Pc to hdtv "no signal"

mhinkle

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Feb 26, 2010
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Hello,
I only want to hook up my laptop temporarily to watch videos or streaming media from the pc to the hdtv, so I use an hdmi cable and plug them together.
It has worked in the past to effortlessly watch Netflix movies but I don’t understand why sometimes when I plug the pc to the hdtv I can’t get the tv to “find” the pc?
I usually leave the hdmi cable hooked up to the tv and just plug in the pc whenever I want to stream something from it to the tv, but lately the tv says “no signal” when I switch the mode to hdmi…
I have tried unplugging and rebooting both devices and still get no signal when it worked previously—any suggestions?

 
Solution
there are just so many variables that without specifics, it's difficult to offer anything substantial.

The Asus site is so slow I gave up trying to find anything specific there but I did find a FAQ from Gateway specifically for your model laptop that details the procedure they recommend following every time you connect an external display to the laptop......it's a very specific order in which things must be done and I have to assume they are so specific because not following those steps leads to problems.

there is also a detailed step by step for enabling the HDMI audio....

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/2009/Ajax2/MD24/MD24faq6.shtml

hopefully this info is helpful and helps you to deduce the problem....

amdchuck

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The TV should be relatively passive in the whole thing, just switching it's input to HDMI should be all thats required on that end.

If it says "No Signal", that indicates the laptop is not even putting out a signal via HDMI as if it was and the signal was incompatible, it would generally say "Frequency Out Of Range" or something similar as opposed to 'No Signal".

I would suspect something in your laptops graphics configuration must have changed somehow but without knowing what sort of graphics controller you are running and what sort of Control Panel applet you might have to modify those settings, it's difficult to offer any substantive help.

On a side note: I was doing a lot streaming to my TV via a PC (Netflix etc.) but then I stumbled across that RokuHD thing....not trying to be a shill or anything but just thought I would mention that I found it quite cool...cheap and easy replacement with a free 30 day trial.
 

mhinkle

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Hi all,
just wanted to report that after reading a little more and attempting several "fixes" I found that pressing the FN plus F4 key allowed the display to move to the HDTV from the laptop. I still don't get sound through the tv, but I have picture now!
 

fuegodecosta

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Some motherboards with HDMI have 2 audio controllers, one for the conventional audio outputs and one for the HDMI output. If this is the case with yours, then you might need to adjust your Default Sound Playback Device. If you are using Windows XP, you can find this by going to Control Panel, click the Sounds and Audio Devices icon, click the Audio Tab, and change the Default Device under Sound Playback. There should only be one or 2 devices listed so try the one you are not using. If only one device is listed, then you might need to check your laptop's audio controller settings. The steps for this can vary greatly depending on the laptop's manufacturer and the audio chipset used. Your best bet would be to consult the manual for the laptop in this case.
 

mhinkle

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sorry amdchuck,
I (apparently wrongly) assumed that this was a very "basic" problem; not specific to certain brands or models so I didn't include that info...

For the record, I have two laptops that have HDMI capabilities and connections, video and audio that I am using to connect to the HDTV.

One is an Asus X83VM-X2 Laptop,
Intel Centrino Core2Duo 2.26 GHz (P7450) - 4Gb DDR2 RAM - 1066MHz FSB - 320Gb HD - DVDRW/CDRW Combo - NVIDA GeForce 9600M (1Gb) GPU - Vista Home Premium (64-bit) - 14.1" Display--BUT currently running Windows 7 (64-bit).

The other is a Gateway MD7818u Laptop,
Intel Centrino Core2Duo 2.0 GHz (T6400) - 4Gb DDR2 RAM - 800MHz FSB - 500Gb HD - DVDRW/CDRW Combo - Integrated Intel GMA4500MHD GPU - Vista Home Premium (64-bit) - 15.6" Widescreen Display

My TV is a 47” HDTV 1080P by LG: Model #LG 47LC7DF
Note from LG: "This TV provides Plug and Play capability, meaning that the PC adjusts automatically to the TV's settings."

The other components in this system are a Bose CineMate GS II speaker system.
It is a 2.1-channel home theater system with Bose Proprietary TrueSpace® technology enables two Gemstone speakers and an Acoustimass® module connected to the HDTV.

Further, I have a DVD/VCR combo unit plugged into the TV and a Nintendo Wii plugged into the TV.

I have tried adjusting the sound on the laptops for HD input and still do not get sound from the TV.

I have also tried turning off the home theater system and used the TV audio controls to attempt getting the sound directly from the TV without the Bose, but still only get sound from the laptop(s) and not the TV.

What really throws me for a loop is that a few months ago I simply plugged in the PC to the TV and it worked perfectly. I have replaced my DVD/VCR combo unit that is also plugged in to the TV since then, so maybe I just need to double-check all my connections or something?
But the Wii and DVD/VCR both work with sound and picture from the HDTV...
 

amdchuck

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there are just so many variables that without specifics, it's difficult to offer anything substantial.

The Asus site is so slow I gave up trying to find anything specific there but I did find a FAQ from Gateway specifically for your model laptop that details the procedure they recommend following every time you connect an external display to the laptop......it's a very specific order in which things must be done and I have to assume they are so specific because not following those steps leads to problems.

there is also a detailed step by step for enabling the HDMI audio....

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/2009/Ajax2/MD24/MD24faq6.shtml

hopefully this info is helpful and helps you to deduce the problem....
 
Solution

mhinkle

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Feb 26, 2010
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Thanks Chuck!
Yes, Asus site is painful at best.
I didn't find the gateway info at first glance that's why I posted here.
I appreciate your help!
I'll try to remember to update this if I get some joy...