X800 Pro VIVO help...

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s1ngh_01

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Jun 15, 2007
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Hi everyone.

Im looking for help with using the VIVO function on my ATI X800 Pro graphics card.
I know this card is a bit old now, but I have nly just come across a need for the VIVO function, and I have searched the internet for ages and have found nothing particularly useful on how to use it

What I want to do is set up the card so I can play PS2/xbox on my VGA monitor.
I have already tried looking for component-VGA adaptors, or PS2 VGA cables, but they are either non-existent or people just dont sell them anymore. i have found some rather expensive ones, but i'll use them as a last resort.
I dont want to use composite out as its supposed to be rubbish... and converter boxes are too expensive.

The card came as an OEM card, so no software, manual, nor wires of any kind!
My card has 2x DVI-I slots, and 1x 9 pin s-video slot
I have also ordered an s-video y-cable, which has s-video in, composite out, component out, and s-video out. however it is coming from the US (to the UK) and will take time to get here.. had to order from the US as the 9pin s-vid cable is impossible to find here..

Questions:
1) Is the S-Video slot Plug&play? Or do I need specific software for it? If so what drivers/software do I need?
2) Can I use the s-video slot as the input (ie from PS2 to the s-video slot) and then output the image via the DVI slot? (my monitor has VGA input, I have a dvi-vga adaptor to run the monitor..)

If anyone has any alternatives (or links to other sites) please post them here, I would really appreciate it

And before anyone asks.... the sensor on my tv is broken so I cant change to the AV inputs, so I cant use my PS2 on the tv.... and I dont want to buy a new tv

Thanks all!
 
You can't connect anything directly to that S-Video-looking port, you must have the 4-way split VIVO cable you ordered connected. Once you get it though, you'll be in business.

You need not only the main display driver, but the WDM driver. It's included in the Catalyst driver download unless you explicitly get separate parts, so your should be good there.

While waiting download and set up Dscaler. It will allow you to see the input signal from the S-Video in port on that 4-way split cable and play your PS2. You start it, choose the source in one of the menus, and you're good to go.You can also play around with the various filters if you like to make it look better. Dscaler is free software.

All you need to do once you get the 4-way splitter cable is connect it to the port on the back of the card, connect the PS2 via S-Video to the S-Video in port on the 4-way cable, run Dscaler, choose the source, and make sure it's looking at the S-video source instead of the Composite source. It may take some messing around to get Dscaler to work properly, but I've found it has less input lag than the ATI software, which is buggy and out of date anyway.
 
@silent-circuit

thanks for the speedy response! That has explained a lot to me, I do have some further questions though..

The explanation you have given, using dscaler, will the output be via the dvi slot (the one thats connected to the monitor)? Basically will I use the s-video slot on my card as an Input only?
Or will I need to use the s-video/composite/component out on that cable and run that to my monitor somehow?
Note the cable I have bought is this one:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/images/article/inline/2018-dongle.jpg

I know which cable you are talking about, its like this one but without the component out, and without the composite in...

thanks again!


EDIT: Also, why can I not just plug in a 4pin s-video cable into the slot?
And also how good is this actually going to look on my monitor?
 
sorry if im hijacking here but you have me interested in this as well :D, i have the cable and its hooked up and i have dscaler but what do i do now, and what source do i use.
 
It will /output/ S-video via the socket directly, but will not take input directly, so you need that splitter cable you bought.

Steps:
1. connect your monitor to the card just as it is now (so don't disconnect or change anything here, it's fine)
2. connect the splitter cable to the smaller S-video looking socket next to the DVI port
3. connect the PS2 via the "S-video in" labeled connection on the splitter cable and turn it on
4. run Dscaler, choose the source, make sure it's looking for the s-video portion of the source (with the PS2 turned on so the card is getting a signal to look for, of course)
5. you should see the PS2 image in the Dscaler window.

It should look fine -- I played my Xbox with this method sometimes when I had a Radeon X800XT, but my 8800 GTX does not have VIVO capability, just output, so I can't anymore.

forrehmmnd: sorry I can't be more specific -- look around in the menus, there's one (I think it's the main menu on the left, just called 'sources') that lets you choose the source, there are several options, but it should be fairly obvious as one should say something about ATI or M200 or something, that's the one you want. You also need to change the s-video/composite setting to agree with whatever input you're using in order to see a picture. That may be in the main menu as well, or another, I can't recall right now.
 
thats just it, theres no ati or anything resembling that in the sources menu, maybe i have the wrong cable ?
 
Hi, thanks again for all your help, but now that Ive got the cable im having another problem...
I am PAL region, and the image is coming up Black&White, I cant seem to change it..

Also, I am running it thru the Composite connection, yet on Dscaler it works when I choose S-Video, and doesnt work when I choose composite... im not sure why..

any help would be appreciated.
 
I think at some point it asks you if you'll be working with PAL or NTSC video. There's a menu option somewhere, just wander through them. Sorry I can't be more help.
 
yep there is an option which lets you choose NTSC, PAL, or SECAM.
All of them output black and white (and very grainy/pixelated) images.

Theres so many choices for PAL:
Pal_a Pal_b Pal_c etc etc, all which come up without colour.

****** EDIT
Using ChrisTV Lite the picture is smoother, but still black and white. I really have no idea why.
I am in the UK, bought my x800 Pro from Hong Kong, and my cable from USA. I dont know if the input on my graphics card is natively set to NTSC or something, or the cable is not PAL (im just guessing here...)...

Oh well if anyone has any ideas i'd like to hear them, if not no worries!
 
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