Legit Reviews

Hi everyone,

I'm new here so i wasn't sure where this should go but this is my problem:

I have an NVIDIA graphics card with a s-video out option and my Insignia TV has an s-video in option. I have no problem getting my display to swtich back and forth between the TV and the monitor. My problem is that the display on my tv has this line running from the bottom of the screen to the top of the screen constantly and it drives me crazy and distracts me from watching movies through my PC on my TV. It only happens when i swtich to the TV display. Normal cable TV viewing is fine, and the computer monitor display is also fine. Its only when i switch from the monitor to the TV that i get this single line running up and down the screen. I don't remember it being there when i first bought the S-video cable so i'm not sure if the cable is damaged. I've tried changing the screen resolution to all the lower quality settings but no such luck. Does anyone have any idea? Has this happened to anyone before? I'd love to get rid of that line!

- Rob

Welcome to the Forums!

What is the model number of your NVIDIA card, and what driver version are you using? Also, what operating system is it?

Hey thanks!

I am using windows XP, it is an NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500 video card, and i'm not sure how to tell which driver i'm using but the "about NVIDIA settings" tab says copyright 1998 to 2003 NVIDIA Coporation.

To check video card driver version:

1 Right click "my computer"
2 Click "properties"
3 Click "hardware" tab
4 Click "device manager"
5 Double Click "display adapters"
6 Double Click your card in the list
7 Click "driver" tab

Driver Version 5.6.5.6, thanks! It's dated 2/4/04. Do you think i just need to use the latest driver?

It certainly won't hurt to update your video driver. I would also make sure your S-video cable is shielded so it's not picking up a signal from another source, or just try another cable.

ibleet wrote:It certainly won't hurt to update your video driver. I would also make sure your S-video cable is shielded so it's not picking up a signal from another source, or just try another cable.

I'll try updating my driver. how do i shield the S-video cable? Right now it runs behind my PC over many wires and cables and connects into the back of my TV next to the cable cord.

how thick is the cable?

Do you have another TV you can try to hook your computer up to to see if the problem is the TV or the computer?

Have you tried removing the other inputs to the TV? could be a feed issue where another signal is trying to override, causing interference.

The S-video cable? I'd say it's about a centimeter thick in diameter.

I'm not sure if i have another TV with the s-video input but i'll take a look and defenitly try unpluging all the other wires first. I do have a dvd player hooked up and a Wii so maybe on of them is causing interference.

Hope one of these works! THanks

ok, if its already that thick then it is probably shielded

Sounds like a ground loop.

I experienced a similar problem recently which was creating a really irritating humming noise.

From Wikipedia's entry on ground loops

In video, ground loops can be seen as hum bars (bands of slightly different brightness) scrolling vertically up the screen. These are frequently seen with Video projectors where the display device has its case grounded via a 3-prong plug, and the other components have a floating ground connected to the CATV coax. In this case the video cable is grounded at the projector end to the home electrical system, and at the other end to the cable TV's ground, inducing a current through the cable which distorts the picture. As with audio ground loops, this problem can be solved by placing an isolation transformer on the cable-tv coax. Alternatively, one can use a surge protector that includes coax protection. If the cable is routed through the same surge protector as the three-prong device, both will be regrounded to the surge protector.