Karaoke Forums

It's me again, don't shoot! I've been using the demo version of CompuHost hooked up to my laptop with my old monitor connected to it as the secondary display. I bought this converter to change from monitor out to s video or rca.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ ... 1&format=2

My problem is I just get lines on the screen no matter how I set the display options. What is the optimal resolution and refresh rate for a normal TV? The TV we currently have mounted in the garage is an older unit but it does have both RCA and s video inputs on it. Worse case scenario I use the monitor for karaoke once I purchase my final hosting solution or I use the small flat panel out of my son's room that we got a steal on last Thanksgiving. The TV I'd like to use is quite a bit larger and already on a wall mount.

Could the converter be the problem? Any recommendations as to what to try from here? I've tried it with both s video and rca hookups too. I just recently got the laptop and looked at so many that I could have sworn this one had s video out as an option. Instead it has HDMI which doesn't help me with my older tv.

Thanks,
Ken

You need a docking station.. USB to RCA video or s-video. It will also give you audio out and in for recording.

link

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There is an NTSC/PAL switch or setting on the unit -- make sure it is set to NTSC.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

After some research on my video card NVIDIA® GeForce® 9600M GT it appears my options are VGA out or HDMI. The notebook is an HP Pavilion dv7-1023cl. Is my only solution a docking station and if so, any recommendations that aren't going to break the bank? Or, are there any converters that would get me S video or rca out?

Thanks,
Ken

I use the Monoprice unit you quoted in your previous message -- I own two of them. What is wrong with that? It should convert VGA to RCA or SVideo just fine.

And the HP model you have is a Core 2 duo? I can't understand why you can't get that to work. There is something very wrong if you can't get those two items to work....

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

I've tried it on two TV's and both S video and rca. I know the VGA port itself works as I've used it to play around with CompuHost on the monitor from my old system. Is it possible that I just have a bad converter? I get nothing but horizontal lines on the screen.

Thanks,
Ken

If the VGA works then there is no reason you shouldn't be able to use CompuHost.

Did you find the PAL/NTSC switch on the converter and make sure it is on NTSC? That is the exact symptom you will get if it is in the PAL position....

Also, did you power the converter with the supplied USB connector? If it was from a hub, the power may be bad as not all hubs provide power.

If you have checked that and tried both positions on that switch, then it is probably bad.

_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

What converter do you have? The one that I have and linked to does not have a USB connector or a PAL/NTSC switch. It is simply a VGA male to s video and rca female. Is there a better connectore/converter? I really appreciate the help you all are giving me

Thanks,
Ken

That's not a converter -- it is probably an adapter for one of those laptops that overloads RCA and SVideo on spare pins. It is probably useless for you.

You can't convert VGA to composite video with just wires. You need:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ ... 1&format=2

_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

And just to make sure -- you are *certain* your laptop doesn't have an SVideo? It is the rare newer laptop that does not. If it looks like a PS/2 keyboard port and that's what you think it is, check to see if it is SVideo. They are more common than PS/2 connectors these days.

_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Thanks mcky and unfortunately I don't have S video. The laptop comes with a blu ray player so they went with an hdmi out vs s video it looks like. Trust me I looked all over this thing and both Nvidia and Costco's websites for the video specs and only vga and hdmi outs. Looks like I'll have to order that converter and thanks again for all your help!

Thanks,
Ken

I think a VGA out is just fine now. At this point, I use one of those converters from the VGA. It has a VGA out that is active while the RCA and SVideo are too. The VGA out drives the LCD monitor singer screen, and the RCA out goes to a wireless sender/receiver with two receivers, so I can put it on two external TVs. This allows us to cover two rooms of a venue with no cabling. Add the available SVideo out for yet another screen, and it makes for an easy and compact setup.

_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.