Help with setting up a monitor and TV

[Boarder250]

Ive tried alot but scared to mess something up at this point..I know it must be fairly simple so if I could get some info please.

HP computer, Samsung Syncmaster, Sony 60' TV, Radeon HD 2400 Graphics Card, Vista Home Premium

So my graphics card has 3 ports, 2 normal computer monitor hook ups, and a S-video in the middle. The only way ive been able to get it to work on my Sony TV, is hook up the Svideo to it, unplug the monitor, then turn the PC on and it will work on the TV. Now what i want to is not have to unplug/plug stuff in..and be able to switch between the 2 screens, or have the 2 screens play the same picture. In display setting under Monitor 2 I cant seem to change it to Sony TV or anything of the sort, I have no idea. Altho ive got the TV hooked up thru S-Video it does have one of the actual computer monitors plugs on the TV if thats the only way..I just dont have the cord. Hope to get it working the way I want with the s-video cable on monitor 2.

Any suggestions or help on this be appreciated !!

 

[MrNeeds]

Ive tried alot but scared to mess something up at this point..I know it must be fairly simple so if I could get some info please.

HP computer, Samsung Syncmaster, Sony 60' TV, Radeon HD 2400 Graphics Card, Vista Home Premium

So my graphics card has 3 ports, 2 normal computer monitor hook ups, and a S-video in the middle. The only way ive been able to get it to work on my Sony TV, is hook up the Svideo to it, unplug the monitor, then turn the PC on and it will work on the TV. Now what i want to is not have to unplug/plug stuff in..and be able to switch between the 2 screens, or have the 2 screens play the same picture. In display setting under Monitor 2 I cant seem to change it to Sony TV or anything of the sort, I have no idea. Altho ive got the TV hooked up thru S-Video it does have one of the actual computer monitors plugs on the TV if thats the only way..I just dont have the cord. Hope to get it working the way I want with the s-video cable on monitor 2.

Any suggestions or help on this be appreciated !!

hi and welcome to vista forums,
you are set up correctly its just a case of the correct settings within the catalyst control center, type in the start menu, "catalyst control center" and start it up, you will get a list of options on the left of that window, find "displays manager", and go to the second display (should be called desktop 2), and right click on that and select "clone desktop 1 with monitor", you should be getting a picture on the tv now.

 

[Boarder250]

Ugh I dont have Catalyst Control Center anymore... I think windows made me install it on an auto update, and I never used it before or needed it, it just kept popping up saying "this etc is not correct" every time i turned on cpu, so I uninstalled it.

Is that the only way to do it, will I need to redownload that program?

 

[MrNeeds]

Ugh I dont have Catalyst Control Center anymore... I think windows made me install it on an auto update, and I never used it before or needed it, it just kept popping up saying "this etc is not correct" every time i turned on cpu, so I uninstalled it.

Is that the only way to do it, will I need to redownload that program?

you could do it via windows, right click the desktop and go to personalize, go to display settings at the bottom and you will see your 2 monitors, click on 2 and underneath that is a checkbox saying "extend the desktop to this monitor" tick that and apply, you should have something on your tv, with just your background image on there, just drag your windows over to the right to see them on your tv.

 

[AstaLaVista]

Only thing I can add is to make sure both Resolutions (TV & Monitor) are set the same, otherwise, you may or may not be able to see your icons on the TV... at least, that's what usually happenes to me

 

[Boarder250]

Ugh I dont have Catalyst Control Center anymore... I think windows made me install it on an auto update, and I never used it before or needed it, it just kept popping up saying "this etc is not correct" every time i turned on cpu, so I uninstalled it.

Is that the only way to do it, will I need to redownload that program?

you could do it via windows, right click the desktop and go to personalize, go to display settings at the bottom and you will see your 2 monitors, click on 2 and underneath that is a checkbox saying "extend the desktop to this monitor" tick that and apply, you should have something on your tv, with just your background image on there, just drag your windows over to the right to see them on your tv.

Ive followed all this and even tried it before but it still wont recognize the TV. It only will if I turn off computer unplug monitor and just have S-video to the TV hooked up.

What else can I try?

 

[MrNeeds]

Ugh I dont have Catalyst Control Center anymore... I think windows made me install it on an auto update, and I never used it before or needed it, it just kept popping up saying "this etc is not correct" every time i turned on cpu, so I uninstalled it.

Is that the only way to do it, will I need to redownload that program?

you could do it via windows, right click the desktop and go to personalize, go to display settings at the bottom and you will see your 2 monitors, click on 2 and underneath that is a checkbox saying "extend the desktop to this monitor" tick that and apply, you should have something on your tv, with just your background image on there, just drag your windows over to the right to see them on your tv.

Ive followed all this and even tried it before but it still wont recognize the TV. It only will if I turn off computer unplug monitor and just have S-video to the TV hooked up.

What else can I try?

install catalyst control center, theres a lot more flexibility with the options and will allow a secondary display connected.

 

[MrNeeds]

ATI Catalystâ„¢ Display Driver - 32bit vista CCC
ATI Catalystâ„¢ Display Driver - 64bit vista CCC
sry for double post, half asleep

 

[Boarder250]

Ok sorry for delayed response, but some help setting up Catalyst be great.

Do I install the software suite and then the additional Display driver only?

and once I do how do I get it up and running like I want

 

[MrNeeds]

the software suite should contain the driver needed to operate, at least they should do. I got Nvidia and they come with drivers in the executable, as for the catalyst control center, i think we need thepizzaman to guide you through that.

 

[stormy13]

Very easy to install ATI drivers. Download the latest; double click on the exe; when asked Typical or Custom, select Custom (do this so you can uncheck F@H, unless you want it that is); wait while the installer installs both the driver (it will overwrite the previous driver) and the CCC; when finished no reboot required.

Then just right click on an open spot on the desktop and select the CCC from the menu, then to configure your displays you want to go here,

If the second monitor (or TV) isn't enabled right click on it and select Enable. Then it is your choice whether you want to set it to Clone mode (shows the same as what is on the primary) or Extended mode (shows things independently of the primary). The is also a fairly extensive Help file you can access by hitting F1.

Regarding the connection to the TV, is it a CRT or a LCD? If it is a CRT leave the connection the way you have it, if it is a LCD and there is a free component connection (the three cable red/blue/green) on the TV then you should use this adapter,

that should have come with your card. You will want to use this if your TV is anything like mine (32" LCD) and you want the TV to display at its native resolution. On mine that is the only way and if I use any other type of connection (single RCA (with adapter), s-video, or VGA), the TV is limited to 1024x768; looks like crap on a TV with a native resolution of 1366x768 (1920x1080 on most larger sets).

Oh and if this,

I think windows made me install it on an auto update

means what I think it means, stop getting your video drivers through Windows Update; only get them from ATI.

 

[thepizzaman]

ok so you are trying to set up a dual monitor correct?

 

[thepizzaman]

does your tv have hdmi input?

 

[Boarder250]

Have it installed and setup. So im at the Catalyst Display Properties screen similar to the windows one that is posted above. Pretty much the same thing is happening..when I try to enable Box2 with the TV, It trys then doesnt work. After it does that it highlights the Desktop Area option like as if I need to change that.

My desktop area is set to 1680x1050, is there something I need to change to do with that? Correct that the monitor and TV both have to be the same resolution? If so how to I change and check my TVs resolution setting?

 

[Boarder250]

Relpying to Pizzamans posts:

Yeah Im trying to set-up dual monitor but the 2nd "monitor" is a 60" sony silicon projection TV, that is currently hooked up thru S-video cable.

Yes it has HDMI but my ps3 is hooked thru it atm, and what im trying to do is not have to unplug / switch stuff around.

But yeah what im trying to do is have the TV cloned to my main PC screen for movies etc, and to be able to have it the extended desktop way, where you can drag stuff over to the TV.

A few posts up where it shows the ATI display properties screen, im at that now but my box2 is showed as a smaller box then than number1, and its always greyed out, cant get it to enable, like my above post says.

 

[thepizzaman]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm................
i'm not sure you can do that with out using the hdmi
never played with the s-video

 

[bruce2]

Hi Boarder250, welcome to the board.

You need one of this Amazon.com: Eforcity Black 6FT /2 Meter HDMI Male to DVI Male Cable: Electronics

or one of this Amazon.com: High Resolution Gold 2m 6ft DVI - DVI Cable for Flat Panel Displays, Hdtv, Plasma: Electronics

Hope this helps.

Bruce

 

[thepizzaman]

Hi Boarder250, welcome to the board.

You need one of this Amazon.com: Eforcity Black 6FT /2 Meter HDMI Male to DVI Male Cable: Electronics

or one of this Amazon.com: High Resolution Gold 2m 6ft DVI - DVI Cable for Flat Panel Displays, Hdtv, Plasma: Electronics

Hope this helps.

Bruce

well he is trying to use s-video.....