't
expect a reply until after Easter (if at all, to be honest). Frustrating
that I've fixed the initial problem of getting both monitors to display, but
now have this damn problem with the video not displaying. Ah well, any
more thoughts greatly appreciated...meanwhile I'll look for drivers on the
TV website and work out how to install them :-((((
 
HOWEVER - I still have one problem you may have some ideas on - the
The second post in this thread, suggests changing the video playback
program, to using VMR9 from the old-fashioned overlay plane output
option. AFAIK, there is only one overlay plane, so only one monitor
would have video if that option was used. I understand the VMR9 option
may change that for you, but don't know anything about the actual
mechanics, and why it works. In may be buried deep in the playback options
of your video player program.

http://forum.digital-digest.com/archive/index.php/t-59754.html

Paul
Click to expand...

Wow - can't believe it...this link takes me to a description of exactly the
same problem I have. Now...sorry to be a bit thick...but what does it mean
where it says 'run MPC, set output to vmr9 renderless' ?? Is this a cmd
line action ? or something else ......?
Have to admit it took me awhile to figure out what AFAIK meant ..thought it
was something like TWAIN ....ah well...we can't all be a genius.
I'd be grateful for guidance on 'MPC' thanks.
Carole
 
Carole said:
Wow - can't believe it...this link takes me to a description of exactly the
same problem I have. Now...sorry to be a bit thick...but what does it mean
where it says 'run MPC, set output to vmr9 renderless' ?? Is this a cmd
line action ? or something else ......?
Have to admit it took me awhile to figure out what AFAIK meant ..thought it
was something like TWAIN ....ah well...we can't all be a genius.
I'd be grateful for guidance on 'MPC' thanks.
Carole
Click to expand...

MPC = Media Player Classic ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Player_Classic

The important part, is to look for rendering options. Video used to
play on the "overlay plane" on the video card, and "VMR9" is a
newer option. You'd look in the Options or Preferences of your
player application, for more info.

I don't play a lot of video myself, but have heard of this issue.

Paul
 
YES !!!!!

when you mentioned 'overlay' I remembered seeing something about that on the
nVidia control panel, so went in and played around with the overlay options.
Can't remember exactly what I did, but changed the settings for 'full screen
video' and clicked another couple of obvious options...it's all working
:-))))))) can see the video great in the next room, can't believe it after
all this effort. Thanks so much. All I need now is sound...heh heh.....not
a prob though, I just need a longer jack plug (phono) cable...I've tested
the one I've got with my laptop and it works but is too short to reach my
desktop. Will sort that after Easter. Have a great weekend...I'm off to
get a celebratory glass of wine. :-))
Carole
 
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