TV-Out Help

[Neelix]

It sounds to me like having both video inputs connected to the TV is confusing it's automatic input selector. The Composite output on the pandora uses one of the same pins that the SVideo uses, so no matter if you have your Pandora set to Composite or S-Video it will be supplying some kind of signal on both inputs if both are connected. The Since the TV has one channel for both it depends on only having one signal coming in to choose which one to display.

Disconnect one of the video inputs (the yellow composite connector would be my recommendation) and it should work.

- Neelix

 

[Monkfish]

i know my old tv uses 00 and other channels (notably 11 & 12) as video output channels. What channel does your DVD or games console use player use? perhaps it might be worth trying those channels. Maybe your TV remote has an AV button somewhere that somehow changes the signal or maybe an AV tuning option.

How old is your TV? because if its old enough it might have the physical tuning sliders etc. actually on the TV itself (hidden under a panel perhaps), maybe you can pick an unused channel and manually tune it in to your Pandora just like the good old days when we had to do similar for our 8 and 16 bit consoles.  

Such a shame that most TVs these days rely on a remote to do such things because like you say original tv remotes can get lost or become unusable.

 

[Asmo]

I've got the pdf manual for the particular TV model - it claims 00 is for automatically detected external input (onscreen text indicates if it gets S-Video or Composite) so I think the TV being on 00 is all that's needed (it worked before!) The original remote has an AV / EXT button to automatically direct it to channel 00, but I gather from the book that this is no different to actually typing 00 as a channel, and I believe Kumaki has a generic remote not the original, so if it has an AV / EXT / Input button it may or may not perform the same function.

Remember, AV input (composite, S-Video, RGB etc) are not 'tuned' in, they bypass the tuner completely which is solely for RF signals.

Right now the next step is to confirm the Pandora is sending a signal just by connecting, and enabling NTSC TV-out with just the desktop showing.

Fingers crossed

 

[Kumaki]

OK.  I will try it first, as I currently have it...with all four plugs in...and plugged to the Pandy.

If that does not work, I'll first try disconnecting the black S Vid cable, and try Composite on just the Desktop.

If THAT works, then I'll do the same...but with only the S Vid plug in - which I already know...will not display my desktop.  Then we will see if I can get SMPlayer 2 to run using S Vid.

If THAT works, I'll try and see if I can get it to work on Composite.

Will report back my findings.

thanks for all the help, folks.

I got it working once, as mentioned...but in the past two months I have been businer than a one-armed paperhanger with my client, getting his records straightened out...and I completely forgot what I had done to get it working before!

Leaky brain...

 

[_wb_]

Did you actually activate "Enable TV-out" in the TV-out configuration screen, and then press the "Write settings" button?

 

[Kumaki]

Yup...did that, WB but thatmks for the tip.

 

[Asmo]

Don't forget to switch to S-Video in the 'Configure TV-Out' option too, when you use the S-Video cable. It should work just as well as the composite, but the Pandora will only output one or the other, you have to switch!

 

[kirkanoss]

also don't forget to have it set to main layer to see anything

 

[Kumaki]

I got this sucker WORKING!!!

And with SMPlayer2.

I forst unplugged the S.Vid plug.

Set for Composite.  Got the desktop.

Opened SMPlayer 2 got it.

Tried the movie...got green screen.

Switched to HW Scaler...I got my movie.  In composite.

Now gonna try S. Vid.

 

[CocoCreekFisherman]

I got this sucker WORKING!!!

And with SMPlayer2.

I forst unplugged the S.Vid plug.

Set for Composite.  Got the desktop.

Opened SMPlayer 2 got it.

Tried the movie...got green screen.

Switched to HW Scaler...I got my movie.  In composite.

Now gonna try S. Vid.

Happy for you Kumaki. I know you really wanted this.

Congrats 

 

[Kumaki]

OK, S. Vid. is not working.

I set the TV-Out settings to S. Vid.  Main Layer nor HW Scaler worked out.

I did write the settings each time.

Not happening.

This means one of the following.

1. Most likely - The S. Vid plug in my TV is shot.

2. Second Most Likely - the TV Cable has a broken wire or pin preventing S.Vid.

3. Least Likely - My Pandora somehow doesn't put out properly in S.Vid mode.

I do have to be very careful with my TV Plug...if it moves around wrong at the EXT end - near the Pandy...I go back to Unusable Signal...maening the TV isn't getting the signal anymore.  and if I jiggle it a bit, it comes back.

This tells me my TV Out Plug, on the EXT end...is very sensitive and easily jarred.

This could be because of the long cable I have on it.

But I have a working TV Cable, and a way to watch movies on my TV thru Pandy.

Unfortunately, the volume could use some work...at least on the particular movie I'm trying at the moment.

I have TV up to full blast and it's barely good enough.

BUT, on this movie, watching on Pandy alone...with full volume and volume wheel up to mmax...I could barely hear it...I really had to use headphones to get adequate sound on it.

So will update this again, when I try another movie, and see if the sound is better.

 

[LTStone]

try pulling out the video cable out from the tv, just use the audio and svideo.

 

[Kumaki]

I did that LTS.

No good.

I pulled the yellow wire.  Like I was told to.

No good.

By the way...another movie had better sound...not by much, this TV has lousy sound...need to get some external speakers for it.

Actually, need a new TV, lol.

The movies on the TV were not such a big deal for me as for my mom.

But I now have made it possible. Our dang DVD player broke a while ago, lol

 

[LTStone]

Sorry if I told you to do something already discussed , I was in too much of a hurry to reread the thread.

 

[Kumaki]

It's okay.  You tried to help.  I appreciate that.

 

[Asmo]

RE: low volume, the default output level in SMPlayer might be low? Have a look at the volume slider on the bottom right maybe?

 

[Kumaki]

Yes.  I have that slid up to max, and the volume wheel up to max, too.

Can hear it from the couch...but it would be nice for it to be a bit louder.

 

[Neelix]

The Line out on the EXT connector is likely unamplified and intended to be connected to something with a decent amp.  If turning up the TV volume doesn't make this loud enough, perhaps you should use audio from the headphone socket instead.

If you have a 3.5mm -> 2 RCA  (headphone type plug on one end and the type that plugs into your TV on the other) audio cable floating about.  It may be worth trying to connect the Audio through that.

- Neelix

 

[Kumaki]

That may be an idea...I do not have such a cord, but I did try piping the same movie thru my car speakers....which usues audio from the headphone jack and it was much better.

 

[Asmo]

Just be careful to keep the volume wheel at a modest setting doing that, you can pump out a much louder signal than a line-input (like the TV or an amp) can take without giving anyone in hearing distance a coronary!

Movies can sometimes sound quite low, one thing to watch for when compressing a rip is if the movie has multiple audio tracks - sometimes (aside from director's commentary and foreign languages) there is a modern 5.1 track (surround) which will be the default, and a stereo 2 channel track for folks just using their TV speakers - the stereo option will almost always result in 'louder' sound on your finished file if you select it instead for your avi.