Can't get S-Video Out on Abit Geforce 4 4200

[kallekill]

I got an Abit Siluro Geforce 4 4200 with a Philips TV-out chip. There is a special output on the card that looks like a s-video out but you have to connect a cable that splits the video to one s-video cable and one composite cable.

With composite out I get picture on the TV with both the nvidia drivers and TV-Tool but when I'm using a S-video cable I only get black picture. In tv tool I get black picture that flickers with grey distortions.

Anyone know what the problem might be? Does someone have a abit geforce 4 card were s-video out works?

[I.R]

I got a gainward 4200.... TV out works in both extended desktop and clone....... I think TVtool is the problem with the philips chip..... well TVtool support was non existent for philips chips when I last looked (ages ago).... try using the desktop properties to get nView working...... oh yeah and try this in troubleshooting next time too :p

[kallekill]

The Philips chip is supported in TV Tool 6.5. I've tried with the nview too but I still don't get any picture using the s-video cable. I'm thinking it could be something wrong with the s-video/composite split cable that came with the card. Does the gainward card also have such a cable or does it have composite and s-video outputs directly on the card itself?

[whetu]

possibly silly question: have you set svhs as your analog output? and further to that, have you set your AV input on your telly/vcr to svhs?

[kallekill]

In TVTool I set the output to s-video. The funny thing is that sometimes I get a really weird distorted picture that I can see is the tv-output when using s-video but have chosen composite out in TV-Tool. As soon as I choose s-video in TV-Tool the screen turns completely black.

I got a geforce 2 mx in my other computer that I’ve connected to the same TV using the same cable without a problem. That card has two outputs. One s-video and one composite and I don't have to use a cable that splits s-video/composite.

In nview I can't find an option for choosing between different outputs, but I think I would get a discoloured picture even if I choose the wrong output in the drivers.

I'm wondering if my card is broken or if it's just the splitcable. Im gonna try to get hold of a splitcable from an old geforcecard but I don't know if it will fit.

[SecretSquirrel]

Try replacing the cable with a non-splitting one if you can, otherwise ask the supplier to let you try another cable. Then another card if need be, and then his wif....er, strike that.

also, for the card-side options, try Displ. Prop > Settings > Advanced > nview > device settings (down the bottom) > Output Device!!

[edit] I take it yuor card has one of those non-generic stupid-ass connectors that means you HAVE to have the splitter...not just a live svideo cable?

[mird-OC]

[another_silly_question]

have you set the output to PAL? (svideo doesn't carry NTSC)

[kallekill]

[I take it yuor card has one of those non-generic stupid-ass connectors that means you HAVE to have the splitter...not just a live svideo cable?]

Yep. That the stupid thing. I have to use that cable. I friend has a similar splitter for his Geforce 2 card. I'm going to try that, but I don't know if it will fit. Otherwise I will try to get just a new cable from the supplier.

(I'm really beginning to hate mail-order. First they forgot to send me the the RAM i ordered but they had charged me for it. It took some calling and convincing to make them understand that they had not sent it. Then after a week of constant reboots I found out that my harddrive was broke. I'm still waiting to get a new one. And now the graphic card. Then my soundcard made some cracking noises the other day and stopped working until I rebooted. I hope I don't have to return that too. It works fine now though)

I checked Displ. Prop > Settings > Advanced > nview > device settings (down the bottom) > Output Device
but I can not find an s-video/composite option. Actually in the manual that came with the card I can see such an option in a picture of the output device menu, but it's not there in my drivers and I've tried both the abit drivers and nvidia drivers.

As for PAL or NTSC I’ve tried them both but NTSC works fine with s-video cable on my old computer.