S video dilema...

[fundmark19]

I am currently building a MAME machine and got a video card with s-video out. Finished installing all of my controls and everything go to plug the computer into tv only to find out s-video cable doesn't fit. Quickly google the problem and find out there are 2 sets of s video 4 pin and 7 pin.

Does anyone know of a way to convert 4 pin to 7 pin or what would be the best way to connect my computer to an old school crt tv. Have cable in s video and rca.

Video card had 7 pin s video vga and I think dvi

[Rathji]

Pretty sure the top result here will work 15 Pin VGA to S-video AV RCA TV Cable Converter Adapter

Would obviously need a DVI-VGA cable or DVI-VGA converter as well

[fundmark19]

I actually just stumbled upon this little guy. I ordered one and hopefully it works. Does seem a little to good to be true but if it works great!
http://www.svideo.com/7p1.html

[Frank MetaMusil]

Sorry for the extra gear you had to order....I didn't know the type would be different when you picked it up.

[Ducay]

Is it an ATI card? ATI uses a 7-pin out connector that can be adapted an outputted into a number of formats depending on the card. I've had ATI 7-pin adapters that change the 7-pin output into: Component, Composite, S-Video, etc.

I've got a few kicking around if you want one(I think I have a 7-pin to Component and a 7-pin to composite/s-video). You might want to check out what the card can output first.

[fundmark19]

Frank not your fault! Who makes 2 of the same named cord for 2 different applications. Seems like all home tv purposes are 4 pin and video cards and computer non sense 7 pin. And then you would assume there would be a simple adapter like keyboards have but apparently there is not that much available.

[Ducay]

In other news, 7-pin /= 9-pin apparently. ATI & Nvidia use 9pin

[fundmark19]

In other other news I tried hooking it up and picture is not coming through to the crt. All I get is a bunch of distorted neon lines. Anyone have any idea what this could be? I need to find another tv or something that takes s video to find out if its the adater or the tv I have installed in my cabinet

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

In other other news I tried hooking it up and picture is not coming through to the crt. All I get is a bunch of distorted neon lines. Anyone have any idea what this could be? I need to find another tv or something that takes s video to find out if its the adater or the tv I have installed in my cabinet

You may have to set the resolution of the TV through your computer settings.

[fundmark19]

So I tested tv with a dvd player and it looks fine so it must be the connection coming from my computer. If I were to just use a vga to composite converter would it just treat the tv as a monitor? Or would I still need to ensure that my vid card can do vga output to tv.

here is the vid card I am running NVIDIA Quadro FX 540 and I am trying to connect it to an old school crt 27 inch monitor has s video or composite input. I cant seem to get it to show proper image from the s video connector as it just shows scattered neon lines.

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

You may have to set the resolution of the TV through your computer settings.

How do I know what the tv settings are?

[Bobblehead]

A Mame system, what OS are you using?

In Windows there is usually an app (or in the driver settings) where you define what you have hooked up,

If it is a linux mame then you will need to go through the linux video settings app or going in and start manually editing the xorg.conf file.

[fundmark19]

Using windows xp running mame 139

In windows for the nvidea settings it detects the tv. But when I go to switch it over that's when the neon goes nuts

[Ducay]

Did you try the composite connection? What about connecting to another monitor?

[fundmark19]

Compsoite didn't work either doesn't even show as tv is connected. S vid at least showed tv was connected

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

How do I know what the tv settings are?

An old CRT TV should be at 720x480i but windows will probably give the choice of 480p with a 29 or 30hz refresh rate. That's how my HD CRT TV that runs at 1080i works. Windows reads it as 1080p at 29hz. Actually now it reads it as interlaced but I'm pretty sure in Vista it said 1080p

To check and maybe change the resolution in Windows7, right click on open desktop, click Personalize and choose Display. Then choose Adjust Resolution. You should see a picture showing the two displays. The TV should be labled 2, click on that and choose Extend desktop to this display and there will also be a resolution drop down. Windows 7 does this automatically but I think on XP you may have to do most of this manually.

XP is going to be slightly different to get into Control Panel and adjust, maybe choose All Control Panel Items and then choose Display.

[fundmark19]

So the lowest windows is letting me set tv is 600 x 800

This is what my tv looks like when connected to computer. Sorry for bad quality but you get the jist of the neon

[Vulcan]

Maybe an older video driver would have a lower resolution choice?

[fundmark19]

I will have to give that a try as well. A generous CPer is lending me a video card to try out that has 4 pin s video out so I can try with it so see if it will work for me!

[fundmark19]

Got the video card looks pretty snazzy! Looks like I may need an adapter to 6 pin from my power supply it is 4 -5 years old. Im assuming it is lp4 and need to adapt to 6 pin. Anyone in mckenzie town area have one I could try out / purchase for the night. If not I will just drive down to memory express and pick one up.