Please! Does anyone have any idea about this ?

[Scouser]

Hi,

This problem i have is a real pain in the ass!

It's the old 'black and white' output to TV again, yet if i record to tape, and play it back it's in color ?

Ok, so sounds like my TV doesn't support the 4.43mhz subacrrier frequency (but my video ignores it?) like matrox's page says.....BUT

When run the Quick Connect program, it displays the color calibration screen in FULL COLOR ???

What gives ?

The color calibration screen IS coming from the MJPEG hardware because i am not in TV OUT mode, so why the hell do i get b&w with MJPEGS and a COLOR test screen ???

Matrox tech support (web) aint bothered to reply despite 2 eamils, and tech support (phone) told me my card is broke, yet the above evidence suggests that it isn't ?

By the way, i've tried pretty much ALL driver/vid tools combinations i can think of.

Any ideas ??

Thanks
Scouser
(the man with the BIG headache)

[Brian Ellis]

Liverpuddlian headaches always were bad! Something to do with the aura left by the Beatles?

If you can make a VHS tape in colour, then it would seem there is nothing basically wrong with your system. If you cannot see it in colour on a TV set, then it suggests that the TV set may be badly adjusted (yes! this can happen) so that it is not seeing the colour signal. I assume you go from Marvel directly into whatever AV1 sug and plocketry you have (e.g. a Scart plug) and NOT through any intermediate device. The first thing to do is try a different TV to confirm whether the drift is in the TV or the Marvel. If the picture is in colour, you know what to do. If it isn't, then the Marvel may need a tweak, but you cannot do this. The difference between when you can and cannot get colour is possibly the level of subcarrier modulation, forcing the signal to phase in. I had one TV once which, on first switching on, would display poor colours only if there were intense colours in the image, otherwise monochrome. After 10 minutes or so, the colours would come in normally, as it drifted in to lock onto the subcarrier. Most likely, the o/p from your VHS is closer to what your TV wants to see.

Hope this helps.



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Brian (the terrible)

[Scouser]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the informative info!

I am still undecided as to which is at fault, my card or my 2 TV's, a brand new 25" Sharp and an old Sanyo 14" portable.

I would say it was the card, only for the fact that i get the color calibration screen from Quick Connect with no problems!

It would seem that the card is not 100% compatible with UK TV systems then.

One other thing, could this 'dodgy' capacitor be the cause of my problems ?

Thanks again

Scouser

[Brian Ellis]

Hi!

If you are getting the same results on both TVs, then it is most likely the Marvel being less than marvellous. So the Matrox guy was probably right.

Don't worry that "UK PAL" will not work. I have parts of my set-up bought variously in the UK, Switzerland, Cyprus and Singapore! No compatibility problems.

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Brian (the terrible)

[Rene]

Ask Matrox for a RMA number and send the card back. Ask Matrox for the CAPS modification.

Rene

[Flying dutchman]

A propos CAPS modification; can you please mention the value that the capacitor should have ?(just curious if mine has the correct one!)

Thanks!