[reemas]

any idea how i can watch movies on my tv?

i have a s-video cable but how do i tell the powerobook to use it to play on the tv?

thanks!

[viachiangmai]

Originally posted by reemas:
any idea how i can watch movies on my tv?

i have a s-video cable but how do i tell the powerobook to use it to play on the tv?

thanks!

This worked for me: system preferences/displays, then hit "detect displays" and check the "mirror" box.

i don't know if there is an easier way... if there is, someone please tell me because i use my 15" al pb's s-video output to show dvd's in my classes.

p.s. i forgot to tell you that the pb's screen resolution changed when i used the s-video output.. just to let you know so you don't freak out... like i did.

[urrl78]

I connect the SVHS cable then put my powerbook to sleep. Then after I wake it up I go into system pref/display arrangement. Then I drag the top bar from one screen diagram to the screen without the top bar. That's it.

[reemas]

i acutally tried the detect dispays thing before posting and had no luck so i ended up posting. i just tired it again and it worked fine. thanks for the tip.

[James L]

But, when you guys plug in the S-VIDEO out to the T.V., are you getting an audio signal, or just video?

I was under the belief that to watch DVD's that are playing in the PB on a T.V. that you would need an S-VIDEO to COMPOSITE cable to the T.V. (unless it has S-VIDEO), then another 1/8th inch to COMPOSITE cable from the headphone jack to the T.V.

???

[Link]

Svideo cables have only the video

You need a minijack to rca adapter for the audio. You can grab one at a handful of stores like walmart, targer, radioshack, etc for cheap.

[tooki]

1. Connect SVHS or Composite video cable and audio cable

For Panther:
2. Open Displays, press "Detect Displays"
3. Set to mirroring (4 a), or set to monitor spanning (4 b)
4. a) Play DVD
b) exit full-screen mode if necessary, then drag DVD viewer window to TV. enter full-screen mode again. Full-screen will now be on the TV.

For 10.2 and 10.1:
2) Open Displays, press "Detect Displays".
3) 3. Set to mirroring (4 a), or set to monitor spanning (4 b)
4) a) Play DVD
b) in Displays, click "Arrangement" and then drag the little miniature menu bar to the TV. Then play DVD.



For OS 9:
2) put to sleep, then wake computer
3) set to monitor spanning
4) in Monitors control panel, click "Arrangement" and then drag the little miniature menu bar to the TV. Then play DVD.



Note that the computer will normally remember your setup from then on. So when you're done, disconnect the cable and either put it to sleep, or press Detect Displays, and it'll revert to just using the internal display. The next time you connect the cable and either sleep/Detect, it should remember it.

SVHS cables do not carry audio. You must use the headphone jack (or another audio device, if you've added one), and connect it to the TV's inputs.

Note also that you cannot play DVDs back through a VCR's inputs. Macs do pass on Macrovision whenever a DVD is playing, and a VCR's circuitry will make viewing impossible. You must connect directly to a TV's input.

tooki

[madmacgames]

Originally posted by tooki:
Note that the computer will normally remember your setup from then on. So when you're done, disconnect the cable and either put it to sleep, or press Detect Displays, and it'll revert to just using the internal display. The next time you connect the cable and either sleep/Detect, it should remember it.

The Al powerbooks video jacks I think are all hot-plug-able. I have never had the need to sleep or detect displays. I just plug-in or un-plug and the displays are auto-deteced.

Although I have a 12", so all video out comes from the mini-DVI which is hot-plug-able. I have never used a 15 or 17 Al, so it could be that their S-video output is not hot-plug-able.

[[APi]TheMan]

Originally posted by madmacgames:
The Al powerbooks video jacks I think are all hot-plug-able. I have never had the need to sleep or detect displays. I just plug-in or un-plug and the displays are auto-deteced.

I've noticed that my 15" Aluminum's DVI port auto detects, it's very handy.

In related news, I just switched to a clamshell mode with this Powerbook. I now run my Powerbook connected to an older 17" Studio Display with the lid closed. It's much nicer.

[reemas]

I now run my Powerbook connected to an older 17" Studio Display with the lid closed.

how do you do that? just close the lid?

[[APi]TheMan]

Originally posted by reemas:
how do you do that? just close the lid?

I'm sure there are easier ways to do it, but I just connect the monitor via the VGA adapter and then restart my computer. Once the system starts shutting down I close the lid and the Powerbook knows to use the external display as the main display, not even turning on the built-in LCD. This way the video RAM is not split between two displays... sweet, huh?

[mishap]

or just close the lid and wake the machine with an external USB device such as a mouse.

[[APi]TheMan]

Originally posted by mishap:
or just close the lid and wake the machine with an external USB device such as a mouse.

That's how I thought it was supposed to work. Didn't work for me. Oh well.