Laptop in Color - TV Display in B/W

[Wrahn]

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.

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. 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.

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.

Based on the dual display only showing in black and white with my computer, I may have to buy another laptop. 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.

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.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Wes