S-Video and RPTV Problem

[mwertheim]

I have been using Pinnacle Showcenter for a year or so using it's S-Video output with no problem to my Mitsubishi rear projection TV(approx 6 years old). All of my video signals are run through my Yamaha receiver for switching(DVD, Tivo) and look just fine.

I built a new HTPC using MCE 2005 and have now tried several different video cards(latest being Nvidia 6600 GT with latest Nvidia drivers) as well as buying a Linksys MCE Extender and regardless of how I run the S-Video - direct to the TV or through the receiver - the picture looks horrible! Color shifts, horizontal synch flickering, and other picture problems.

So if anyone knows why I can't get a good S-video signal w/o interference please please let me know. I am going nuts!

What is frustrating is that the Pinnacle Showcenter S-video out works just fine - but as a media hub it's just not cutting it anymore.

I am using high quality Monster cables on all connections.

Thanks everyone for your help!

[mwertheim]

anyone??

[j_the_alchemist]

What rez and refresh rate do you have the tv-out set to in the nvidia control panel? Is your MITS a 4:3 or 16:9 RPTV?

[walford]

What TV Tuner card are you using and have you checked its Web Site to be sure you have its latest MCE drivers. Also you should have recording quality set to "Best".
What is the source of your TV signal to the tuner/video capture card. antenna, cable, coax or STB via S-Video?
If you do not have a strong antenna or cable signal then snow or interference artifacts look a lot worse since the incoming video is encoded and then decoded before you diaplay it.
The S-video out from the extender should look better than the S-Video out from MCE box since the extender is specifically designed to decode and display using 480i only, does it?

[daredevil23]

Originally posted by mwertheim
I am using high quality Monster cables on all connections.



When did Monster start making quality cables?

[mwertheim]

I didn't play with the refresh rate and resolution settings in the Nvidia control panel so I guess whatever the default is. The Mits is a 4:3.

I have left the TV-Tuner out for now until I get the screen issues fixed. So right now I'm just viewing the standard MCE 2K5 interface etc.

The S-Video out from the Extender looks just as bad as it does from the MCE box so I don't think it's a refresh issue with the MCE box.

What's so frustrating is that all my other components (DVD, DirecTV Tivo, and exisitng Pinnacle Showcenter) that are going through my Yamaha receiver look just fine. I could maybe understand why the MCE box wouldn't look good, but the Extender??

Well Monster makes some decent stuff - sure it's not the ultra high end stuff but I'd say it's probably better than your average S-video cable from Radio Shack.

I can take a picture of the screen if that will help and post it here.

Walford - where in Orange County are you? I'm in south OC near Mission Viejo. PM me if you'd like.

[walford]

All but some of the recent top of the line CRT TVs do a very poor job of acting as a PC Monitor since they were designed for video only If you could convert a CRT TV into a PC monitor using a video card then PC Monitors would not in general cost twice as much a TV of the same screen size.
I suggest that you use MCE with your TV for video only.