Hookup of Optima DLP and Windows XP computer

I have the above and when I turn on the DLP from Optima and then the
computer, either desktop or laptop, the DLP display goes through Searching
for the correct video input but never stops and finds it.

All is hooked up properly. the DLP is powered up first (as suggested) and
then the CPU (either desktop or laptop)

But I cannot get the projector to show me the windows desktop screen.

Any ideas?

Ritter 197 wrote:
I have the above and when I turn on the DLP from Optima and then the
computer, either desktop or laptop, the DLP display goes through
Searching for the correct video input but never stops and finds it.

All is hooked up properly. the DLP is powered up first (as suggested)
and then the CPU (either desktop or laptop)

But I cannot get the projector to show me the windows desktop screen.

Any ideas?

Test with the laptop. Since the laptop has an LCD monitor,
you can see what is going on. Connect the DLP. Enter the
control panel for the video interface. Did you put the
GPU in "dual view" mode ? (Dual view mode is supposed to allow
independent resolutions for two display screens.) Can the GPU
see that something is connected to the port on the laptop ?
Chances are, the problem is at the computer end.

A DLP may not have a full VGA interface. It may have RGBHV
(three colors, two sync signals), but it might be missing the
DDC serial interface that computer monitors have. The computer
should, in theory, be able to impedance sense the RGB part,
and that should be enough to enable the VGA output. When the
DDC interface is not detected, one side effect of that, is
the interface may refuse to output a resolution higher than
a certain value.

Using a composite signal (RCA connector) or S-video, would be
a poor substitute for VGA or DVI. Text would not be clear at
all, if you did that. (I've tried it on my TV set, and
even 640x480 is unreadable.) But at least with those options,
some video control panels have a "force" function, to force
a signal to be present on the DIN connector on the desktop
video card faceplate. (The DIN supports S-video directly,
or composite via an adapter plug.)

For more detailed help, please include the model number of
the Optima, the model of laptop, or the make and model of
desktop video card on the desktop computer. That makes it
easier to craft a specific example of the options available.

HTH,
Paul

Ritter 197 wrote:
I have the above and when I turn on the DLP from Optima and then the
computer, either desktop or laptop, the DLP display goes through
Searching for the correct video input but never stops and finds it.

All is hooked up properly. the DLP is powered up first (as suggested)
and then the CPU (either desktop or laptop)

But I cannot get the projector to show me the windows desktop screen.

Any ideas?

Check your resolution. Just a stab. We had a cheap projector at work
(not that yours is) and it only took 800x600 max. All of us used
1024x768 and it was a drag till we got a new one. But try setting a
standard size, not a wide screen size either, like 1280x800.

Check the video cable ends/pins aren't damaged. Or swap/test cable.

Ritter 197 wrote:

I have the above and when I turn on the DLP from Optima and then the
computer, either desktop or laptop, the DLP display goes through
Searching for the correct video input but never stops and finds it.

All is hooked up properly. the DLP is powered up first (as suggested)
and then the CPU (either desktop or laptop)

But I cannot get the projector to show me the windows desktop screen.

Any ideas?

Dear Paul:

I have the DLP here now (it was at a friend where I tried to hook it up w/o
success)
The OPTOMA by HP is a model EP721.
The laptop is also a HP Pavilion dv6000.
The S is Windows XP with SP# 1 -3.

When I start up the laptop I can see the beginning of the Sign-on , namely
Windows XP screen.

But when I am at the desktop I see none of it via the DLP against the wall
screen, but the DLP is lit and I can see the blue background and the
searching.

In the control panel I have both monitors activated.

A few months ago I used this same DLP and the same laptop and had no trouble
at all. Watched a Power Point Presentation then.

But this time I just cannot image what is wrong.

Your help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

"Paul" wrote in message ...
Ritter 197 wrote:
I have the above and when I turn on the DLP from Optima and then the
computer, either desktop or laptop, the DLP display goes through
Searching for the correct video input but never stops and finds it.

All is hooked up properly. the DLP is powered up first (as suggested) and
then the CPU (either desktop or laptop)

But I cannot get the projector to show me the windows desktop screen.

Any ideas?

Test with the laptop. Since the laptop has an LCD monitor,
you can see what is going on. Connect the DLP. Enter the
control panel for the video interface. Did you put the
GPU in "dual view" mode ? (Dual view mode is supposed to allow
independent resolutions for two display screens.) Can the GPU
see that something is connected to the port on the laptop ?
Chances are, the problem is at the computer end.

A DLP may not have a full VGA interface. It may have RGBHV
(three colors, two sync signals), but it might be missing the
DDC serial interface that computer monitors have. The computer
should, in theory, be able to impedance sense the RGB part,
and that should be enough to enable the VGA output. When the
DDC interface is not detected, one side effect of that, is
the interface may refuse to output a resolution higher than
a certain value.

Using a composite signal (RCA connector) or S-video, would be
a poor substitute for VGA or DVI. Text would not be clear at
all, if you did that. (I've tried it on my TV set, and
even 640x480 is unreadable.) But at least with those options,
some video control panels have a "force" function, to force
a signal to be present on the DIN connector on the desktop
video card faceplate. (The DIN supports S-video directly,
or composite via an adapter plug.)

For more detailed help, please include the model number of
the Optima, the model of laptop, or the make and model of
desktop video card on the desktop computer. That makes it
easier to craft a specific example of the options available.

HTH,
Paul

Ritter 197 wrote:
Dear Paul:

I have the DLP here now (it was at a friend where I tried to hook it up
w/o success)
The OPTOMA by HP is a model EP721.
The laptop is also a HP Pavilion dv6000.
The S is Windows XP with SP# 1 -3.

When I start up the laptop I can see the beginning of the Sign-on ,
namely Windows XP screen.

But when I am at the desktop I see none of it via the DLP against the
wall screen, but the DLP is lit and I can see the blue background and
the searching.

In the control panel I have both monitors activated.

A few months ago I used this same DLP and the same laptop and had no
trouble at all. Watched a Power Point Presentation then.

But this time I just cannot image what is wrong.

Your help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

EP721 Projector
http://www.optomausa.com/Product_det...product_id=337

DVI w/HDCP, VGA-in, VGA-out, S-Video, Audio-in, RS-232, USB
Native SVGA 800x600 to 1600x1200 resized

http://marketing.optomausa.com/PDFs/...721_Manual.PDF

I would be testing with an 800x600 resolution, 60Hz should be
good enough.

The EP721 has an RS-232 interface on it
(9600 baud, 8 data bits, parity N for none, 1 stop bit)
(No flow control signals, just TXD, RXD, and ground on the cable)

You can send RS-232 commands to the unit, to see what it thinks
is going on. The user manual, PDF page 52, has examples of
"READ from projector" commands.

~00121 1

would return the currently selected input source, from the
ones listed above (DVI, VGA, S-Video etc).

Since the DV-6000 doesn't have a serial port, you'd either
need a USB to RS-232 serial adapter (and a copy of Hyperterm),
or you could use the RS-232 on the desktop computer for the job.
The projector should have a three pin to 9 pin adapter, to put
the serial RS-232 port in a more familiar form factor (DB-9).

If you see two monitors shown in the Display control panel,
that means the GPU has detected the presence of the second
display. On my video card right now, nothing is connected
to the second port, so the second monitor is greyed out. If
I connect my "fake" test connector to the video card (a
connector with terminator resistors on RGB), the second monitor
becomes available for mode changes in the control panel. For
example, I could drag the icon for the second monitor, and
set up "Dual View", where each output is independent.

I understand some aspects of the Vista display model, may be
backported to WinXP. Some users in the Nvidia group were complaining
that "mirror mode" had been removed from the Nvidia WinXP driver.
I'm only mentioning that, to indicate that nothing stays the same
forever. If you're constantly changing drivers, you might
have been caught in this DRM squeeze play. Using an older
driver might fix that.

The DV6000 uses optional Nvidia Geforce Go 7200 GPU, or standard
6150 (chipset) graphics. So I might try an older driver, and see
if there is a difference in symptoms after the driver change.

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/pr.../fs_dv6000.pdf

The laptop may have a function key, which sends output only
to the external connector, which is another thing you could try.
(fn+F4).

The laptop may be part of the issue with Nvidia GPUs and
their underfill material. The cheap *******s will give you
a BIOS update, which causes the fan on the laptop to run
faster/more often, in an attempt to keep the GPU cooler,
and thus avoid HP having to foot the bill for a GPU chip
replacement. This is, of course, only in HP's (and Nvidia's)
best interest, and has nothing to do with keeping the customer
happy. After the warranty has expired, they've be only too happy
if the GPU fails. In your symptom description, there is nothing
that indicated this kind of problem, and I'd expect to see
problems with the LCD panel if the chip was about to blow.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...1087277&dlc=en

To see if the EP721 has DDC (serial interface carrying monitor
specs) and EDID, you can use this program. If the monitor name,
or a menu item does not appear, then chances are the DLP doesn't
have DDC. At this point, this might be a secondary annoyance, as
the impedance sensing function (the laptop noting that RGB
have loading on them), should be enough to get your project
off the ground.

http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/moninfo.shtm

I'm sorry the above rambles on a bit, but it is one of
those things where you'll have to "poke it with a stick"
and see what happens. The first part of solving any
problem, is gathering enough symptoms. The only concrete
suggestion in the above, is to try a different driver.

If you're able to make the DLP work with the desktop
system, that would be a large step forward.

The DV6000 has an "Expansion Port", which has a few other
output options, but I don't think they really help matters,
since S-video or composite, just isn't good enough to be
able to read text.

Paul


"Paul" wrote in message ...
Ritter 197 wrote:
I have the above and when I turn on the DLP from Optima and then the
computer, either desktop or laptop, the DLP display goes through
Searching for the correct video input but never stops and finds it.

All is hooked up properly. the DLP is powered up first (as suggested)
and then the CPU (either desktop or laptop)

But I cannot get the projector to show me the windows desktop screen.

Any ideas?

Test with the laptop. Since the laptop has an LCD monitor,
you can see what is going on. Connect the DLP. Enter the
control panel for the video interface. Did you put the
GPU in "dual view" mode ? (Dual view mode is supposed to allow
independent resolutions for two display screens.) Can the GPU
see that something is connected to the port on the laptop ?
Chances are, the problem is at the computer end.

A DLP may not have a full VGA interface. It may have RGBHV
(three colors, two sync signals), but it might be missing the
DDC serial interface that computer monitors have. The computer
should, in theory, be able to impedance sense the RGB part,
and that should be enough to enable the VGA output. When the
DDC interface is not detected, one side effect of that, is
the interface may refuse to output a resolution higher than
a certain value.

Using a composite signal (RCA connector) or S-video, would be
a poor substitute for VGA or DVI. Text would not be clear at
all, if you did that. (I've tried it on my TV set, and
even 640x480 is unreadable.) But at least with those options,
some video control panels have a "force" function, to force
a signal to be present on the DIN connector on the desktop
video card faceplate. (The DIN supports S-video directly,
or composite via an adapter plug.)

For more detailed help, please include the model number of
the Optima, the model of laptop, or the make and model of
desktop video card on the desktop computer. That makes it
easier to craft a specific example of the options available.

HTH,
Paul

I finally figured out how to connect the DLP and either the HP laptop or HP
desktop:


For Laptop: Set via Control Panel to 800X600; Click FN key + F4 for HP
laptop
Right click mouse, Select Multiple Display; Primary Notebook, secondary
Monitor
Now you can see computer screen and also DPL screen

For Desktop: Hook up video cable from DPL to main computer on top of HDMI
Adaptor. Resolution can stay 1280X960. Mouse will control DPL screen

I thank you, Paul, for the detailed information and hyperlinks. I just now
printed it out and will investigate in more detail.

Thanks a lot!!!!


"Paul" wrote in message ...
Ritter 197 wrote:
Dear Paul:

I have the DLP here now (it was at a friend where I tried to hook it up
w/o success)
The OPTOMA by HP is a model EP721.
The laptop is also a HP Pavilion dv6000.
The S is Windows XP with SP# 1 -3.

When I start up the laptop I can see the beginning of the Sign-on ,
namely Windows XP screen.

But when I am at the desktop I see none of it via the DLP against the
wall screen, but the DLP is lit and I can see the blue background and the
searching.

In the control panel I have both monitors activated.

A few months ago I used this same DLP and the same laptop and had no
trouble at all. Watched a Power Point Presentation then.

But this time I just cannot image what is wrong.

Your help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

EP721 Projector
http://www.optomausa.com/Product_det...product_id=337

DVI w/HDCP, VGA-in, VGA-out, S-Video, Audio-in, RS-232, USB
Native SVGA 800x600 to 1600x1200 resized

http://marketing.optomausa.com/PDFs/...721_Manual.PDF

I would be testing with an 800x600 resolution, 60Hz should be
good enough.

The EP721 has an RS-232 interface on it
(9600 baud, 8 data bits, parity N for none, 1 stop bit)
(No flow control signals, just TXD, RXD, and ground on the cable)

You can send RS-232 commands to the unit, to see what it thinks
is going on. The user manual, PDF page 52, has examples of
"READ from projector" commands.

~00121 1

would return the currently selected input source, from the
ones listed above (DVI, VGA, S-Video etc).

Since the DV-6000 doesn't have a serial port, you'd either
need a USB to RS-232 serial adapter (and a copy of Hyperterm),
or you could use the RS-232 on the desktop computer for the job.
The projector should have a three pin to 9 pin adapter, to put
the serial RS-232 port in a more familiar form factor (DB-9).

If you see two monitors shown in the Display control panel,
that means the GPU has detected the presence of the second
display. On my video card right now, nothing is connected
to the second port, so the second monitor is greyed out. If
I connect my "fake" test connector to the video card (a
connector with terminator resistors on RGB), the second monitor
becomes available for mode changes in the control panel. For
example, I could drag the icon for the second monitor, and
set up "Dual View", where each output is independent.

I understand some aspects of the Vista display model, may be
backported to WinXP. Some users in the Nvidia group were complaining
that "mirror mode" had been removed from the Nvidia WinXP driver.
I'm only mentioning that, to indicate that nothing stays the same
forever. If you're constantly changing drivers, you might
have been caught in this DRM squeeze play. Using an older
driver might fix that.

The DV6000 uses optional Nvidia Geforce Go 7200 GPU, or standard
6150 (chipset) graphics. So I might try an older driver, and see
if there is a difference in symptoms after the driver change.

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/pr.../fs_dv6000.pdf

The laptop may have a function key, which sends output only
to the external connector, which is another thing you could try.
(fn+F4).

The laptop may be part of the issue with Nvidia GPUs and
their underfill material. The cheap *******s will give you
a BIOS update, which causes the fan on the laptop to run
faster/more often, in an attempt to keep the GPU cooler,
and thus avoid HP having to foot the bill for a GPU chip
replacement. This is, of course, only in HP's (and Nvidia's)
best interest, and has nothing to do with keeping the customer
happy. After the warranty has expired, they've be only too happy
if the GPU fails. In your symptom description, there is nothing
that indicated this kind of problem, and I'd expect to see
problems with the LCD panel if the chip was about to blow.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...1087277&dlc=en

To see if the EP721 has DDC (serial interface carrying monitor
specs) and EDID, you can use this program. If the monitor name,
or a menu item does not appear, then chances are the DLP doesn't
have DDC. At this point, this might be a secondary annoyance, as
the impedance sensing function (the laptop noting that RGB
have loading on them), should be enough to get your project
off the ground.

http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/moninfo.shtm

I'm sorry the above rambles on a bit, but it is one of
those things where you'll have to "poke it with a stick"
and see what happens. The first part of solving any
problem, is gathering enough symptoms. The only concrete
suggestion in the above, is to try a different driver.

If you're able to make the DLP work with the desktop
system, that would be a large step forward.

The DV6000 has an "Expansion Port", which has a few other
output options, but I don't think they really help matters,
since S-video or composite, just isn't good enough to be
able to read text.

Paul


"Paul" wrote in message ...
Ritter 197 wrote:
I have the above and when I turn on the DLP from Optima and then the
computer, either desktop or laptop, the DLP display goes through
Searching for the correct video input but never stops and finds it.

All is hooked up properly. the DLP is powered up first (as suggested)
and then the CPU (either desktop or laptop)

But I cannot get the projector to show me the windows desktop screen.

Any ideas?

Test with the laptop. Since the laptop has an LCD monitor,
you can see what is going on. Connect the DLP. Enter the
control panel for the video interface. Did you put the
GPU in "dual view" mode ? (Dual view mode is supposed to allow
independent resolutions for two display screens.) Can the GPU
see that something is connected to the port on the laptop ?
Chances are, the problem is at the computer end.

A DLP may not have a full VGA interface. It may have RGBHV
(three colors, two sync signals), but it might be missing the
DDC serial interface that computer monitors have. The computer
should, in theory, be able to impedance sense the RGB part,
and that should be enough to enable the VGA output. When the
DDC interface is not detected, one side effect of that, is
the interface may refuse to output a resolution higher than
a certain value.

Using a composite signal (RCA connector) or S-video, would be
a poor substitute for VGA or DVI. Text would not be clear at
all, if you did that. (I've tried it on my TV set, and
even 640x480 is unreadable.) But at least with those options,
some video control panels have a "force" function, to force
a signal to be present on the DIN connector on the desktop
video card faceplate. (The DIN supports S-video directly,
or composite via an adapter plug.)

For more detailed help, please include the model number of
the Optima, the model of laptop, or the make and model of
desktop video card on the desktop computer. That makes it
easier to craft a specific example of the options available.

HTH,
Paul