Need help with laptop and tv display

[Roy Dennis]

If you have nvidea graphics it sounds like you have altered some settings there, try this:
Right click the blank area of screen, select properties, then settings tab, then the advanced button probably near the bottom. then select the GeForce tab at the top, a dialog should pop out to one side, click the + sign next to Geforce to expand it, then select flat panel settings, the main dialog should now show some radio buttons, if it is set to centered output that is your problem change it to "Display adapter scaling, then press apply and OK. Now check to see if your desktop fills the screen, you may have to reboot to finish this.
Let us know if that solves that part first, if it does but you are seeing the same picture on both screens let us know and I'll try and guide you on that.

If you don't have nvidea graphics it would be different.

[Ernie]

Roy,
I brought the laptop back upstairs and everything is running normally. Okay, In settings, it shows two screens. Number 1 screen under Display: 1. (Multiple Monitors) on ATI MOBILITY RADEON Xpress 200 Series, In ADVANCED, it has several tabs, which are... Color, OpenGL, Direct3D, Options, Overlay, POWERPLAY(tm), VPU Recover, General, Adapter, Monitor, Troubleshoot, Color Management, Displays. I hope one of these tabs do the same thing.

Thanks Roy,
Ernie

[Roy Dennis]

I have ATI on my Windows 7 computer but it is different to that.
What I don't understand is you say it works alright upstairs but not downstairs

All I can think of is something to do with the upstairs extended monitor must be different to the downstairs one, is one and old style TV or a computer monitor and the other a flat panel LCD with high definition or plasma ?

Are you connecting them both with the same type of connection lead ?
What sort of connection are you using ? (HDMI, Video RCA, S-Video or Converter box of some type).

It may be to do with the resolution setting on monitor 2.
when your in the dialog where you see the 2 screens side by side select the second monitor and try changing the resolution for that monitor, it should show the resolution with a drop down box for selecting alternatives, also make sure it is set to extend these displays.

Then when you select monitor 1 check the resolution showing for that and if it shows a black border on your laptop try altering the resolution.

I'm off to bed now so can't answer any more till tomorrow.

[Ernie]

Roy,
Sorry, but I didn't explain the situation well enough. Downstairs we have a finished basement where my karaoke equipment and tv for karaoke is. In the basement I hook up my laptop with Hoster to my equipment and tv. Upstairs on the first floor I have a study. I don't have a tv in the study. Basically, when I hook up my laptop or Hoster to a tv I have trouble. When I open Hoster with just the laptop and no tv connection, I get a full screen on my laptop and Hoster works fine. Hope this explains it.

Thanks,
Ernie

[Roy Dennis]

Right, I think I know the problem now. It is to do with your laptop screen resolution settings. I set my laptop to 800 x 600 and it displays as you describe with a black border on laptop but only when connected to extended laptop.
So you must increase your laptops screen resolution settings. As you are on XP you may have to do this different to me as I am doing it on windows 7. In my case I click on blank area of desktop and select screen resolution from pop up window, you may have to choose properties then settings or something else but you need to come to the screen as shown here or simalar: http://forum.mtu.com/attachment.php?...8&d=1350471268

And change the resolution to a higher setting.
I demonstrate it in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmPXO...ature=youtu.be

If you want to view video on setting up the show display watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGbavLnNdGc

[Ernie]

Roy,
The screen resolution is a problem. When I set the resolution for screen number 1, it stays there, but when I set the resolution for screen 2, every time I open it up again , it goes back to .the lowest setting. The other thing I'm going to do is see if I need driver updates. The laptop is still fine until I hook it up to the TV. When I hook it to the TV Hoster goes down to about half it's size on the laptop screen. I'll let you know what happens with the drivers.

Thanks,
Ernie

[Roy Dennis]

Sorry I did not answer you earlier but was doing my own show last night.
Just an after thought, could it be to do with the settings on the TV itself, you usually have somewhere on the TV to adjust for wide screen, 4.3 zoom or show black bars top bottom and sides, my own TV allows for 4.3 or 16.9 while connected to laptop or do you have PIP selected (Picture in Picture) ?
Perhaps having the wrong aspect selected on TV is causing this to alter your laptop display.

You never did tell us how you were connecting to your laptop to the external, is it via s-video, rca video, HDMI, VGA lead or through some converter box ?
I should think connecting through an RCA video connection less likely to change your laptop picture when attaching it.