PC to TV [as secondary monitor]

I would like to make a TV the 'secondary monitor' instead of the PC monitor (which works fine). Device Manager says that the Display Adapter is RADEON 7000 / RADEON VE Family. I have connected the secondary monitor socket on the video card via a Dick Smith PCtoTV converter to the TV's RCA Video input socket without success. I've tried another product, almost twice the cost with the same negative result. What might be lacking (in the TV or the PC) ?

I connected that same TV input video socket via the Dick Smith converter from a laptop, and the result was an 'image' which drifted diagonally, but of which I could see only a border. When that laptop was connected via a cable from its S-video sicket to the same TV input video socket, a b/w image of ONLY the desktop appeared, without shortcuts or open programs.

I've added the information about the laptop just in case it is useful, and more importantly, because it gave the beginnings of success which attempts with the PC failed to achieve.

 

If you have the ATI software installed, which should be accessed by an icon in the Notification Tray, right-clicking on a blank space on the desktop or in the Start -> All Programs list, look in the Help section/menu.

There will be information about connecting a TV as a monitor at the ATI website (presently, their server seems to be down http://support.amd.com/us/).

Here are some instructions, check if you have missed anything
http://www.howtodothings.com/electronics/a3543-how-to-use-your-tv-as-a-computer-monitor.html
http://ask-leo.com/can_i_use_my_tv_as_a_second_monitor.html

Have you tuned the TV to the correct fequency? Note for older TV's you need to use a low resolution (but that is set from within Windows).

Matt

 

There is NO icon for ATI in the systray (yet the card works VERY well for two PC monitors), nor does ATI show in \All Programs\, \Program Files\ or from Desktop Context menu.
Display; Settings tab; refers to Radeon but NOT to ATI.
Thank you for the referrals to those URLs - which I will check in due course.

 

Radeon is an ATI GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). It looks like ATI software has not been installed, only drivers. That should not be a problem if the graphics appear to work correctly, you use the settings (tab) in Display to make any adjustments.

Before you can make any settings in Windows, when you startup the computer, you need to see the startup (splash) screens on both the monitor and TV (secondary monitor). Try stopping the computer at the BIOS/configuration settings and see if you can adjust the TV there. At startup, the graphics adapter should be showing a low resolution image on both "heads ".

Matt

 

I have seen the ATI systray icon and its options in Display's Setting tab, Advanced button,
on two laptops, so I am not ignorant of it. I've been unable to get the TV option activated on those laptops; but from Svideo and RCA respectively, I've had a b/w image of whatever
I wanted on the TV.

On the desktop-PC with the Radeon card I've had excellent dual monitor display behaviour, but none for TV. I've added an S3 TRio 32/64 video card to that PC and had a response on the TV through a PCtoTV converter connected to that second card's VGA socket. The response was b/w and unsatisfactory - jumbled shapes, even of '2' when I clicked on Display; Setting tab' s Identify button. I think the converter (new) is faulty.

 

Sebastian, the best I can think of is that the TV is not tuned to the output frequency of the graphics adapter. "Black and white" reminds me of tuning into a TV station, or a VCR/DVD player and if the tuning is not exactly on the signal it will show as b&w, when it is tuned to the station/output is when colours appear.

 

(Edit: don't miss my previous post)
I am having problems opening ATI/AMD webpages, these are all I can get
http://ati.amd.com/sa
http://www.amd.com/us-en/CountryLanguage/0,,3,00.html?AMDWorldflg=1
If you can get to their support/knowledgebase look for TV connection instructions.

Do you want to install the ATI Catalyst drivers/software? Look up the model of your adapter at the manufacturer of the graphics card. For example, the ATI card I have is a 9600XT, it was manufactured by Gecube and is a model GC-R96XT-D3, so I would look up that model at their website get the drivers/software they recommend.

After you install the Catalyst drivers/software, you get a pop-up at start up that offers help/information about connecting a TV.

Matt

 

I agree with you - but the TV has just the one AV channel - there is no option to tune it.