Playing movies from computer to TV, w/ GF4 Ti4200

[Kerilana]

I recently had to reinstall Windows XP sp1.

Now I went to setup my tv out connection that I use to watch movies on my television. I can get my desktop to show up on the computer but whenever I try to play a movie, I just get a black screen. I know the connection is good at least.

I'm using the latest Nvidia drives (45.23??). Nview works as I can clone my desktop but still nothing in motion will show up.

Is there some setting I'm missing to get this to work. Before I used to simply open WinDVD or Windows Media and a Full screen version would play on the TV while I could do whatever else on the computer. This was very useful to keep others entertained while I got work done.

I appreciate any help or suggestions.

[Janissary]

Did you check you nview settings, the secondary display output must be set to TV mode.

[Kerilana]

Originally posted by Janissary
Did you check you nview settings, the secondary display output must be set to TV mode.

Yes, it says TV/ NTSC. And it gives a lovely replication of my desktop background picture in the 640x480 television resolution on the TV. However, no moving pictures. It will display the WinDVD program but no movement within the window when a DVD is playing. I must be a setting but I don't know which.

Last time (before I reinstalled XP), it showed the desktop until I turned on a movie application at which time it would go full screen on the TV and display the movie.

[Kerilana]

Just in case anyone else runs into this.

The fix was easy.

Go to the overlay controls section of the Nvidia driver settings page. Make sure Video overlay is selected and that Full screen mode is on autodetect.

Then it works.

BTW, http://www.tvtool.info is a great site for TV-out related questions.

[Janissary]

Well if you can see the desktop on your TV it does not seem to be the nview settings then. Well after installing SP1 on my system some of my drivers failed to work properly, it may be a good idea to reload the drivers of your graphics card and also reload WinDvD and try again, I hope this will help you.

[Janissary]

Ooops, you were fast I must say, you were offline when I logged in and began to write the reply, anyway good to see that you solved your problem

[Puer Aeternus]

What I did was enable the "make this the primary display". So for me primary display was the t.v and then I could watch movies.

I am curious if anyone else has probs I have been having playing dvd's using tv out. I get copy protection warnings.

Another prob I get is that some of my videos on full screen look aweful DVD or otherwise? I have played w/ the settings in nview and after a week of tweaking I went back to watching movies on my 19 inch monitor-better picture less hassle.

Kerilana, let me know what success you have or if the same probs happen to you...maybe I can resolve some of my issues too.

Thanks,
puer

[Phoenix87]

Windows midea will only play a movie to your primary display. Very stupid IMO.

[Kerilana]

Originally posted by Puer Aeternus
What I did was enable the "make this the primary display". So for me primary display was the t.v and then I could watch movies.

I am curious if anyone else has probs I have been having playing dvd's using tv out. I get copy protection warnings.

Another prob I get is that some of my videos on full screen look aweful DVD or otherwise? I have played w/ the settings in nview and after a week of tweaking I went back to watching movies on my 19 inch monitor-better picture less hassle.

Kerilana, let me know what success you have or if the same probs happen to you...maybe I can resolve some of my issues too.

Thanks,
puer

I use an S-video to RCA adapter to get the signal to my TV. Make sure the overlay controls menu under the driver settings has something that says video overlay selected and full screen mode set to auto.

Also goto www.tvtool.info and use that to tweak everything. It's quite useful. The forums there are helpful as well.

Windows midea will only play a movie to your primary display. Very stupid IMO.

Actually it works quite well with my setup. Windows XP Ti4200 Video.

[Puer Aeternus]

Very Good Kerilana! Thanks for the tips:) I will post back w/ my results.

[Puer Aeternus]

WOW TvTool is awesome! Finally my videos look good on T.V and I can play a movie while still working on the computer.

Thanks again for the tip Kerilana!!!!!