Help with getting S-video to TV working

hi i have been running Ubuntu on my Dell Inspiron 6400 for a couple years now and really like it. my only problem is that i have to revert back to my windows partition to use the S-video to my tv. i have tried some things in the past all of which failed. i wish i could remember what i tried to be more help but i can't. any help would be greatly appreciated.

thank you Wes

so if no one has an answer (the more reading i do the more i start to think there is no fix for me) do i have any other options? basicly i would like to watch somethings that are on my computer but aren't really worth burning to a DVD. if windows can do then there should be a way!! ha! just kidding i know its more complicated then that especially with all the different computer brands out there.

any help would be great thank you :confused:

i ran into the same problem with my lenovo z61e and discovered through months of searching, there is no solution for me; perhaps--and unfortunately--you fall into the same boat.

have you already tried all the different xrandr tricks?

please explain as i have no idea what those are. i am a super noob also so please explain appropriately. i can get by as i have been running linux for 2 years but a good friend set it up for me, now i just maintain :p

thanks Wes

no worries... xrandr is simply a front-end to randr, which is a way to dynamically change video-out options. one of the main "problems" with linux and s-video out seems to be the on-the-fly screen resolution change which windows automates, but which linux must be done manually. for example, your television is probably only capable of 800x640 at a certain depth, but your default outputs are probably much wider and/or deeper than that. or, at least that's how it was explained to me.

so is there maybe the potential that my s-video does work but i simply need to resize before using it as the TV doesn't have the capability of showing the image? cuz that would be sweet.

there's a good chance that's you're problem. go to synaptic (system>administration>synaptic) and install grandr, the graphical front-end for randr. see if that fixes your issue.

i will definitely try that tonight, i am at work right now or i would try it right away. i will keep things posted here. thanks for the info i do appreciate it.

I'm not sure what video card you have. On my XPS 1530 I had to install the Nvidia proprietary drivers.

i didn't get a video card when i bought it so it would be whatever the integrated one is (and i can't remember which one it is). if i was at home i would check it out.

your on-board video *might* still be nvidia, but i wouldn't think so. let us know if the randr method works for you...

sorry guys i would try this out but my TV died on me. i would be disappointed but it was the old tube style and i got the extended warranty so i get all my money back towards a new LG LCD. its on the way. i will try it pronto when that happens. thanks again

wow... when it rains it pours. at least it sounds as if your replacement is an upgrade; keep us informed, will you?