[Solved] ATI TV OUT only black and white

NewB · Apprentice Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Posts: 224

my problem is that when I use my tv output (S-Video) I only get a black and white image on my TV. I tried the different PAL (living in Switzerland I look on the internet which modes I should use and I found PAL-B or PAL-G) modes existing with no changes. So I thought that the problem may be the color depth wich is 24bits. I use the latest ati-drivers (fglrx) and xorg (7.1) available in portage and obviously there is no way to change the color depth to 16bits. Do you think that this could be my problem or am I totally wrong? If this is the problem is there a way to change the color depth to 16bits?

Here is my xorg.conf (to activate the tv output i startx xorg like this: startx -- -layout TV):

TheCoop · Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 4:10 pm Post subject:

I had the same problem and solved it using a program called atitvout which no longer seems to be in portage
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FcukThisGame · l33t Joined: 20 Apr 2005 Posts: 776 Location: /lost+found

ville.aakko · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 6:43 am Post subject:

I find it very unlikely it would be caused by the bit depth (though I'm not 100% sure).

Usually the black-and-white problem (which is a very common one) is caused by a TV not supporting S-Video, or a S-Video (luminance) output connected to the composite input of the TV, or the TV not configured to S-Video (though supporting it). It might be that you have already (double)checked these things, but because you said nothing about how you connected your graphics card to your TV or that your TV should be setup correctly to accept S-Video, I though to mention this.

So, are you sure your TV supports S-Video (or that you have set up it to use S-Video) ? How have you connected the Video card into your TV - via SCART, or a 4-pin Mini-DIN S-Video connector on the TV, or other means?

On some Graphichs cards you could change (at least in Windows) the output to composite; i.e. the card gives composite in the pin usually outputting luminance of the S-Video. Maybe that is what atitvout also does? Some graphics cards do not support this feature, though. Also, I think you could get a black-and-white if you use the wrong PAL-X standard, but IIRC, PAL-B or PAL-G should both work (in most European countries, some exceptions in the former eastern block or thereabouts).

Hope this helps

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