Mac mini S-Video problems - Out of sync

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Mac mini S-Video problems - Out of sync

Hello everybody,
This month I got myself my first Mac computer.
I'm in the computer industry for a while, but always 've been using Windows, Linux, and other Unix's systems.

So I got the Mac mini 1.66GHz, and it's beautiful. It amazes me how powerfull, small and friendly it is.
My only frustration is that I just cannot make it work with my TV set.

I have a CRT LG Lafinion 72. And I got a DVI to Video adapter from Apple.

I installed a VNC server on the mini so I can control it through my Dell Windows XP laptop. I also installed DispayConfigX and SwitchResX. So I have the mini connected to the TV via S-Video, and I control the mini via VNC on the PC.

The problem is: It doesn't matter which resolution I choose for the mini, it just display distorted, out of sync, black and white images on the TV. I live in Brazil, so I took care to chose different combinations of sizes and refresh rates, no luck, the screen is unreadable. I've spent really more than 10 hours rebooting the machine, and testing resolutions and refresh rates. No real success, the closest I got from it to working was at 90 Hz, where it shows 3 black and white, fast scrolling, unreadable MAC OS/X screens.

My worry is that from what I've read, it looks like it was supposed for the mini to "detect" that it is connected to the TV, and then display options for NTSC, PAL, and other TV resolutions. Those options doesn't appear for me, it just can't detect the TV.

I tried connecting it to a different TV set, with no luck.
I tried resseting the PRAM.
It only works when connected to my Computer monitor through VGA, that is an LG LCD 17".

I was careful to read all the TV related messages on this forum, they gave me a lot of hopes, but now I'm starting to get worried I might never get this thing to work.

Does anyone have any other ideas it should be worth trying?

Thanks a lot!!!!

Henrique

Mac Mini - Core Duo - 1.66GHz, Mac OS X (10.4.8), Early 2006 Model

Posted on Nov 19, 2006 7:04 PM

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Answer 1

BSteely

Level 5

7,643 points

Nov 20, 2006 8:28 PM in response to hbernardes

The TV broadcast system in Brazil is PAL, correct? In that case you will want to stick to PAL timings which are 50Hz refresh.

How about settings on the TV? Check this thread where others have had issues sounding similar to this one.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=751083&#751083

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Answer 2

hbernardes Author

Level 1

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Nov 21, 2006 6:01 AM in response to BSteely

Hi BSteely, thanks for your reply.
Actualy in Brazil the standard for TV broadcast is PAL-M. PAL-M is pretty much like NTSC, with a horizontal frequency of 15.750 Hz, and vertical frequency of 60 Hz, 525 lines scan. The only difference is how PAL-M deals with colors, that's a little different. On the other hand, the European PAL system is totaly different.

Well, I've read those topics you mentioned before, the image sync is stil unreadable, not only color, bout the sync is also out.

DisplayConfigX says it doesn't work for S-Video, that's why I thing it insists on calling my LG TV as a VGA Monitor 85KHz. But wasn't the adaptor supposed to let the TV be detected?
ConfigResX also didn't work.

Furthermore, the TV has automatic detection of inputs, for NTSC, PAL, PAL-M etc... I have an american Playstation2 for example that is NTSC and it works perfectly for sync and color...

Any other things I may be missing?

Thanks a lot!

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Answer 3

BSteely

Level 5

7,643 points

Nov 21, 2006 9:19 PM in response to hbernardes

I'm begining to think you may have gotten a bad adapter. It wouldn't be the first time that has happened. It is the adapter that gets detected by the mini, not the TV itself. The adapter has a small ROM chip inside it that alerts the mini that a TV is being connected. If your mini thinks a VGA monitor is attached, then it sounds like the ROM inside the adapter isn't working. That's my best guess at this point.

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Answer 4

hbernardes Author

Level 1

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Nov 22, 2006 8:15 AM in response to BSteely

Hi BSteely,
yes, I'm hoping it's a problem with the adapter. (It would be worse to know that it's a problem with the Mac Mini).
The problem is that I don't have another adapter to test around here (bought through ebay).
So I guess I'll have to return this one and buy another one.
If by any means you know a way to troubleshoot the adapter, maybe, I could also try that...
Let's see...

Thanks a lot.

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Answer 5

BSteely

Level 5

7,643 points

Nov 22, 2006 7:54 PM in response to hbernardes

You can test to see if the mini can properly read the ROM inside the Apple adapter. To do this you need to download and install SwitchRes X Control Panel. SRX CP has a small, built-in utility for reading the data inside a display's ROM (EDID). There is a button labeled "Export DDC" inside SRX. That is the one you want.

You don't need to have the TV attached. Just the adapter. When I do this I get the result posted below. If the mini is unable to read the ROM in this manner, then that would indicate to me the adapter could be defective.

DDC block generated by SwitchRes X for display
NTSC/PAL (2)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
-----------------------------------------------------
0 | 00 FF FF FF FF FF FF 00 06 10 08 9D 01 01 01 01
1 | 07 0C 01 03 10 00 00 96 30 67 A9 A0 56 47 99 26
2 | 11 48 4C 00 00 61 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01
3 | 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01
4 | 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01
5 | 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01
6 | 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 00 00 00 FC
7 | 00 4E 54 53 43 2F 50 41 4C 0A 20 20 20 20 00 38

-----------------------------------------------------
Valid DDC block: checksum passed

EDID Version........1.3
Manufacturer........APP
Product Code........2205 (089D) (9D08)
Serial Number.......16843009

Manufactured........Week 7 of year 2002
Max H Size..........0 cm
Max V Size..........0 cm
Gamma...............2.50

DPMS Supported Features:
------------------------
Active off

Display type:
-------------
Non RGB color display

Input signal & sync:
--------------------
Analog input with: 0.700V / 0.300V
Blank to black setup

Color info:
------------
Red x = 0.626 Green x = 0.278 Blue x = 0.150 White x = 0.283
Red y = 0.338 Green y = 0.601 Blue y = 0.068 White y = 0.298

Established Timings:
--------------------

Manufacturer Reserved Timings:
------------------------------
Unknown timing 7
Unknown timing 2
Unknown timing 1

Standard Timing Identification:
-------------------------------

Monitor Description blocks:
---------------------------
Descriptor #0 is Empty descriptor

Descriptor #1 is Empty descriptor

Descriptor #2 is Empty descriptor

Descriptor #3 is Monitor name:
NTSC/PAL

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