DVI to svideo/composite on G5 or Mini

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foo - 04 Mar 2005 23:09 GMT

Does anyone have their G5 or Mac Mini using a regular TV as a display? How
well does it work? Is there a way to center and size the image on the
screen?

The Apple store and all online places I've tried are out of stock on the DVI
to svideo/composite adapter. I have a Mac Mini that I bought but want to
return because I've decided I need wireless on it. I intend to use the TV as
the display (for mostly media center uses), and want to know if its
reasonable before I go out and order a much more expensive non-returnable
box.

Thanks

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Jeff McLean - 04 Mar 2005 23:24 GMT

There's a very nice site here:

http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/vgacable.html

detailing how to build a DVI to component cable. Further down
on the page, there's a guide to building a S-video to DVI cable.

Just in case you're handy with a soldering iron and your local
verdors/online vendors NEVER get the wire you want in stock!

You might need one of those pesky DVI to HDMI cables and some
software called DisplayConfigX, depending on what other inputs
you've got on your TV.....

http://tenant.com/mini.php

Good luck!

> Does anyone have their G5 or Mac Mini using a regular TV as a display? How
> well does it work? Is there a way to center and size the image on the
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Thanks

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Larry Moss - 05 Mar 2005 05:21 GMT

> Does anyone have their G5 or Mac Mini using a regular TV as a display? How
> well does it work? Is there a way to center and size the image on the
> screen?

I have my Mini connected to a TV using the DVI to svideo convertor. I
guess I ordered it early enough before they went out of stock. It works
well enough for now, but I am hoping to get a digital TV in the not too
distant future.

There are two issues I'm running into. I haven't had enough time to play
with it. I'm not satisfued with the color profile. I've tried calibrating
it, but I need to mess with it some more. The default NTSC profile looks
awful on my TV. I believe this is fixable by just calibrating it properly.

The second issue is one I don't know how to fix and may be the adapter. I
get a faint horizontal band scrolling upward on the screen. It is light
enough to not be a major distraction, but I'd love to get rid of it. I'm
using the computer to play ripped DVDs, so I want the best picture I can
get. No other devices plugged into the TV cause this. I've used the same
cables and same input on the TV as I'm using with the DVD player as well as
the same electrical outlet (actually a UPS). As far as I can tell
everything is grounded properly. I don't know what else to try.

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o-chan - 05 Mar 2005 06:40 GMT

>>Does anyone have their G5 or Mac Mini using a regular TV as a display? How
>>well does it work? Is there a way to center and size the image on the
>>screen?

I do. I set the resolution to 640x480 at 60 Hz and it looks fine.
Anytime I run a movie, I set it to full screen and it looks like I'm
watching TV. Very nice.

> The second issue is one I don't know how to fix and may be the adapter. I
> get a faint horizontal band scrolling upward on the screen.

Try setting your refresh to 60 Hz. NTSC uses 60 Hz in 2 frames which
each get a refresh of 30 Hz. What you're seeing is an artifact caused
by the video card sending a new signal at a different rate than the TV
is drawing it.

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Larry Moss - 05 Mar 2005 16:07 GMT

> Try setting your refresh to 60 Hz. NTSC uses 60 Hz in 2 frames which
> each get a refresh of 30 Hz. What you're seeing is an artifact caused
> by the video card sending a new signal at a different rate than the TV
> is drawing it.

Thanks. But that's not it. I have it set at 60 Hz and 640x480.
(Actually, right now it's at 800x600 just to give me slightly more screen
real estate while I'm experimenting with other stuff. But that hasn't made
a difference. The picture through the convertor is identical.)

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Mac Forum / General / Hardware / March 2005

DVI to svideo/composite on G5 or Mini