Re: HELP! Dell told me I cannot watch tv on my tv AND work on com

It sounds like you have generic (or old) drivers for your video card. Go to
the nVidia website here - http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_71.84.html -
to download the latest drivers and install them.

At the bottom of the page you will find a link to the User Guide as a PDF
file -

http://download.nvidia.com/Windows/71.84/71.84_ForceWare_Release_70_Graphics_Display_Property_Users_Guide.pdf

This is a big download but should contain all the information you need to
get things set up. Have a look at Section 6. It may look pretty daunting but
it does have the information you need about setting up your TV as a second
monitor or the only monitor. You will need the latest drivers installed
first. Here is an extract.....

If you have a television connected to your computer, follow the steps in
this section

to access page where you can choose the correct regional format for TV
reception,

choose the correct TV connection mode, and configure several TV display
settings.

If your television is the only display connected to your computer and you do
not the see the

nView Display Settings option on the NVIDIA display menu, you will see the
following

options on the menu: TV Settings and Screen Adjustment

Note: If you do not see the "TV Settings" or the "Screen Adjustment" pages,
go to

the information in the next bullet.

1 Click TV Settings to display the TV Settings page (Figure 6.4). For
details, see

TV Settings, the next section.

2 Click Screen Adjustment to open the TV Output page where you can configure

TV display settings. For details, see "Device Adjustments - TV Output" on

page 99.

If your television is the only display connected to your computer directly
(or through a VCR

or switch box or receiver) and you do not see the nView Display Settings
option and also do

not see the TV Settings and the Screen Adjustment option on the NVIDIA
display menu,

then follow these steps.

1 Open the Tools page by clicking the Tools option from the NVIDIA display

menu. Figure 8.18 in Chapter 8 shows the Tools page.

2 Select the Force TV detection check box and click Apply.

3 You should now be able to see the TV Settings and Screen Adjustment
options

on the NVIDIA display menu.

4 Click TV Settings to display the TV Settings page (Figure 6.4). For
details, see

TV Settings, the next section.

5 Click Screen Adjustment to open the TV Output page where you can configure

TV display settings. For details, see "Device Adjustments - TV Output" on

page 99.

If you have more than one display connected, including your television,
follow these steps.

1 Click nView Display Settings from the NVIDIA display menu.

2 Left click on the display image that represents your TV to select it.

3 Then right click on that display image and select Select TV format or
Device

Adjustments, depending on the task you want to perform.

4 Click Select TV format to display a list of the common TV regional
settings and

choose a setting that applies to your region.

"yewing" <yewing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:FEA7EFBC-EFF5-4C53-91FD-B602C46045B7@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Thanks for the response.
>
> In looking at some of the advanced display properties, the only thing I
> can
> find that closely resembles a property like you mention is a "Hardware
> Acceleration" property that is set to single display mode. I can't seem
> to
> change this. I'm going to try rebooting with the t.v. on at the same time
> to
> see if perhaps it will automatically recognize the second display and
> allow
> me to make some changes.
>
> However, I have a sick sense about this that say this video driver doesn't
> support dual displays. Is the only answer to replace the card with one
> that
> does or perhaps live with only watching the t.v. through my monitor?
>
> Thanks again for the help. I'm trying to muddle my way through it and
> know
> I couldn't if it weren't for those of you in the know!
>
>
> "Tiny Tim" wrote:
>
>> I'm an ATI man myself so not too sure about nVidia settings but to get to
>> the right ones you need to right click on your desktop
>> background/wallpaper
>> and click "Properties". Click on the last tab, called "Settings". You
>> should
>> hopefully see two images representing your attached monitor and TV and
>> their
>> relative size depending upon the resolutions set, and if you wish, their
>> relative positions (you can move them around). e.g. if they are side by
>> side
>> then when you slide the mouse sideways from one it will appear on the
>> other.
>> If you orientate them one above the other then sliding the mouse upwards
>> or
>> downwards will have the same effect. There are tick boxes to indicate
>> which
>> is the primary monitor and whether to "extend" your desktop onto the
>> other
>> monitor (TV) too.
>>
>> If you can't find what you need there then click on the Advanced button
>> and
>> see what extra controls the nVidia drivers give you - there is probably a
>> lot more you can tweak. You need to make sure you have the right nVidia
>> drivers and not the rather lame ones that Windows installs by default.
>> Dell
>> may have supplied them, or better yet, check for a newer version on the
>> nVidia website.
>>
>> Good luck. I'm sure your money isn't wasted. It's just a matter of
>> fiddling
>> around to get things right.
>>
>> One more thing - make sure your TV is attached when you boot the PC. It
>> may
>> help it detect the presence of the TV as well as the monitor. If you
>> connect
>> the TV after booting the PC may not notice it.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Tim.
>>
>> "yewing" <yewing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:8D1661C8-3642-4C5F-A057-6F3C765D86F8@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> > Thank you for responding so quickly. I'm at my wit's end and am under
>> > pressure from my husband since I spent so much money and can't get this
>> > to
>> > work the way we wanted.
>> >
>> > I need some help in this area. I have a 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800 card
>> > in
>> > each computer. I don't know where on the site to check for that
>> > information,
>> > they say they don't support consumers directly for this because they
>> > don't
>> > sell to consumers and they refer me back to Dell. I see some general
>> > information about the 6800 series, but that's about it. I guess I
>> > don't
>> > know
>> > very well how to check that option on their site.
>> >
>> > Where do you force the video to the tv? I've been all through the
>> > properties and find nothing about tv in the set up at all. I also
>> > don't
>> > understand what/where the clone mode would be or how to reset that. I
>> > wish I
>> > were smarter than Dell, but I'm obviously not. That's why I'm reaching
>> > out
>> > for help here.
>> >
>> > I kind of get the idea of the primary and secondary monitors though.
>> > At
>> > work, I have two monitors (which, of course, were set up for me) and I
>> > can
>> > display things on one of the monitors, but not the other if I want. I
>> > can
>> > stretch things across both if I want. I just wish I knew more about
>> > how
>> > to
>> > get to that point.
>> >
>> >
>> > "Bradley" wrote:
>> >
>> >> I do not know in your case if you can or can not. Does your video
>> >> card
>> >> support this? I see that these are optioned with ATI and Nvidia.
>> >> Check
>> >> the
>> >> video card manufacture site to see.
>> >>
>> >> I use the Nvidia 5700 LE video card and have the monitor and TV hooked
>> >> up.
>> >> I force the video card to output to the TV and can do exactly what you
>> >> want
>> >> to do, so it does work just a matter and being smarter than the Dell
>> >> people...
>> >>
>> >> Things to look in your setup would be: Force video out to TV, set up
>> >> the
>> >> video software not to use clone mode as this will make the TV and
>> >> desktop
>> >> the
>> >> same, you want it set so that there is a primary and secondary
>> >> monitor.
>> >>
>> >> Bradley
>> >>
>> >> Bradley
>> >>
>> >> "yewing" wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > I just invested thousands in two new computers - Dell 8400 with dual
>> >> > tuners
>> >> > and windows xp media center 2005. I've been trying to configure the
>> >> > media
>> >> > center so it would play through my tv so I can work on the computer
>> >> > WHILE
>> >> > watching my t.v.
>> >> >
>> >> > After being on with support for nearly an hour, while they
>> >> > configured
>> >> > my
>> >> > settings in their lab, I was told you can't do that with media
>> >> > center!!!
>> >> > They said only one screen is the primary screen. I can't do both.
>> >> > If
>> >> > I
>> >> > direct the media center to the t.v. then I can't use the monitor
>> >> > with
>> >> > the
>> >> > computer.
>> >> >
>> >> > My call was initiated to them because I can't get a signal to my
>> >> > t.v.
>> >> > I do
>> >> > not have a t.v. with an s-video cable where I'm trying to hook
>> >> > things
>> >> > up
>> >> > right now. I was advised, through here, to use an RF modulator. I
>> >> > tried
>> >> > that too. No dice. So, I called technical support. Technical
>> >> > support
>> >> > transferred me to a "media center" specialist.
>> >> >
>> >> > Please help me. Have I just purchased two REALLY expensive tivo
>> >> > boxes?
>> >> > I
>> >> > have these computers set up, networked, and the packing is already
>> >> > broken
>> >> > down. It's going to be miserable trying to return them. Yet, I
>> >> > don't
>> >> > want
>> >> > to keep them if they can't do all I bought them for. Please, please
>> >> > help me.
>>
>>
>>


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