TV-out output only in black and white (nVidia)

atheist · 09-27-2007, 08:51 PM

I've been trying to set up TV-out tonight. Using my old machine's XF86Config-4 as a basis which had TV-out settings just the way I wanted them.

Problem is, the output is always black and white. It looks like a TV standard issue, but I used PAL-B on my old machine and it worked perfectly.

Here's a copy of my xorg.conf where everything's working as it should, except for the black and white output:

Code:

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Default Layout"
    Screen         "Default Screen" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Generic Keyboard"
    InputDevice    "Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "Files"

        # path to defoma fonts
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
    FontPath        "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load           "i2c"
    Load           "bitmap"
    Load           "ddc"
    Load           "extmod"
    Load           "freetype"
    Load           "glx"
    Load           "int10"
    Load           "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Generic Keyboard"
    Driver         "kbd"
    Option         "CoreKeyboard"
    Option         "XkbRules" "xorg"
    Option         "XkbModel" "pc105"
    Option         "XkbLayout" "is"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Configured Mouse"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "CorePointer"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option         "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Generic Monitor"
    HorizSync       28.0 - 84.0
    VertRefresh     43.0 - 60.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier      "Generic Video Card"
        Driver          "nvidia"
        BusID           "1:0:0"
        Option          "RenderAccel"                   "True"
        Option          "SWcursor"                      "False"
        Option          "HWcursor"                      "True"
        Option          "CursorShadow"                  "True"
        Option          "TwinView"                      "True"
        Option          "MetaModes"                     "1680x1050, 1024x768; 1280x10240, 1024x768; 1024x7680, 1024x768"
        Option          "TVStandard"                    "PAL-B"
        Option          "TwinViewOrientation"           "Clone"
        Option          "TVOutFormat"                   "SVIDEO"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Default Screen"
    Device         "Generic Video Card"
    Monitor        "Generic Monitor"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       1
        Modes      "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       4
        Modes      "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes      "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       15
        Modes      "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes      "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes      "1680x1050" "1280x1024" "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

It would be awesome if someone who knows a little more than me about these things could take a look and tell me if they see something stupid or if they have any idea how I can get color output.

Thanks.

jens · 09-28-2007, 01:02 AM

Are you sure it worked before (same TV)?

Quote:

Option "TVOutFormat" "SVIDEO"

With S-VIDEO, the black-and white is usually a connection or TV problem.
Your TV needs to support SVHS (S-VIDEO splits color with image).

Are you using a scart connection (if yes, try them all)?
Those don't always support SVHS/S-VIDEO...

(...normally it's one small round connection...).

atheist · 09-28-2007, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jens

Are you sure it worked before (same TV)?

With S-VIDEO, the black-and white is usually a connection or TV problem.
Your TV needs to support SVHS (S-VIDEO splits color with image).

Are you using a scart connection (if yes, try them all)?
Those don't always support SVHS/S-VIDEO...

(...normally it's one small round connection...).

I'm using a scart connection (SVHS from my computer to SCART on my TV). That might actually be it. I used the "COMPOSITE" option on my old setup, but that didn't work. It might have been something else though that caused it not to work that I've since changed. I'll give it a try once I get home from work. Thanks.

atheist · 09-28-2007, 01:41 PM

Well. I got home and got a chance to change it to COMPOSITE (like it was before) but I didn't get any output at all that way.

And yeah, it's the same TV. Even the same cable. :S

Edit:
Been fiddling around with it a bit more. and

Code:

Option "TVOutFormat" "AUTOSELECT"

gives me black and white output. Could it be something other than the TVOutFormat?

jimmy512 · 09-28-2007, 04:00 PM

Check the region settings on you card. Back in the days when I used windows, I had an Nvidia card that was NTFS only, and a tv that was PAL only (I live in the UK - must have been an import card or something), and the image would appear black and white (with no fix, except to replace the card in this case). On my current card, there is a jumper that allows you to change the region on the card - check your card by visually inspecting it or check the documentation for your card. It is worth checking, as I had a really similar problem, and it was nothing to do with the software.

Junior Hacker · 09-28-2007, 11:08 PM

Quote:

With S-VIDEO, the black-and white is usually a connection or TV problem.

This is not the case when I link my laptop to my TV with S-Video for watching DVD's. Under Windows, I always get black and white when I first link them together till I play with Nvidia settings, then I'll get color. I'm not sure what it is I do as I only watch DVD's two or three times a year, which is why I always get black and white first, because I forgot what settings I used last time about 4-6 months ago.
I think....but could be wrong, that it's usually a problem with "which" display is the primary display.

jens · 09-28-2007, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atheist

I'm using a scart connection (SVHS from my computer to SCART on my TV). That might actually be it. I used the "COMPOSITE" option on my old setup, but that didn't work. It might have been something else though that caused it not to work that I've since changed. I'll give it a try once I get home from work. Thanks.

Only very few TVs without an S-VDIDEO connection have a scart connection that's made to work with SVHS (should be mentioned in your TV manual).

With the above setup, the "black and white" is normal (S-VIDEO splits the color in a second channel).

If your TV doesn't have an S-VIDEO connection, you can still use some tricks to get color with your scart adapter.

See:
http://www.camp0s.com/pc_related/svideo/svideo.php

Only do this after you're sure that your TV doesn't support SVHS/S-VIDEO!

Make *VERY* sure you connect the correct numbers or it will damage either your TV or your video cart!

atheist · 09-29-2007, 02:54 PM

Well. I didn't find any region settings on the card itself but I did solve the issue. Turns out I had to buy a colorfix adapter. Don't know why I didn't need it on my old card (Ti4200) but it was cheap as hell and the problem is fixed so I'm happy.

Thanks for the help, all.