Period computer problems.

[robgil]

My old Acer netbook piece of rubbish finally died after months of patching it up and nursing it through some very traumatic ailments such as pouring half a glass of sherry over it. Iam now trying to set up my new lappy but have some teething problems. I have my new laptop connected to an LCD TV via a HDMI cable. I am seeing some tearing on the TV screen however when I watch video on the laptop screen it seems to be OK.
Card is an NVidia GeForce 8200M G with up to date driver, Laptop is a Compaq Presario CQ60 430SA,TV is a Toshiba Regza.
Audio runs through a seperate two chanel HIFI amp via the headphone socket on the laptop.

Any ideas how to sort this? I use Windows Media Centre and have downloaded Vista codec package 6.2.1 from Shark007 from here -- http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=5326

 

[Penners]

Here are a few uneducated thoughts, which I'm sure will be rubbished by much more knowledgeable posts from our usual electronics experts.

1. You've downloaded a Vista codec pack, but I imagine your new computer runs Windows 7, doesn't it? Most Vista stuff is good for Windows 7, but not absolutely everything. If you are running W7, is it 32-bit or 64-bit?

2. Did you try Windows Media Player before you installed the new codecs? The pack may not have been necessary.

3. Have your tried the HDMI connection without your supplementary audio patch? You might be better taking audio to your hi-fi out of the TV rather than the computer (HDMI is a video/audio interface).

4. Try VLC Media PLayer instead of Windows Media Centre. It's a free download, and I find it much more adaptable than WMC. http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

5. Have you tried an alternative HDMI cable?

6. The above may all be nonsense.

 

[Flyfisher]

Sounds to me as if the TV is struggling to 'sync' to the video signal from the laptop. Is the 'tearing' mainly at the top of the TV screen?

This could mean that the laptop screen resolution is not set to one that is compatible with the TV. A list of compatible resolutions for Toshiba Regza is on page 9 of the user manual :http://www.home-entertainment.toshiba.co.uk/upload/BrochuresAndManuals/Manuals/RV635.pdf
(I hope this is the right model).

There are some other hints about connecting a PC on page 8.

 

[Penners]

Told ya! Straight to a much more obvious solution!

 

[LadyArowana]

Hope Rob doesn't mind me butting into his thread, but I also have a problem with pictures on the TV screen, and as all the boffins will be reading this I thought I might sneak in with my own question. I was trying to play a DVD, on one of the dedicated boxes plugged directly into the TV, and it stops and freezes, if I skip ahead by about half an hour ( LOTR, long films ) then it will play the rest OK. I know when I first had the DVDs they were fine, but I just tried to re watch and this happened. Machine seems ok with some other discs, just the 3 in this series are all sulky. Any ideas? I don't want to try them on the laptop as that is set to UK region and these are not.

 

[Penners]

Has Yer Ladyship tried simply cleaning the DVD, If I may make so bold?

Wipe it with a VERY SLIGHTLY damp cloth - straight across the disc, not round-and-round like a record baby.

 

[LadyArowana]

Has Yer Ladyship tried simply cleaning the DVD, If I may make so bold?

Wipe it with a VERY SLIGHTLY damp cloth - straight across the disc, not round-and-round like a record baby.

:lol: I did give it a very light wipe, but I'm not sure I could categorise it as "cleaning" exactly! I will go back and try and be a little more vigorous, thankyou for the suggestion, will report back later!
........



Hmmm, no change!

 

[robgil]

Thanks guys, I've been back and forth to the hospital and doctors all week end so have not really been ontop of this.
I do think I've got it sorted now though. I've been asking for advice on a vista forum, the thread is here.

http://www.vistax64.com/media-center/294896-new-laptop-tearing-when-watching-video.html

 

[skier-hughes]

Windows update is not good for updating graphics card drivers.
For a laptop you need to use the laptop manufacturers own drivers, visit their site andcheck what they recommend.
Don't use n-vidia's driver either, as they oten aren't tailored to suit the laptop you are using even thought they are for teh card that's installed.

Various things can cause problems in viewing.
You say you are watching a dvd, never a good test. This will be made in 720x576 pixels, and blown up to whatever size your tv screen is, 1920x1080?
With an HD tv, play an HD movie and see how that looks. No Bluray player on the laptop? Then download a true HD movie trailor to your laptop and play this through a media player designed for showing blu ray movies. Not a youtube movie or the like.
Plus most laptops can either send the same signal as the monitor, which you don't want, or can be told they are being connected to a tv, which you do want.
How about a picture of the problem!!

 

[AMc]

Worth ensuring that the refresh rate for the tv and pc are compatible and set correctly as well as the screen resolutiion. When watching uk tv then 50hz is best. My new HD TV reports it can only do 60hz over hdmi so my xbox defaults to that which causes stutter on tv viewing however if I force the refresh rate of the xbox to 50hz it works fine (as the tv can support it). HDMI should ensure the display and source synch their capabilities by themselves but in my experience it can be hit and miss.

The dvd issue could well be the dvd player wearing out. The laser runs on tiny screw thread and as it wears out it becomes impossible for it to track accurately. I have a dvd player that struggles with some discs that it used to play fine.

 

[Feltwell]

The dvd issue could well be the dvd player wearing out. The laser runs on tiny screw thread and as it wears out it becomes impossible for it to track accurately. I have a dvd player that struggles with some discs that it used to play fine.

That's interesting to know. Being the techno-luddite that I am we just have a cheap DVD player that was given to us some time ago (plugged in under the VHS video recorder that of course will now not record post digital switchover!). The kids use the DVD player mostly, and I'd assumed all the disc problems we get with tracking was down to kiddie sticky fingers on the disc - that definitely happens, but maybe with the machine being an old model and only ever a cheap one at that it is the machine that is at fault as well.

 

[Flyfisher]

If you have masochistic tendencies then it's still possible to use a VHS recorder in this digital age, as long as you have a digital tuner or TV with a composite video output. However, you might also think that the price of a new HDD recorder with a built-in digital tuner is money well-spent compared to all the hassle involved. But the choice is there (. . . says he whose VHS machine has long been retired to the attic.)

I'd also agree with the comments about DVD player reliability and would add that I've also read about the laser devices also gradually failing over time. I can recall a Sony CD player, a no-brand cheapie DVD player and two PC DVD drives failing over the last 10-15 years. Ironically, this is a higher failure rate than I've personally experienced with "fragile" hard drives, which I assiduously backup everyday.

 

[Feltwell]

We haven't used it to record anything for years to be quite honest FF! There's never really anything on that we'd be upset at missing.

It's kept mainly to watch The Italian Job (we've only got it on VHS and the kids love watching final 25 minutes with the chase across Turin) and I keep promising that I'll get around to watching all of GBH, my favourite Alan Bleasdale drama. Realistically, I could probably get rid of it now if I really wanted to.

At some point though, I do need to work out how to get a section of a TV programme recorded onto the computer for future posterity - as my youngest was on a BBC2 programme as a newborn. The production company promised us a DVD copy after it was transmitted but never sent it and ignored my email request. The programme itself still appears on the "Yesterday" freeview channel every now & then, so I'll have a chance to catch it at some point.

 

[Lime]

Windows update is not good for updating graphics card drivers.
For a laptop you need to use the laptop manufacturers own drivers, visit their site andcheck what they recommend.
Don't use n-vidia's driver either, as they oten aren't tailored to suit the laptop you are using even thought they are for teh card that's installed.

Various things can cause problems in viewing.
You say you are watching a dvd, never a good test. This will be made in 720x576 pixels, and blown up to whatever size your tv screen is, 1920x1080?
With an HD tv, play an HD movie and see how that looks. No Bluray player on the laptop? Then download a true HD movie trailor to your laptop and play this through a media player designed for showing blu ray movies. Not a youtube movie or the like.
Plus most laptops can either send the same signal as the monitor, which you don't want, or can be told they are being connected to a tv, which you do want.
How about a picture of the problem!!

Good advice.... as long as the laptop website is able to offer replacement drivers.
It is always a good idea to use the video drivers that were supplied with the computer unless hardware changes have been made.


On my old XP computer I use the software supplied with XP to operate the Nvidia card.
It works very well with my HD TV (1920×1080) as long as the old CRT is switched off before booting up.
Otherwise it has to compromise the settings between the two conflicting resolutions.
However I don't get tearing at all.

NVIDIA produce an inordinate amount of drivers for XP so obviously they are prone to bugs and glitches.
http://www.nvidia.co.uk/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-uk
The Nvidia drivers are bundled up with a lot of other rubbish unfortunately and cannot be easily extracated from the download.

 

[Penners]

I'm so grateful to Rob for starting this thread. It's reminded me that I must get on with my Swahili homework.

 

[skier-hughes]

NVIDIA produce an inordinate amount of drivers so obviously they are prone to bugs and glitches.
http://www.nvidia.co.uk/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-uk
The Nvidia drivers are bundled up with a lot of other rubbish unfortunately and cannot be easily extracated from the download.

Not that many bugs, each laptop manufacturer will want drivers that work in the way they want, each card will need different drivers depending on what it does, single, twin triple monitor, tv out analogue in/out etc, then they do a range of cards for gaming etc and finally there are all of the built in motherboard cards which need their own drivers.......

The PC may give you choice, but the Mac with it's use this or nothing does mean one driver tends to fit all

 

[robgil]

I downloaded the latest NVidia driver however windows vista would not let me open the control panel, some security feature or something. I had to roll back to the old driver which didnt work so I had to go back to a previous rerstore point.
Updating drivers can cause more damage than good.
I have always had issues with NVidia cards and have no faith in them anymore.

I am downloading a HD trailer to see if it gives me a better picture.

The tearing has gone but the picture quality isnt very good, certianly not what I would expect anyway.

 

[AMc]

It's kept mainly to watch The Italian Job (we've only got it on VHS and the kids love watching final 25 minutes with the chase across Turin) and I keep promising that I'll get around to watching all of GBH, my favourite Alan Bleasdale drama. Realistically, I could probably get rid of it now if I really wanted to.

£5 will get you The Italian Job on DVD - in widescreen. I first saw the full width of the chase at an outdoor screening (courtesy of Stella Artois) in Victoria Park in Hackney around 2000. "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" was shouted by about 1000 people . A really memorable night.
http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/8988861/The-Italian-Job-40th-Anniversary-Edition/Product.html?searchtype=allproducts&searchsource=0&searchstring=italian+job&urlrefer=search
The Bluray is only £8
http://www.play.com/DVD/Blu-ray/4-/8988863/The-Italian-Job-40th-Anniversary-Edition/Product.html?searchtype=allproducts&searchsource=0&searchstring=italian+job&urlrefer=search

GBH will cost you £13.69 on DVD. I presume it was filmed rather than video taped so might appear on Bluray but I can't see there being any point in the extra resolution for a 4:3 TV show.
http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/857687/GBH-The-Complete-Series/Product.html?searchtype=allproducts&searchsource=0&searchstring=GBH&urlrefer=search

Our VHS was removed when the remote died making it impossible to set the clock, that having been its only real function since I got our first Tivo DVR in 2003

 

[LadyArowana]

They are working on remastering Star Trek The Next Generation, and it is due for release this year

 

[robgil]

They are working on remastering Star Trek The Next Generation, and it is due for release this year

Some things are best left alone. :lol:
Someonbe should remaster Kirks adventures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p4xMQevkpI&feature=related