NVidia TV out in black and white!

[ash_law]

Same problem with my 5200. I got it going great, until the Nvidia tray icon (that I used to toggle between clone mode with my TV, and single view) mysteriously vanished, and won't come back (even after re-installing the drivers).

Now I'm stuck with permanent clone view, with the TV output now in black and white. I can still access the nvidia desktop manger through control panel, but it has to be the most un-user friendly setup I have ever seen.

Please, I want to watch movies with COLOUR again. Not black and white.

I'm pretty illiterate when it comes to PC's (probably pretty obviouse), so try and be specific if you can help me out.

Thanks guys.

[ash_law]

Just thought I’d put in my experience in the hope that it helps out someone. <O> </O>
I too (like the initial post) have just replaced an MX440 card with an FX 5200 and had the same problem of only being able to get a black & white signal to the TV.
<O> </O>
I was using the same 4-pin S-Video to composite (RCA) adaptor that I was using with the old card, so even though I had seen suggestions that the adaptor could be at fault, I didn’t think that was the case here. After trying EVERY setting I could find (10 times each), I was getting close to throwing away my new card and buying something that did not have an NVIDIA chip in it.
<O> </O>
As a final attempt at maintaining the small amount of sanity I had left, I decided to go and buy a cheap 4-pin S-Video to composite (RCA) adaptor (I got the type that is just an adaptor, and does not have a cable like my existing one). AND IT WORKED FIRST BOOT.
<O></O>
<O>Conclusion </O>
So even if you are as sure as I was that the cable is not at fault because it worked with another card (or worked before with this card). Don’t believe yourself! Everyone else knows you can’t be trusted, so listen to them and just spend a couple of bucks on another adaptor to try it out (and if that fails, maybe try a more expensive 7-pin adaptor just in case).
<O> </O>
And to GRCE
Here is where you find the option to select the output format…
Right click on desktop.
Go to Properties.
Click the “Settings” tab.
Click the “Advanced” button.
Select the “GeForce FX 5200” tab.
Select “nView Display Settings”.
Right click on the picture that represents your TV.
Go to “Select TV Format” then down to (and click on) “Advanced”.
Here you will see the option to choose the output options that you couldn’t find.
<O> </O>
In my case… (<ST1lace w:st="on"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:country-region w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:country-region></ST1lace>) B/PAL for the signal format, and “S-Video-Out” for the output format.
<O> </O>
Note: Since the initial connection to the card is by S-Video (even though it’s then reduced to RCA) I still need to select either “Auto-Select” or “S-Video”. If you choose “Composite” with this set-up, you will get a picture on the TV only during the start of the boot process and it will disappear when Windows starts to load.

Thanks for your help, buddy. Tried absolutely everything, but was still stuck in black and white (saturation was set to 114% - still in B&W though). But followed your instructions and yeh, 'S-video' didn't change a thing, so i set it to 'composite'... and now I'm back to colour

Kind of weird how it worked fine at first, then decided to change the settings on its own accord. Nvidia drivers are a very strange thing.

Thanks again for the help.

[Metalfyre]

As a final attempt at maintaining the small amount of sanity I had left, I decided to go and buy a cheap 4-pin S-Video to composite (RCA) adaptor (I got the type that is just an adaptor, and does not have a cable like my existing one). AND IT WORKED FIRST BOOT.

Well that did the trick for me as well. Bought an inexpensive cable to convert s-video to composite and voila: color! Thnx a lot!

[whitecloud]

Hi, hate to bother but I am having the same problem with Nvidia Personal Cinema GeForce FX Graphics card, unable to get it as a video editing monitor for editing my home movies, nothing shows up on my TV, zip, nada, zilch.

To be honest never really used it and now I am unable to figure the system out.

Any help will be appreciated.

[wastedweasel]

doesnt that one come with some type of AV breakout box, that you connect inputs and outputs to the same connection?

[Zachary]

Some idea how to solve the problem

I had the same problem with the B/W TV from my TV-Output after changing my graphic card to XFX 7600. The solution was actually quite simple. Instead of using the 4 pin S-video to Composite or 4 pin S-video to 4 pin S-video, i use the included 9 pin S-video to Component Breakout box included in the box. The box with 3 composite like connector, connected with the S-video. I then connect it to the middle connector and everything work perfect. If you have this box. give it a try.

[whitecloud]

Yes, it does come with the video, component etc but somehow unable to get the tv to be used as a monitor, so far.

the Tv has only one audio and one video input (RCA) jacks.

[spi boi]

i had been searching aroudn for a couple of weeks now on the net while my tv out is now in black n white also...im running a nvidia geforce 6600gt and was previously using an ati radeon 9700 pro til it ****ed up... but i couldnt get tv out to come out in colour with teh nvidia.. the card come with a tv out connector with the which i thinks a 4 pin s video.. as well as a blue / red & green rcas... which u use in conjuction with a rca to rca plug.. and connect to the av1 video in socket on ur tv...

reading the official nvidia support faqs.. where they say to change from composite to s video or vice versa.. n change the tv setting.. ie. b/pal which is what i use in aus... none of that helped...

anyways.. finally got it working today.. after wasting 10 bucks on a new rca to rca lead (which wasnt the problem i was soon to find out)....
i plug in the new lead.. its still black and white.. i goto the control panel n change it to composite... and magic it worked!

and then i go back and plug in my original lead.. and that works too now.. so dont know wot the hell it was... but now it colour so im happy... just note to use the blue rca from the card.. if u have the same connectors as me.. coz the other rcas produce no output wotsoever on my tv...

so yay for colour!

[Niggolas]

I was searching everywhere for a solution to this problem, I tried connecting those pins and even bought a new cable, nothing worked. Well, I then remembered that someone said to change the channel to something other then AV so I did and when I changed back it was color =) I have to do it everytime I turn on the tv but its not that big of a deal, color roxx! =)

[whitecloud]

Solved my problem, the hard way bought a analog LCD monitor at BB for $80.
The downsize is that the Graphic card cost me $125.

Now i can use use one monitor for video, photo, etc. while going in the internet or whatever.

[apagogic]

Twisted wire solution

Well, like everybody else here i got the same problem - no color, only B/W.
I read through all posts and tried everything in Settings on my NVIDIA GeForce 6200 Turbo Cache, and finally came to try the wire/pin modification of the S-Video plug... but i did it with a twist (buying new cables and stuff when it might be possible to modify seemed boring and meaningless).
I wanted to know WHY this wire modification would work in the first place, googled, and came to this simple but great site:

http://pinouts.ru/VideoCables/svhs_scart_pinout.shtml

Instead of trying to apply a small, small, small piece of wire to connect pin 3 [Y - Intensity (Luminance)] and pin 4 [C - Color (Chrominance)], at the S-Video end... I simply opened the SCART end and connected pin 15 with pin 20. A lot more space. It took me about 2.5 minutes, and I used a tiny metal paper clip. Seemed a lot easier, and it worked instantly. No 4-pin S-Video to composite (RCA) adaptor, or composite settings or anything. But PAL ofcourse. Might be helpful. Thx vehemence and Strakha for all good info.

[Gustavp]

Argh, this is making me insane.

I've got 2 funtions on my TV: AV & SVHS
My tv has 1 scart connection and RCA video/audio connection
All my svideo cables are 4 pin cables.

I first had a geforce 6600gt and it worked fine with a svideo - RCA cable to my tv. (AV)
Then some stuff leaked in my tv and screwed up my videocard in some way while I was on holiday.

So i got the geforce 7600gt and it was... B/W! (AV)
Installed new drivers (still had the ForceWare 84.21, now 91.47), still B/W
Bought a svideo - svideo cable and a scart adapter and it worked fine
(SVHS in color, AV B/W)

And now, all of a sudden it's B/W again.

Tried three different cables (2x svideo/ 1x svideo/tulip)
Tried the old drivers... Nothing.

The weird thing is, when I put the settings at M/NTSC (should be Pal/B), I get color on the AV and B/W on SVHS.
But the color is crappy, it kinda flickers sometimes and sometimes flickers to b/w...

Also on Linux it's b/w... (that worked in color too!)

I haven't tried the thing with connecting the scart 15-20 or svideo 3-4...

Or maybe a new scart adapter?

[Gustavp]

So I tried out connecting the scart 15 with 20
the only thing that changed was that in AV, M/NTSC mode, it was also B/W..

Il guess I'll go to the store in the morning, buy more junk,
hope to fix it.

[hulax]

I have a laptop with GF7600go and had the same problem - tv-out came only in BW, tried everything and what do u know...... nothing worked!

Anyway i have the tv connected to the pc via S-video->Scart cable (15m) but i can only get color when i set it to COMPOSITE video from nvidia settings :S it's ridiculous but it works, so try that. Maybe the nvidia drivers have the composite and svideo options mixed up

[Gustavp]

I tried composite and then I get nothing, not even black/white