TV-Out Help

[Kumaki]

OK...I know there's an old topic about this floating around, but nothing I try in the Search function gets me where I need to be.

I had Pandy working with my TV-Out cable once...you had to tune it to Channel 00 and there was a way to change the thing from S. Video and so on.

But I do not remember how I did it the one time I was successful.

I can tell you the big old box TV is an RCA Model F27678VC.

I know I have to tune to Channel 00

I do not have the original remote, it is long gone.  I have a DirecTV remote.

When I tune to Channel 00 I get "Unusable Signal" on my screen.

Trying to figure out how I switch modes on this old TV, so I can run my Pandy on it

and THEN...trying to get SMPlayer2 to work on it.

Supposedly, at least...you can get SMPlayer2 to work by selecting the HW/Scale / overlay option, and NTSC and S Video.

Can someone...please please be patient with me and walk me thru the whole process from tuning the TV properly...to Enabling and properly configuring the TV-Out on Pandy...so I can even TRY to see if this works with SMPlayer2?

Thanks, and I'm sorry if there is a dinosaur of a thread out there discussing this, but no amount of searching got me to the thread I was looking for.

Thank you.

 

[LTStone]

I'm busy at the moment , but if anyone doesn't reply soon I'll help you out in a bit, Smplayer will work though as I use it all the time with tv-out.

 

[Kumaki]

Thanks, LT.  I appreciate it.

First thing is getting this old bigbox RCA TV of mine to correctly tune to a useable channel!

 

[Asmo]

I believe this is your old thread:

http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php/topic/11811-vlc-not-working-with-tv-out/

The first thing to check is that you have a signal coming from the Pandora that you can confirm, i.e. with your TV set to channel 00 as it's manual suggests ('AV' input - might be marked as such on a generic remote) assume that the TV is set correctly for now and focus on the Pandora.

If you want to check the TV is sufficiently ready by being at channel 00, try plugging a different device in via the composite or S-Video inputs to see if it shows up on it. However, the manual (old thread above) did say that was the normal way to activate external input, so I'd work on that assumption for now.

Try something on the Pandora that should work without any extra settings enabled.

If you jump straight in and try a media player, you won't be certain you've crossed the first hurdle (that the connection is functioning correctly otherwise).

After that it's down to someone with a cable to guide you, but I think every angle was covered in the previous thread - go to the last post and see if that kicks things into gear!

NB - your set, according to the manual, is automatically directed to it's external (composite/s-video) inputs when you set it to channel 00. This bypasses the tuner, which is only for signals coming in via the RF (antenna) cable, not something you get from the Pandora's TV cable which is connected to the AV ports instead - just in case the 'tuning' reference throws anyone off

 

[Kumaki]

But this is exactly my problem, I can't figure out how to get a useable signal on Channell 00 - and I know I did it before.  Let me look at the old thread, maybe there's something in there I can use...thanks for digging up a dinosaur for me, Asmo!

 

[Asmo]

Your TV being set to channel 00 is what the manual says is the setting for external input, so work on that basis. If it says it's getting an unusable signal then the next step is not with the TV - it's with the signal it can't handle, so assume for now that the TV is good to go and focus on the Pandora.

Your TV is an NTSC system US model, it may not be able to handle a PAL (Euro/Oz etc) signal - the Pandora TV out settings give you both PAL and NTSC options, is it set to NTSC? If not, give that a go first - that could be why it reports an 'unusable' signal...

 

[Kumaki]

Well...no go on getting the source to change

BLE...that I have to have the Pandy actually connected in order for it to know there is S Video or Composite Signal available for the cycle thing to happen?

This is something I did not yet try.

Your TV being set to channel 00 is what the manual says is the setting for external input, so work on that basis. If it says it's getting an unusable signal then the next step is not with the TV - it's with the signal it can't handle, so assume for now that the TV is good to go and focus on the Pandora.

Your TV is an NTSC system US model, it may not be able to handle a PAL (Euro/Oz etc) signal - the Pandora TV out settings give you both PAL and NTSC options, is it set to NTSC? If not, give that a go first - that could be why it reports an 'unusable' signal...

I set it to NTSC and HW Scaler.

What I did not try was seeing if I can change the input on the Channel 00 WHILE THE PANDY IS ACTUALLY HOOKED UP,

Is it possible this could be the problem?  If it is getting no feed from S Video or Composite, maybe it just won't even let you select this?

 

[kirkanoss]

yep has to be on the pandora end, via the settings if not and i don't even want to say it but the tv cable could have also broken a pin. would plug it all up turn up your tv and do everything to bring it up and play something with sound see if that comes out if you hear sound you will know if the vid pin is gone. only thing i can think of if your tv is on and all the av plugs are in the right spots( my main tvout has no colors lol)

 

[Kumaki]

Well, I did not yet try to change the Selection on the TV from Video to S Vid to Composite with the Pandy plugged into the TV Out cable and TV out enabled.

I'm wondering if that makes a difference.

If the TV is not getting any signal that would be S Vid or Composite...it might not let you select that.

 

[Asmo]

I set it to NTSC and HW Scaler.

What I did not try was seeing if I can change the input on the Channel 00 WHILE THE PANDY IS ACTUALLY HOOKED UP,

Is it possible this could be the problem?  If it is getting no feed from S Video or Composite, maybe it just won't even let you select this?

Very doubtful, almost every TV will let you choose an AV input even if there's no signal, and will display one whenever it gets one incoming. I doubt your set is different, but you could try changing channel to a random number then back to 00 again just to see. I would assume for now though that the TV is set correctly simply by being at 00.
Have you got both composite AND S-Video cables connected at the back of the TV? You should, if not do that and see.

In the Pandora's TV-Out configuration settings try both S-Video and Composite output in turn (you have one or the other enabled, not both - if you have S-Video enabled but only have composite cable connected to the TV for example, you'll get no signal).

 

[Kumaki]

No, I have all four cables plugged in in the back.  And the Composite ones are color-coded, so I know I have them all in the right place.  And S Vid you could never plug into the wrong place, lol.

And the TV Cable worked before, I once played Road Fighter on it from my Pandy.  So I know there is a way to make the TV change to allow for Composite or S Vid.  But I'll be danged if I know how I did it.

Any help in that regard would be appreciated.

Bearing in mind I do not possess the original remote for this bigbox RCA...but, rather, use a standard DirecTV remote.

And this all worked with exactly the same setup I now have.  I just wish I remembered how the heck it worked.

 

[kirkanoss]

never made a svid plug myself, they need a svid plug and 3 av plugs? or do you have a 2 in one cable and have both hooked up and tv can't pick one or the other? i know it's out there but thats how my mind works sometimes

 

[Kumaki]

Nah.  My cable has four total plugs to the TV.

The black is S Vid...and then you have the white, yellow, and red ones which are Composite.

And of course then you have the EXT thingy which goes into the Pandora end.

All four plugs are properly plugged in.

They were color-coded, so it was very easy to do that.

 

[kirkanoss]

well you have both a svid and composite plugged in at one time only need one or the other, thinking both is messing it up then again i only used comp. i would unplug the svid from the tv and keep the 3 av's

 

[Asmo]

I know there is a way to make the TV change to allow for Composite or S Vid.  But I'll be danged if I know how I did it.

Any help in that regard would be appreciated.

Bearing in mind I do not possess the original remote for this bigbox RCA...but, rather, use a standard DirecTV remote.

Your manual says that all that's needed is for it to be set to channel 00 to activate external input, and IIRC it'll automatically switch depending which it detects, so I'd work on the basis that the TV is good to go and any further head scratching should be over the cable and pandora settings.If your generic remote has an 'AV' or 'ext' button you could try that but I doubt it's relevant, so with the TV at channel 00 direct all energy elsewhere for now.

For example, to confirm the Pandora is actually sending a signal and the cable is actually working, try both S-Video and Composite output in the Pandora TV-Out configuration settings. If that fails, your best bet is to get access to another TV and see if it works on that - or plug another device into your RCA's composite/s-video input to confirm that channel 00 does indeed deliver. A camcorder, or VCR - anything that'll provide a signal you can connect with to the same AV inputs the Pandora would be connected to.

 

[Asmo]

well you have both a svid and composite plugged in at one time only need one or the other, thinking both is messing it up then again i only used comp. i would unplug the svid from the tv and keep the 3 av's

In this instance I think it's best all the cables are present for the time being, as the Pandora settings only allow for one or other signal type, and (if the TV's manual is accurate) it automatically switches to the type detected on the AV input.

Nah. My cable has four total plugs to the TV.

The black is S Vid...and then you have the white, yellow, and red ones which are Composite.

The yellow is the composite video, the red and white are the audio left and right (so they will be connected no matter what). If the yellow cable is not on the right plug you would definitely have no signal over comoposite - and no audio on one or other of the audio channels!

 

[Kumaki]

Seems I need to try it while hooked to the Pandy, then.

Then it should chage depending on what the TV detects.  Right now, it is detecting nothing, since I am fooling with it while the Pandy is not plugged in to the TV EXT Cable.  LOL

 

[kirkanoss]

you need to have it plugged into the pandora for your tv do anything

thanks for clearing that up asmo was a wail since the other post so yes keep them all plugged in

 

[kirkanoss]

ok well just pluged mine in and to get the desktop to show need to be set to main layer not hw scaler

 

[LTStone]

I should keep my mouth shut and probly don't know what I'm saying here but I bet that this whole issue is just coming down to the fact that the TV is on the wrong input setting (input 1,2,) etc.

I agree with Asmo, if possible try the tv-out on another tv.