S-Video to Component = Blue display?

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Retro

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My pc is connected to a tv with a s-video to component cable. It's a ATI 9800 graphics card. The image I get is very blue-ish, any idea why? I've tried changing settings, changing from PAL to NTSC etc. When I connect it through composite the display is fine, but obviously I want to go for the better option. Here's a screenie:

bluetvks2.jpg
 
You should have it either connected via S-Video or via Component (RCA-type plug)

Some graohics cards have an s-video out with a cable adapter that converts to component/rca, but you can't use both - one or the other only.

If your graphics card supports s-video out connection, then you should be able to set it up or select it via your advanced display properties menu/settings - right-click on the desktop and go to Properties - select Settings, then Advanced - click on the tab showing your graphics card specific settings, then look for something called TV Out (or similar - you may have to "force" the card to detect your TV (the s-video cable should already be connected to your TV. After forcing the connection, re-boot your PC and you should be good to go...
 
I'm not really following you...

The adapter goes into the s-video port on the graphics card and then into the component ports of the tv. The tv only has composite and component ports, no s-video port.
 
I have had similar problems like this before, but with VGA cables, and they turned out to be faulty in the end.

The signal gets out, but with the blue overcast, something doesn't appear to be set right in a setting somewhere. Could be the tv, or a setting in the graphics card.

Do you have progressive scan turned on in the driver or on the tv?

Component is sometimes a tricky beast to get right.
 
Does the cable just randomly change from s-video to component? You would need active circuitry to convert the signal. What's probably happening is that the s-video signal is being spliced with the "component" connectors, making the Pb signal the only active signal (which in turn makes the picture blue). If you definitely need component, look into getting some other hardware to do the conversion
 
sn3rd said:
Does the cable just randomly change from s-video to component?
Click to expand...

No. The cable I'm using has a s-video connector on one side (which plugs into the graphics card) and 3 component connectors on the other side (which plugs into the tv).

If you definitely need component, look into getting some other hardware to do the conversion
Click to expand...

Like what?
 
Retro said:
I'm not really following you...

The adapter goes into the s-video port on the graphics card and then into the component ports of the tv. The tv only has composite and component ports, no s-video port.
Click to expand...


You can't connect S-vid to component. Component has 3 cables (red green blue) and S-vid as 2, excluding sound.
By composite do you mean RCA ? Then you do get a cable s-vid to RCA. That is what I use.

Do you understand now?
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Video

What differentiates S-Video from these higher component video schemes is that S-Video carries the colour information as one signal
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video

Component video is a video signal that has been split into two or more components. In popular use, it refers to a type of analog video information that is transmitted or stored as three separate signals
Click to expand...

You cannot simply use a cable to connect an s-video port on one side to component ports on the other side. It's not that simple. You would need active circuitry to demodulate the "mixed" signal from the s-video into component outputs. This will create some degradation (which might make it less worthwhile).

The reason you are getting blue is because you are connecting an s-video signal source (with pins for colour and intensity) directly into a component-video signal drain (with connections for red, green and blue). Thus, only the blue input on the component cable is being used (and is being driven by the colour and intensity signals from the s-video).

Try switching around the cables in various permutations (JUST the blue component cable plugged in, try moving it to the red and green ports, try JUST red component cable plugged in, and in different ports, etc). This will help confirm my theory.

The active circuitry I spoke about is something like this:

http://us.marantz.com/Products/577.asp

This is a bit of an expensive solution though ;) You might be able to find the KWorld TV Box which will sort your problem out (but remember, in the conversion process, you will lose signal information and the picture will degrade)
 
Thanks for the explanation, but then why do you even get a cable like this if you can't use it?

Will a DVI to component adapter work?
 
Retro said:
Thanks for the explanation, but then why do you even get a cable like this if you can't use it?
Click to expand...

because the port you are plugging it into on the graphics card isnt an s-video port.

it is a looky-likey, that carries svideo, as well as component signals. betcha is has 7 or more pins...instead of the usual 4.

betcha also it is probably an nvidia card...something like a 6600...which DID COME WITH A SVIDEO TO COMPONENT ADAPTER IN THE BOX (because the port it plugged into wasnt a standard svideo only port).

so you arent going mad...not sure why you are getting the blue colour, but i would guess you have selected component as the output type in the nvidia driver control panel. at a guess, i would say instead of leaving your tv-type on auto, set it to component manually and make your resolution 720x480 for a start
 
Last edited:
werner said:
betcha also it is probably an nvidia card...something like a 6600...which DID COME WITH A SVIDEO TO COMPONENT ADAPTER IN THE BOX (because the port it plugged into wasnt a standard svideo only port).
Click to expand...

Nope, ATI 9800

so you arent going mad...not sure why you are getting the blue colour, but i would guess you have selected component as the output type in the nvidia driver control panel. at a guess, i would say instead of leaving your tv-type on auto, set it to component manually.
Click to expand...

I couldn't find anywhere to specify between s-video or component output.
 
werner is right about it probably being a proprietary port. Check the port and see if it has 7 pins or 5 pins. You might try (and this is a bit round about) using the adapter that probably came with the card. That might have the 7-pin plug. That might work...

@Retro:
Did you try swap out the cables as I suggested before? If so, what were the results? Did they confirm my suspicions?

They sell cables like that because people buy them... Quite simple. True S-Video to Composite Video cables are not quite what people make them out to be. It can sometimes be a mission to get it to work (something to do with control signals), yet S-video to S-video works well (pretty much) every time.

Regarding converting between DVI and Component: it's quite possible. They deliver the data in different ways, but the idea is similar. Check out http://www.svideo.com/hdtvaiwr8500.html

But now, come to think of it, werner said a mouthful. Did you buy the cable from some third party? Or did it come with the card... ? If you bought it separately, you might try using the provided cable or try getting an equivalent. The 7-pin / 5-pin story might make all the difference.
 
I just remembered that on my 8800GTX, it has a port that looks like S-video, and will even take a normal s-video cable. However, the port has a few more pins than standard s-video, and then splits into the 3 component cables.

I think that as been mentioned here already, those extra pins may make the difference. But if you are already using the proper cable that came with the card, then I'm lost about the blueness.
 
Asha'man X said:
But if you are already using the proper cable that came with the card
Click to expand...


is that the case? did that cable come with the card...? it doesnt look like the type ati supply, as they tend to be pretty keen on supplying their stuff in a breakout-box instead of just a cable that splits, which is why i tended to guess it was an nvidia cable.

if the cable is from "some random card" then i wouldnt bet on it working.
 
werner said:
is that the case? did that cable come with the card...? it doesnt look like the type ati supply, as they tend to be pretty keen on supplying their stuff in a breakout-box instead of just a cable that splits, which is why i tended to guess it was an nvidia cable.

if the cable is from "some random card" then i wouldnt bet on it working.
Click to expand...

Nope, the cable didn't come with the card. So whats my options if I want to use component? Try a DVI to component cable?
 
If you can find something that does it. Theoretically it is possible (mainly because DVI also splits the video signal into RGB), but practically I don't know if it is feasible, since the DVI signal is digital while the component signal is analog. You might want to decide whether it's really worthwhile to go for the component video option. Maybe on that particular TV, you won't notice enough of a difference for it to bother you?
 
I've got a similar problem.

I got a "adapter black box thingy" with my 6600GT card. I used this from the s-video out of the graphics card and then to another cable that ends in a RCA plug that I connect to my CRT TV's yellow Video input. This worked perfect.

But now I have a Chaintec 8800GT and I can't get the signal to stay on my CRT TV.
I connect the same way as I have done before, but as Windows starts up, I can see the "Windows loading" screen. Then it just disappears and I get a blue screen.

I have tried everything I know of.

Is the s-video to component(plus s-video) adapter I got with my Gigabyte 6600GT compatible with my new 8800GT?
 
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