dvi pc connection from nvidia 5700le to sharp aquos LC-26GA5U

I simply cannot get my PC to display on the sharp aquos that I just bought. I am probably doing something really dumb, but 2 of us have been at this for 6 hours now and I am giving up, going to bed and hoping that some kind soul can help out.

Before I post elaborate details on what we have tried, it is probably first pointing out that nothing ever appears on the aquos, not the windows startup screen, not anything, just blankness.

The PC also never spots an extra monitor. We can force the nVidia drivers to assume there is a tv available, but that does nothing either.

I am connecting the DVI output from the graphics card to the DVI input on the aquos via a DVI-D cable. I have set the aquos to input 5 and set the input terminal (again on the aquos) to "Digital PC" (and even tried it with "Analog PC").

I'm sure I have done something really stupid but I can't figure out what it is. Is the DVI cable of the correct type? Could the DVI on my graphics card be busted? How could I tell? Is there a magical sequence of plugging things in and turning things on?

Any and all help would be very much appreciated.

p.s. I have the latest version of the nVidia drivers installed i.e. v72.14
p.p.s. I also have ATI HTDV wonder card also installed on the box
p.p.p.s everything works fine on the monitor that we have generally had plugged in at the same time as the aquos

For DVI-d you should set DIGITAL PC. Your graphics card should be set to the native res of the panel, probably 1280 x 720, and MUST have a locked refresh of 60 Hz, NOT optimal. You'll need to setup your 'DualView' for an HDTV, not a standard TV which assumes 480i over SVideo.

RSawdey,

many thanks for getting back to me. I have followed your suggestions, but I am still having no luck. I'm still a little confused and have the following questions, again any help very much appreciated,

Rob

1) Is it O.K. that there is no picture on the "aquos" monitor at windows startup? Is this due to the fact that windows is only putting out an analog output at startup and the aquos wants digital?
2) Is it right that I have to click the "force TV detection" check box in the nVidia "Tools" menu? and that windows does not automatically detect the aquos? or should it be finding it?
3) When I right click on the TV in the "nView Display Settings" and go to "Select TV format" should there be an "HDTV" option there? I have seen screenshots on line that have this, but I never get that as an option, even when I go to advanced.
4) Also when I click on that advanced button, there is the option to select the "Video output format". DVI is not on the list. I have Auto-Select, Composite Video-Out and S-Video-Out. Should DVI be on the list?

many many thanks for any help

I have a feeling by using "Digital PC" mode you are telling the Sharp to appear as a PC monitor and not an HDTV set. Hence why you can't get the TV options to appear.

Try this:Right-click on the desktop, there will be an NVIDIA menu, Select the name of the Sharp on the menu, you will be taken to an NVIDIA control panel, click on the icon of your Sharp in the NVIDIA controls, then click the Device Controls button, Select "Treat Digital Display as HDTV" and then click OK. And reopen the control panel you should have the HDTV options now.

You can download MonInfo (http://www.entechtaiwan.com/files/moninfo.exe), a utility that can be downloaded and run to get information from your HDTV via the DVI connection, an example:

Monitor
Windows description......... Plug and Play Monitor
Manufacturer description.... R40W46
Manufacturer................ LG Electronics
————————————————————————————
Plug and Play ID............ GSM0101
Serial number............... (n/a)
————————————————————————————
Manufacture date............ 2003
EDID revision............... 1.3
Display type and signal..... Digital
Sync input support.......... (n/a)
Screen size................. 710 x 400 mm (~34")
Power management............ Not supported
Color characteristics
Display gamma............... 2.20
Red chromaticity............ Rx 0.640 - Ry 0.340
Green chromaticity.......... Gx 0.300 - Gy 0.690
Blue chromaticity........... Bx 0.138 - By 0.038
White point (default)....... Wx 0.270 - Wy 0.365
Timing characteristics
VESA GTF support............ Not supported
Horizontal scan range....... 31-45kHz
Vertical scan range......... 59-60Hz
Video bandwidth............. 80MHz
Timing recommendation #1.... 1920x1080 at 30Hz
Modeline................ "1920x1080" 74.250 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1094 1124 interlace +hsync +vsync
Timing recommendation #2.... 720x480 at 60Hz
Modeline................ "720x480" 27.000 720 736 798 858 480 489 495 525 -hsync -vsync
Standard timings supported
720 x 480 at 60Hz - LG Electronics
1920 x 1080 at 30Hz - LG Electronics

Note that the 30Hz indicates these are interlaced timings.

This info will come from the Sharp and may tell you what is going on.

many thanks SpHeRe31459 and rbinck for your responses, unfortunately still no luck

the moninfo utility tells me that i have my dell monitor attached (I have a monitor and the aquos plugged into the computer) and then it tells me that the 2nd monitor (which should be the aquos) is a "default monitor". I think that this second monitor is showing up because I checked the "force TV detection" checkbox in the nvidia settings. If this is unchecked I never get the second monitor.

i also can't select the "treat digital display as HDTV" as it never shows up as an option.

nothing seems to be spotting the aquos, not windows, not nvidia, not moninfo.

could this be a bad cable? a broken video card? or the wrong setting on the aquos?

any help, much appreciated

rob

Don't check "force TV detection" that is for analog sets.
So the Sharp isn't even seen as a monitor when you plug it in via DVI?
What happens when you change the setup on the DVI port (INPUT 5) to something other than PC?
Have you tried VGA? or HDMI?

thanks for the suggestions, still no dice, the sharp is never seen as a monitor.

here's what i did

unchecked the "force TV detection"

then, the aquos has 4 possible settings for the input, i tried each one in turn and rebooted each time I changed it. the aquos was not seen by either moninfo or desktop>properties>settings.

the 4 input settings that i tried were

pc digital
pc analog
av digital
av analog

is it worth trying a DVI-I cable, and seeing if I can get one of the analogs to work? I am currently using a DVI-D cable.

so i wanted to post the solution to this for anyone else that tries it

it turns out that i had to use a DVI-I cable and have the "aquos" set to "pc analog"

this produces an amazing picture for dvds played via the computer. the nvidia card still does not spot that it is dealing with an aquos, it spots something is listening and marks it as a "default monitor"

am not sure why the card does not see the aquos and if anyone knows please post a response as i am very interested, but for the time being i am very pleased with it working the way it is

thanks for the responses, bfn

It sounds like your card is only analog.

Hi Gurus,
From scanning this thread, it looks like I have the same TV as rbrtyts. I'm at the point where I am able to get a pc signal going to the Sharp TV from my PC (SiS video card).

The problem I am encountering however is resolution size. The LCD TV will only display at 800 * 600 (60 Hz) or 848 * (480 60Hz). I did notice that when the LCD TV first detects the signal from the pc, it is receiving a signal at a refresh rate of 58 Hz (1280 * 768). Documentation from Sharp states that the minimum signal it can pick up is 60Hz.

I do have my LCD connected by DVI-I -> DVI-I to VGA adapter -> VGA monitor. That's about 12 feet of cable and an adapter. Could my cable length and the use of the adapter be causing a loss of signal?

Any ideas you have would be great!! :)

Thanks

TVs are NOT multisync devices, they ONLY sync at 60 Hz. SD and HD.

You need to supply a signal to the panel equal to it's native resolution for best results. This is probably 1280 x 720p/60.

SiS isn't know from quality graphics... you might consider an NVidia card with support in the drivers for 720p... as long as your display has a VGA input, might as well use it... but graphics cards are available with DVI and Component out as well.

Thanks for the info. Looks like I'll have to get a better video card for my laptop. More $$$$$

Hi, i'm having a very similar problem to the original poster. I have an fx 5200 connected to a philips rear projection hdtv via DVI-D. As with the OP the computer does not seem to see that anything is connected to the dvi port. I have also tested a Radeon 9800 and had similar results. Unfortunately I am not able to connect to the television through DVI-I as the OP did and am wondering if anyone has any other possible solutions.
thanks

bump

bump

I am in nearly the same situation as rbrtyts:
Sharp Aquos LC-26GA4U
nVidia Geforce FX 5200 video card with dual connections
PC running XP Pro.

I confirmed with Sharp that a DVI-I cable is required. (Sharp insists on a DVI-I single link cable, but I have a dual attached.) I have set up nVidia, Display Properties and the HDTV to dual monitors, etc.

I think I have the set-up right because during start up, both my main monitor and the HDTV show the same output. They both proceed from the PC start up scrolling text to the Windows XP start up screen (the MS four color flag). The text and the Windows graphic show clearly on the HDTV.

However, when next the screen blanks for Windows to start, the HDTV goes blank. I can get no image on the HDTV. The main monitor continues on as a normal windows start-up and normal .

The set up seems correct in that my mouse scrolls off the screen to the right as if another monitor were attached. Also, while testing by playing a DVD in Windows Media Player, I can select from taskbar menu "Send window to Display 2" and, when I do select it, the image disappears as if it were goint to another monitor. The image comes back when I select "send window to Display 1."

Rather than be exhaustive, I can provide further details as needed.

Maybe this is another clue: I am getting no sound on the HDTV even though a 3.5mm audio cable is attached. Also, nVidia sees the HDTV as a Sharp LCD and defaults to monitor display defaults, not an HDTV. "Treat as HDTV" is selected.

Any help would be Greatly Appreciated.

The set up seems correct in that my mouse scrolls off the screen to the right as if another monitor were attached. Also, while testing by playing a DVD in Windows Media Player, I can select "Send window to Display 2" and, when I do select it, the image disappears as if it were goint to another monitor.

I am getting no sound on the HDTV even though a 3.5mm audio cable is attached.

Sounds like your resolution is not set for a HDTV on the second monitor. Try 1280x720 @ 60 Hz if you have that selection.

The reason why those first pages display is they are at 640x480 @ 60 Hz and later in the boot up the set resolution is switched in.

Many HDTVs will shut off sound when they don't receive a useable signal.

Sorry for the spelling and grammatical errors... the previous got posted before I had finished it.

I am not sure that this is relevant, but would like to add that nVidia auto-detected the HDTV as "Sharp LCD". I have changed the resolution settings, etc., to reflect those of the HDTV.

Thank you again!

Sounds like your resolution is not set for a HDTV on the second monitor. Try 1280x720 @ 60 Hz if you have that selection.

The reason why those first pages display is they are at 640x480 @ 60 Hz and later in the boot up the set resolution is switched in.

Many HDTVs will shut off sound when they don't receive a useable signal.

Thanks, rbinck. I assume that I should set both the nVidia control panel and the desktop display properties to reflect the same resolution?

I did set both and restarted. Still no image on the HDTV. But I did note that in the upper right corner of the HDTV as the computer is restarting (and while I get an image on the HDTV), I see the following settings echoed back:
PC
640x480
70Hz

then:
PC
640x480
70Hz

Then, as the HDTV screen blanks:
PC
___x___
__Hz

The setting of Analog PC vs. Digital PC on the HDTV seems to make no difference. Digital AV and Analog AV are options available, but I have not tried them.

The problem is going to be the 70 Hz. HDTVs pretty much all operate at 60 Hz and will show no signal at any other refresh. There should be a selection under monitor to set for 60 Hz - not optimum.

Also you may want to read this: Hooking Up A PC to A HDTV (http://www.highdefinitionblog.com/?page_id=127) particularly the part about moninfo. There is a link to get that utility and it will tell you what resolutions and timings the HDTV will allow.

I experienced a problem connecting nvidia FX5200 to a Sharp D5U television via DVI....tried all the tricks....new cables, new drivers....no luck. I replaced the FX5200 with a 7600, and things were OK (to make a long story short.) Sometimes the solution is to replace the next higher assembly....in this case, the video card. No amount of troubleshooting would have fixed the FX5200.