Laptop TV Out Problems!!!

[eminem_rh25]

I have a HP Pavilion ZE4210 Laptop Computer. It has a S-Video Out port. I connect my TV to my S-Video Port on my laptop. It shows my desktop. When i play a DVD it shows a black screen. I even when out and bought WinDVD 5 Platium that said it could play on S-Video Out

Here are my specs

HP Pavilion ZE4210
1.6Ghz Celeron Processor
192MB of RAM (I think it is PC 2700)
ATI Video Card with S-Video Out (not sure what model)
20GB Harddrive

[TheIxC3xRxTeam]

on windows do this

goto display properties in the cp(control panel)
click the settings tab
then click the advance button near the bottom of the menu
goto the display tab in advance menu, and you should see

a monitor, a laptop and a tv

click the red button above the tv and then it
should start showing on the tv.

[eminem_rh25]

thanks ill try that soon

[rpertusio]

This happens because the DVD is only shown on the "primary" display device. There are technical reasons why this happens, but I won't go into them now.

If you go into the control panel that 'TheIxC3xRxTeam' mentioned, you might be able to set the TV as your 'primary' display device (and your laptop 'secondary'). This will cause your laptop's screen to show a 'blank' window. You can only do one at a time, *unless*, your video card drivers have a 'clone' feature.

If your control panel has a 'clone' feature or 'theater' mode, you can show the movie on both screens at once. For an ATI Radeon card, you can find that option under the 'Overlay' tab, and change the options at the bottom of that tab. (I don't recall specifically what the button is called.) Select the "Theater" mode, and it should work.

- rp