Laptop in Color - TV Display in B/W
 

I need you help with using Hoster with a laptop computer.
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I’ve been trying out the demo Hoster on my laptop computer. The laptop is a Compaq Presario CR302NR with an Intel Celeron M Processor 420 (1.6GHz. 1MB L2 cache 533MHz FSB). 1 GB system memory 60 GB hard drive and 24X DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive. The drive works with the latest Microstudio and the demo Hoster programs.
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I’ll have to say upfront that the program is not easy to figure out. But I have managed to get it to work and even figured out how to get the dual display to work using an LCD color TV. The only problem with the TV display is it’s not in color, so it’s difficult to see the changing color of the words.:m This makes it very difficult to follow the lyrics. When I move the singer’s box back to the computer screen it is in color. I’ve connected the audio out to my amp/mixer and the speakers and microphones to my amp/mixer and it sounds fine. The video is connected using a S-Video to RCA cable.
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I don’t use my karaoke system professionally, I use it as my own personal band and doo wop backup while I entertain the folks at the assisted care center where my mother used to be a resident and when I entertain at home. The laptop would allow me to cut down on carrying all my CDs and sorting through them during the performance, but it seems to me it will take some time to load all the CDs and time to learn how to use the program.
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Based on the dual display only showing in black and white with my computer, I may have to buy another laptop. :m The easiest best way to obtain a karaoke laptop would be to buy one of the MTU computers with Hoster and MS XP already loaded, but that is expensive and I’m not able to count it as a business expense. Another less expensive way would be to figure out what computer I can buy off the shelf that will work with Hoster. The last way is to figure out how to make my display show up in color.
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This is where I need your help. First, can my current laptop be fixed, and if so how? In not what off the shelf computer will allow me to run Hoster with no problems? Of course, if I don’t get answers to these questions I can always pay the $2,000 to MTU for their laptop, or keep doing what I now do using my JVC three drawer karaoke player.
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Thanks for any help you can give me. :)
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Wes
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Try another s-video to rca cable, it may be bad.

:) I believe the problem will either be in your display settings for the 2nd monitor or in the s-video to rca cable. Right click on your desktop and select properties, then click on the settings tab. You should be able to figure it out from there. I would get an s-video cable and a cheap rf converter and try the hookup that way. I hope this helps.

It is your video card settings, update your drivers from manufactures website.
and set up your video card for color settings for TV.
also with a celeron pross you may get skips in music while doing a search for songs. they don't multi task very well. Bob

No one else asked so I will. How long a cable are you trying to run? Black and white is the main symptom of not getting enough signal power to the end of a video run. This can be caused by too long a run without a "boost" to the signal, an inferior or bad cable, a bad converter, or simply your laptop not providing enough power to the s-video out. I wouldn't suspect the laptop is the issue unless all the cheaper alternatives have been exhausted.

First, if you are running a long cable, try a shorter one. Then try running in to a powered rf converter. Try testing on a tv that has an s-video input.

try changing the laptop /viewer screen resolution, it happened to me a while back, and by just changing the resolution, i got it to work .

Hi.

Is your video settings to NTS or PAL. Most videos in USA user NTS system. If your target video to tv is in PAL mode, the display is bad and black and withe.

Thanks for everyones response. I believe the problem is fixed, the TV has color. I followed Marklwood's advice and used a S-video cord and I followed bobcox's advice and went to HP's web site to download the latest graphics driver. Of course, I now don't know which action solved my color problem, or if both solved it, but I now have color on the TV.

The marquee doesn't show up on the TV image, but I don't think that's very important. While my computer isn't the most powerful one to use for Hoster, it has WIN XP installed and that seems to be an advantage for using Hoster.

When I search for songs that I know I have in the demo version I come up
empty, not sure if it's because it's a demo, or a lack of computer power.

Can anyone suggest a laptop that has a proven track record of working with Hoster?

Once again thanks for all the responses to my request for help,

Wes:)

Glad to hear its working for you.
your computer is prob just fine, but my best laptop is the dell inspiron 9300 with nvidia 6800 video card, about $500.00 bucks on ebay.
or the dell 8200 $300.00 on ebay Both work great, at a great price.
9300 is the best, Good Luck.:) Bob

Wes,
Is it not there at all or is it off the top of the screen?
If it isn't there check to make sure you don't have it hidden in the Show Display settings.
If it is off the top of the screen, your display settings for the TV may be in a format that pushes it off the screen. Try a different format in the TV settings. And check the screen size for the secondary in the computer's display settings. Your size may be set to one the TV can't display correctly.

Display Problem Fixed
 

I finally had the time to check out the display with the S-video to RCA adapter. It still has the problem of only being in B/W. So for now I'm using the S-video cord to get color on the display.

Once again, thanks for your help.

Wes http://forum.mtu.com/images/icons/icon7.gif