S-Video To RCA Vista

[brandondrury]

This isn't an audio question, but I figured maybe someone here would know the answer.

I'm helping a buddy (Running Vista) hook his computer up to his TV. (I've done this a zillion trillion times in XP with no trouble.) He's got a 3rd party video card with VGA, DVI, and S-Video out. I have no problem manipulating the VGA and DVI outs with dual monitor, cloned, etc. I can get the S-Video to show up as a possible video output. However, anytime I select it I get a little message in control panels that basically says "This S-video cable isn't hooked up to anything".

His TV doesn't have s-video inputs so he has an s-video to RCA adapter that connects to RCA cables running to the TV. When I plug this adapter into my laptop it works fine and signal is sent to the TV. When I attempt to send the signal to the TV on his Dell / Vista machine there is a quick blink on the TV and this it goes back to a black screen.

Any ideas?

Brandon

[garww]

That's a big DK, Convoy Leader !! I don't really mess with this, but I thought a screen goes blank when there is a sync issue - at the video card.

[magno]

Sounds to me like it's the svideo adapter giving you the problem.
I would try hooking up a DVD player instead.
Edit:
WTF was I thinking? I was hooking up a patchbay and wasn't exactly in video mode.
DVD players don't have s video inputs, do they? Maybe some recorders do.
garwww is right about the sync issue I think.
I may be a bit behind on video technologies, but this aint no video forum.
S video and RCA cables aren't ideal for sending signals on long runs.
So here's what I would do.
Keep your S video cable from the computer short, plug that in to the s video to RCA adapter, again use short RCA cables to a VCR.
The video card should have something to sync to now.
Ideally now you can run coax to you TV, or go with the RCA cables.