Connection Problem Computer to HDTV

[CarlP]

I'm a race fan and there are many races that are streamed to computers, and I would like to watch them on my new 55" Haier LCD/LED TV.

The Problems are: 1. the Haier only has ONE S-cable input connection which I am using for satellite input from a DirecTV HD box. I do have an S-cable socket on a video card on my 2 year old Dell Inspiron 530, BUT IS there a 2 into 1 splitter available that can used to connect both the HDTV box and the Computer to the TV for the video input at the same time?

2. The Haier has ONE VGA socket for "PC" input, as does the computer (which is used for the monitor normally). I tried a cable to the VGA connection to the Haier. Using "Input" of PC on the Haier indicates "No Signal". The resolution on the computer is set to 1024 x 768 as instructed by Haier.

3. I then got an adapter from VGA to connect to the white DVI socket on the video card but still "No Signal". The sound connections are done with RCA cables.

Output on the Dell is restricted to the S-cable, VGA and the DVI sockets. which limits what I can use for Input on the Haier, which is restricted to only ONE S-cable socket on the side, and one VGA socket on the back. (It does have 4 HDMI sockets for other input but how would I use it from my Dell?)

So I'm stumped. I have followed the Haier and Dell instructions to the letter to no avail. Any ideas?

[MrBoylan]

If your laptop has a DVI-D output (DVI-Digital) as opposed to DVI Analog, then your best bet is actually a DVI to HDMI adapter and an HDMI cable to your TV. But this will not work if your DVI output is analog. In that case, the VGA connection is the best way to go as it will be higher resolution than the s-video connection.

But you have to enable the VGA output on your laptop to be live. If you boot up from scratch with the external display connected, you should get output, but you should also be able to toggle between internal laptop screen and external monitor without rebooting by hitting a key combination on your laptop keyboard. On my Dell Latitude, it's the Function key and F8 button, but it may be different on your Inspiron. The button on the latitude is labeled CRT/LCD (above the F8), but again, yours may vary.

If the VGA output does not work, then your TV may be in need of service. You can get an s-video switch, but the quality of this is going to be pretty poor as s-video is limited to 480i resolution (640x480 interlaced) which will look pretty bad when enlarged (and potentially stretched out) on your 55 inch screen. And by the way, get rid of that s-video cable between your DIRECTV box and your TV. Again, that's not high def. The only way to get a high def connection between your DIRECTV box and your TV is either a component video connection (good) or an HDMI cable (best). If your'e worried about the price of the cable, then just get an inexpensive one like this (which is currently $6.99 for a two-meter length):

Amazon Basics HDMI Cable (Amazon.com)

It works like a champ. I have a few of them in use currently.

So:

1. Ditch the s-video connection for DIRECTV - it's standard def and won't give you very good performance on your TV - use HDMI instead - also make sure you have set your TV up as 16:9 and 1080i output in your DIRECTV box set-up menu.
2. For your PC, make sure you are enabling the VGA output on your laptop when testing using the VGA cable. If this doesn't work, then try another VGA cable. If that doesn't work, return the TV

[CarlP]

What a great source of information. I only just stumbled on it in my search for help. THANK YOU.

First, the DIRECTV connection to an HDMI cable has been done, and that did help the picture.

To the rest of my problem,
1. my Dell Inspiron is a desktop, not a laptop. Does that change any of your answers relating to a laptop?
2. The Dell does not have an HDMI socket so that is out. It has the VGA socket but it is in use by the monitor, so IF I have to use it for the TV, is there such a thing as a 1 into 2 splitter (I have not been able to find one) and if so how to toggle between the monitor and the TV?

OR I think have a DVI socket but I've never seen one other than pictures and I don't know how to tell the difference between DVI-D (digital only), DVI-A (high-resolution analog), and DVI-I (digital and analog). Mine is white, has three rows of pins (about 24), and a little funny short bar by itself to the side and parallel to the three rows. I have connected to the VGA on the TV, using both this one with a VGA adapter, and to the VGA socket itself and neither showed a picture on the TV. (unfortunately my manual and sales sheet are gone so I can't look at them to identify other than look at the video card. I does also have an S-cable socket)

3. There are a few buttons above the F-keys but mine are not labeled. The only possible one might be one that has a picture on it that looks like a monitor???? and I tried clicking it along with the Function key, but still neither transmitted a signal.

4. If my DVI socket IS DVI-D output (DVI-Digital) then using the DVI to HDMI adapter are there 16' or 15' HDMI cables for the TV? I have a 16+' length necessary between Dell & TV because I'm transmitting through a wall from one room to another, with no choice.

(The cables are are all new, as well as the TV) Sorry I'm slow responding, I thought somehow there would be an email notice, but there wasn't.

[MrBoylan]

What a great source of information. I only just stumbled on it in my search for help. THANK YOU.

First, the DIRECTV connection to an HDMI cable has been done, and that did help the picture.

Alrighty, then. That's progress.

To the rest of my problem,
1. my Dell Inspiron is a desktop, not a laptop. Does that change any of your answers relating to a laptop?

Yup, that does change things a bit. You won't need to toggle between laptop screen and external monitor. But if you know that the VGA cable works, as you are using it with your monitor, and then you try unplugging it from the monitor and plugging it into the TV and get nothing (with 1024x768 resolution set on the PC, and with the proper VGA input selected on your TV), then this points to a problem with your TV's VGA input or a setting on your TV's menu to enable the VGA input. You could try stepping the resolution on your PC all the way down to 640x480 and see if that works. And then go up from there. Ideally you want to select a widescreen resolution (e.g. 1280x720 or 1366x768) so that you get the proper aspect ratio, but I don't know whether your TV supports those resolutions on its VGA input. Many do not (and one manual I did find from Haier says that it works best at 1024x768). I would try the most basic option - 640x480 resolution, switch the TV to its VGA input, then reboot the PC and see what happens when you boot fresh with the TV connected as the monitor. If you get a picture, then adjust your PC's resolution to 1024x768 and see how it looks.

2. The Dell does not have an HDMI socket so that is out. It has the VGA socket but it is in use by the monitor, so IF I have to use it for the TV, is there such a thing as a 1 into 2 splitter (I have not been able to find one) and if so how to toggle between the monitor and the TV?

Yes, there are VGA switches. The simplest mechanical ones are less than $20 like this one:

VGA Manual Switch

But first you have to determine whether the TV's VGA input is even working properly, which is not a fogregone conclusion at this point.

OR I think have a DVI socket but I've never seen one other than pictures and I don't know how to tell the difference between DVI-D (digital only), DVI-A (high-resolution analog), and DVI-I (digital and analog). Mine is white, has three rows of pins (about 24), and a little funny short bar by itself to the side and parallel to the three rows. I have connected to the VGA on the TV, using both this one with a VGA adapter, and to the VGA socket itself and neither showed a picture on the TV. (unfortunately my manual and sales sheet are gone so I can't look at them to identify other than look at the video card. I does also have an S-cable socket)

A DVI Analog connector can be adapted to VGA with a simple adapter, as you describe. A DVI-D connector can be adapted to HDMI via a simple adapter, albeit with no sound (DVI is idential to HDMI in video, but carries no audio). A DVI-I port has everything active - both the DVI Digital and DVI analog outputs. If your VGA adapter even fits into the jack, then what you have is probably either DVI-A or DVI-I. There are also variations on these (dual link vs. single link).

To tell which one it is, take a look at the DVI wikipedia page, which has pictures of each connector and compare yours with the pictures on the left of the page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface

If you have DVI-D or DVI-I then get yourself either a DVI (male) to HDMI (male) cable or a DVI to HDMI adapter and an HDMI cable. If you do this, I would set the PC resolution to something commonly found on HDMI, like 1280x720 (720p). But these options are going to depend on your video card and its output capabilities. Also, check your TV's manual to see whether any of the HDMI ports are specifically meant for PC connections. Not sure which TV you have but here's a manual for a 55-inch Haier LCD TV (HL55XZK22):

http://www.haier.com/admin/en/produc...5XZK22a-UM.pdf

If this isn't the one, then check the Haier web site, go to the support section... manual downloads, enter your country, product type and model number and you should get the user manual. This manual does say that you should set the VGA output to 1024x768 (if using VGA) or 1280x720 if using DVI to HDMI. As to whether you can use both the VGA and DVI output on your PC simultaneously, this depends on your video card. Some support dual output, some do not. Best bet is to try your testing with ONLY the TV hooked up as the monitor. Once you get a picture via one of the connection methods, then you can figure out whether you need a switch. Best case, your video card would support dual monitor mode, with the monitor hooked up via VGA and the TV hooked up via DVI/HDMI. But even if you need to use a switch and connect both via HDMI, this should still look OK.

3. There are a few buttons above the F-keys but mine are not labeled. The only possible one might be one that has a picture on it that looks like a monitor???? and I tried clicking it along with the Function key, but still neither transmitted a signal.

This may switch between the VGA and DVI monitor outputs.

4. If my DVI socket IS DVI-D output (DVI-Digital) then using the DVI to HDMI adapter are there 16' or 15' HDMI cables for the TV? I have a 16+' length necessary between Dell & TV because I'm transmitting through a wall from one room to another, with no choice.

Sure, there are multiple options. You could get a long DVI-D cable and a DVI female to HDMI male adapter at the TV end. Or you can get a DVI male to HDMI female adapter, and use a long HDMI cabel from PC to TV. Or you can get a DVI-D male to HDMI male cable (has HDMI on one end, DVI-D on the other). Prices are all over the place for this stuff, but here's a 25-foot DVI to HDMI cable on Amazon for $10.77:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B000QYWQW0

I haven't used the eforcity stuff, but it's rated 4 stars on Amazon and should be fine. But all this is predicated on your PC having a DVI-I or DVI-D output. I guess $10 is cheap enough for an experiment, and the 25 feet gives you plenty of extra length in case you need it. Remember, you will also need to run the audio separately, either into the TV's PC audio input, or into your receiver (if you have one).

(The cables are are all new, as well as the TV) Sorry I'm slow responding, I thought somehow there would be an email notice, but there wasn't.

You can subscribe to the thread via e-mail inthe "Thread tools" link above. Default is off, but you can subscribe to any thread manually and get notified via e-mail when there is a new post.

Anyway... good luck. I'm sure you'll get this up and running soon, and if nothing works then bring the TV back to the store and get something else that does work. Haier is not a brand that I'm that familiar with (Chinese I think). We have had good luck with Samsung, Panasonic, and even several of the VIZIO models.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Regards,

-Chris

[CarlP]

Wow,+I didn't know there were that many different DVI sockets. As it turns out now that you pointed me to wiki, the female socket I have is A female DVI-I socket, and the DVI adaptor to VGA turns out to be a DVI-D dual link so I don't know if that would stop the video & audio from transmitting or not. BUT I may have other problems with the TV. The S-cable worked OK, and changing to HDMI is even better. But I have two components (video tape & DVD player/burner) attached directly to the the TV via Component cables per their instructions, and I also used the audio out to my stereo. The video shows for both of them, but nothing I can do will get the audio working. They are all connected exactly as instructed, so I'm afraid that I will have to contact Haier and see what they say. I did find the manual for the Haier when I first started but it is exactly the same as they sent me so of no further help.

I can't believe that I didn't find the wiki article about the different dvi sockets, but I guess I must have mispelled or picked the wrong words. You sent an incredible amount of information that I will copy and keep in my computer for further use incase it drops off here. All this information will be of great help to anyone needing it. FWIW I spent $17 on one "guaranteed to fix", and they would not even reply to my further questions, so I didn't pay them. Too bad I can't give you something. It would be well worth it. It will take some time now but I will eventually come back and report when I have success. THANK YOU

[MrBoylan]

Hey, Carl,

Glad the information is helping. As for the other components not working, assuming you have double-checked the cables, it does sound like the TV may be having problems. Is it too late to return it? It would be frustrating indeed to have been doing everything right the whole time only to have the TV itself be the culprit. My advice would always be to start simple: plug the VCR's video and audio OUTPUTs (yellow, red and white cables) into the TV's AV2 input - keep yellow to yellow, red to red, etc.. Don't worry about the stereo system yet. Put in a videotape and press play, turn up the TV volume. Anything? Also, make sure you haven't turned off the TV speakers in the TV's set-up menu (there is an option for that in the TV's audio settings menu: Speaker On/Off - that should be ON for these purposes). Then do the same with the DVD recorder, but with component cables: 5 cables - red, green, blue for video, white and red for audio. Connect these to component input 1, again matching up the colors. Be careful not to confuse the red component video cable with the red audio cable. Put in a DVD, press play, select the right input on the TV and turn up the TV volume. Anything? Once you've got the basics working, then you can worry about the advanced stuff like connecting to a stereo system.

The easiest connection from the TV to the stereo is not necessarily the best - just use the TV's audio outputs (left/right) on the back of the set into an available line input on the stereo (anything but a "phono" input should suffice). Select that input on the stereo system and you should be able to hear whatever is connected to the TV through the stereo. But for better sound, you'd want to at least use the DIGITAL output of the DVD recorder (most likely a fiberoptic digital connection) and connect that fiberoptic cable directly to the receiver's digital input. This would allow you to get 5.1 surround from DVDs. You'd want to do the same thing for the satellite box, in order to get 5.1 sound from shows and movies that are broadcast that way. Of course, all of this assumes that your stereo system is actually a surround system with multiple speakers around the room. If it's only a 2-channel system, then you're just as well off using that TV's audio line output for everything.

As for that cable being a DVI-D to VGA cable, that is extremely odd as the two formats (DVI-D and VGA) are completely different from each other - one analog, one digital - so it wouldn't make sense for someone to make a cable like that. The only way to convert from DVI-D to VGA would be with a powered digital format converter, and these cost upwards of $75. They're not simple cables. Simplest test for the computer is to take that VGA cable that you know already works for the monitor and swap it over to the TV. Yeah, you might need to move the computer to do that, but it's better than pulling all your hair out wondering why things aren't working.

And as for supporting the site, well we don't take donations, but we are running a business here, both with advertisers and with affiliate links. All of the links I included in the above posts (HDMI cable, DVI to HDMI cable, VGA switch) etc., link to Amazon using our affiliate ID. So if you happen to buy any of those cables using our links then Big Picture Big Sound gets a small commission on the sale. You don't just have to buy audio and video gear either. You can buy coffee, books, DVDs, Blu-rays, grocery items, fishing gear - whatever strikes your fancy. As long as you start from one of our affiliate links for your online shopping session, the site will get a commission on whatever you buy. It's all anonymous so we won't see your taste in movies (or anything else)

We work with sites other than Amazon too (OneCall, Vann's, J&R Music World, etc.). So if you're feeling inspired to support the site, use one of the above links *OR* just go to this page where we have all of our affiliate links:

Big Picture Big Sound's Online Shopping Page

It's pretty simple - just bookmark that page and use it as a starting point for shopping for something online, clicking on any of these links to visit the sites.

Anyway, hope the advice helps, and I do hope you're eventually able to get it all working.

Regards,

-Chris

[CarlP]

I have already switched from the monitor cable (which does work) to the TV cable which doesn't. I made one mistake with regard to: >>"As for that cable being a DVI-D to VGA cable, that is extremely odd as the two formats (DVI-D and VGA) are completely different from each other - one analog, one digital - so it wouldn't make sense for someone to make a cable like that. "<<

If it makes any difference, I went back with a magnifier (I'm 77 and - well - you know ) and looked at the little cable converter that I bought, and discovered that it does have 4 more little pins and is in fact a DVI-I (integrated - digital and analog) to VGA converter. So I hope that makes the cable OK after all.

Most of what you suggest I have done already and am careful with the colors as I do know what they do, but will drop the stereo off (It is old) and try that, which I haven't done.

Good to know how I can deal with Amazon and the others. I will remember that and use it in the future because I do buy a lot online. Again, Thank You.

[CarlP]

Chris, are you still around? I'd like to give a positive update and add one more question to the above. First, I am connected to the HDTV from the PC successfully now. I have the TV set to copy the Dell monitor, and whatever shows onthe monitor, shows shows just beautiful on the TV.

The only question left is that the picture that I am streaming in from YouTube (My nephew in his sprint car - www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLxXRrlkvU0&NR=1) is coming through very jerky i.e. about a new shot every 1-2 seconds, although the sound is working OK. It never used to do that before.

does ti have anything to do with resolution settings? The Haier instructions were to set the the resolution to 1024x768 which I have done (and don't remember where it was before). So I don't know what to do to fix it.

I talked to the Haier tech people earlier for a little help and passed on to them what a great site you have her for help.

[MrBoylan]

Chris, are you still around?

Yup. I live here.

I'd like to give a positive update and add one more question to the above. First, I am connected to the HDTV from the PC successfully now. I have the TV set to copy the Dell monitor, and whatever shows onthe monitor, shows shows just beautiful on the TV.

Not sure what that means. Did you get some kind of VGA switcher? Or do you have both hooked up to separate connections on the PC? How are the TV and monitor currently connected to the PC?

The only question left is that the picture that I am streaming in from YouTube (My nephew in his sprint car - www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLxXRrlkvU0&NR=1) is coming through very jerky i.e. about a new shot every 1-2 seconds, although the sound is working OK. It never used to do that before.

does ti have anything to do with resolution settings? The Haier instructions were to set the the resolution to 1024x768 which I have done (and don't remember where it was before). So I don't know what to do to fix it.

I talked to the Haier tech people earlier for a little help and passed on to them what a great site you have her for help.

Thanks for the kind words. It sounds like either your CPU or your video card is being over-worked and can't keep up with the video stream. If you have both monitors hooked up concurrently to two different outputs, then yes, that could explain things as the video card has to work harder to drive two different monitors. IF there's a way to toggle between the two - turning off the PC monitor when the TV is in use - then you may have better luck with the video. I tested the video on a couple of PCs and it was very choppy on an older PC I have in the lab (7 year old Dell), but played OK on a newer PC.

It would help to know how everythign is connected to determine what might be causing the proiblem, but most likely you're going to need to disable the PC monitor while watching things on the TV in order to get good performance.

-CB

[CarlP]

I'd like to give a positive update and add one more question to the above. First, I am connected to the HDTV from the PC successfully now. I have the TV set to copy the Dell monitor, and whatever shows onthe monitor, shows shows just beautiful on the TV.
Not sure what that means. Did you get some kind of VGA switcher? Or do you have both hooked up to separate connections on the PC? How are the TV and monitor currently connected to the PC?

The NVIDIA card has a VGA socket for the Monitor, and a DVI-I socket for the TV. I gave up on the DVI-I to VGA converting socket along with the VGA cable, and found a DVI-I to HDMI cable to connect directly to the TV. Instantly beautiful. Incidentally, the computer is in one room, and I put a hole in the wall and use 25' cables.

It sounds like either your CPU or your video card is being over-worked and can't keep up with the video stream. If you have both monitors hooked up concurrently to two different outputs, then yes, that could explain things as the video card has to work harder to drive two different monitors. IF there's a way to toggle between the two - turning off the PC monitor when the TV is in use - then you may have better luck with the video. I tested the video on a couple of PCs and it was very choppy on an older PC I have in the lab (7 year old Dell), but played OK on a newer PC.

That's it. Unplugging the monitor once it is running lets it run unhindered. Minor problem with my Google column on the right side with some gadgets, is in the middle of the picture on the TV but I can shut that off when necessary.

I don't have a separate sound card so I tried a Y connection on the computer L/R Lineout socket. It stops one side speaker for the Computer while plugged in. But it is easy for me to spin the tower around and plug/unplug both the Monitor and the sound when I need to. So all the issues I had are taken care of, and I have you to thank.

Incidentally, although I haven't been able to do a side by side comparison with the Haier vs. other brands, I am satisfied that the picture, clearness, color etc. are excellent. I don't like the manual they sent because it is only about 20 pages and now that I am 'smarter' I understand it pretty well, but it should have had more explanation for those who do things them self.

What a great help you and this forum have been. You deserve a lot of publicity so I'll do what I can. I'm Sec'y of the Computer Using Fellowship of Rotarians, and we have over 800 members worldwide. SO I intend to post this Forum Link on our Forum, and I also collect Tech Tips and have them published in our monthly NL, so I will also write a short note about this forum along with the links. I only wish you covered other types of computer problems. I've looked at hundreds of forums and never seen on that gives the answers as well as you and this one. Thanks.