Powerbook/TV problem...

I had this problem once on a pc, I never did figure it out but it is a really weird problem.

I am curious if anyone knows the answer to this as well.

I am sure it has to do with NTSC and PAL format. When you connect the external monitor goto system prefs-displays, and play with the settings there, choose different color schemes and try..

hope it helps

I suspect that you may be connecting an S-Video out (from you laptop) to a non S-Video compatible input on your TV or video unit. The result of this is a black and white image. The solution is to use the S-Video to Component adaptor that came with the PowerBook to convert the S-Vid signal to Component (RCA). You can then plug this into the component video input on your tv/vhs player (yellow rca jack) or through a scart adaptor.

Alternatively, as if you needed more options, you may be able to use your original cabling setup but set the TV input to an S-Vid compatible AV channel (often depicted as a TV screen with an S inside it on the on screen display).

Hope this is of some help - I have had to work out how do exactly the same thing over the past few days and am passing on the peculiarities I found out in the process.

Best of luck, the results are worth it.

Al

solution:

here is how i connected a powerbook g4 500 mhz to the tv:

a. i restarted powerbook WHILE command-option-p-r are pressed down, and i kept holding them down, until i heard the computer directly restarting a second time. that is how one zaps the pram, and frees the computer of previously stored video settings.

b. i got myself some cables. here is what i got:

- a video adapter cable for the tv. on one end, i can plug it into the tv using a scart plug. the other end has female cinch-plugs (3 of them: yellow video, red and black audio plugs), and it has an s-video plug.

- an audio adapter cable for the powerbook. on one end, it plugs into the powerbook (3.5 mm stereo), the other end is a black/red cinch male plug to go into the video adapter cable for the tv.

- an s-video cable (s-video plugs on both ends). this was a wrong purchase, but keep reading. DONT GET THIS CABLE if you are coming up with a shopping list..

- an s-video - to video (yellow cinch) plug- converter cable. (that's the one to get!).


c. here is how i hooked it up:

first attempt: s-video cable to go from powerbook into s-video plug on video adapter cable. audio cable to go from 3.5mm-audio-out on powerbook to yellow cinch - plug on video adapter cable. result: perfect audio, perfectly crisp but strangely colorless image on tv. i was able to reproduce the experience of other powerbook users, who report grayscale tv image display that can not be fixed, whatever one does on the setup software side.

second attempt (after playing with os x video setup, reading other reports about the same problem and concluding it had to be a hardware problem): s-video-adaptercable to connect s-video on powerbook to yellow videocinch plug on video adaptercable going into scart on tv. audio cable as previously specified. result: perfect color image.

caveats: some scart plugs may have very sharp connectors so you may accidentally cut yourself. make sure, you don't have a loose contact; some cables fall out due to their sheer weight.

d. mac setup after physical connection to tv

each time i hook up a new display, i end up pulling up the system preferences > displays control panel to set arrangement, resolution, color depth; os x panther allows one to optimize output for tv and employ overscanning. also, it may make sense to run through a color calibration when first hooking up a new display device.

I'm pretty sure that this is exactly what I suggested on the 8th August, except you seem to be using the term 'video-cinch' as opposed to 'component'. I'm pleased you've now got is sussed though, it is very satisfying when a plan comes together.

A

pinks said:

The solution is to use the S-Video to Component adaptor that came with the PowerBook to convert the S-Vid signal to Component (RCA). You can then plug this into the component video input on your tv/vhs player (yellow rca jack) or through a scart adaptor.

Click to expand...

Yes, just what you posted on August 8th. What threw me off initially, though, was the part 'that came with the PowerBook'.

It took me a moment to find out that S-Video-to-RCA / cinch adapters are by no means restricted to Apple computers.