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I just installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64 RTM (from MSDN) on my HTPC, which is connected to a 42" Magnavox LCD TV via component cables to my nVidia 7900GS.

Everything was fine through the installation until I went to install the official driver from nVidia. Towards the end of the installation, the TV blinked off and wouldn't come back on. I went and got an LCD monitor and plugged it into a DVI port and the monitor came right up, but was automatically selected as the primary display.

Now, if I set the TV to be the primary display, the TV just blanks until I hit escape to cancel the "settings have changed, do you want to keep them" dialog.

Any suggestions?

Update: I'm able to set the TV as the primary display using the Windows 7 "screen resolution" configuration panel. However, if I try to remove the LCD monitor either by unplugging it or using the configuration, the TV blanks out again.

Update 2: This setup was working correctly in Vista Home Premium 32-bit.

Update 3: I've uninstalled the nVidia driver and am using the driver that Windows Update installed. As much as this offends my geek sensibilities (must use the "right" driver!!), well, It Works™.

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4 Answers 4

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For certain graphic cards, the TV-out component can only be activated as a secondary or auxiliary display. It will not function on a stand-alone basis, and I suspect highly that is the case with your 7900GS.

If I know Magnavox, that cheapo manufacturer has neglected to put in a PC input (VGA, DVI, etc), and has only a single HDMI connector. That said, not to worry too much. Your best bet is to get a DVI-to-HDMI adapter, and a multiple-HDMI input selector.

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Thus, your PC (through the DVI to HDMI adapter) and your cable/BluRay/PS3 will both connect to the multi-HDMI selector box, which then feeds into the single HDMI input on your Magnavox. With that, your PC will be able to use the Magnavox as per normal, and also output to the full resolution. At the same time, it will not be a hassle to use your other AV/Gaming devices.

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  • Sorry, I forgot to note that everything was working fine with Vista.
    – Daniel Schaffer
    Commented Sep 7, 2009 at 4:46
  • I'd also like to note that I'm perfectly happy with Magnavox - it's a nice looking TV, has a great picture, and they also replaced the whole thing for free (and extended my warranty for me in order to do so) when the screen went bad on my first set. Since running from component has always worked until now, I'll forgive the lack of a VGA or DVI input ;)
    – Daniel Schaffer
    Commented Sep 7, 2009 at 4:49
  • It could be the driver - try different driver iterations.
    – caliban
    Commented Sep 7, 2009 at 4:50
  • Also, this model has a total of 4 HDMI inputs, I'm just too cheap to buy a cable :D
    – Daniel Schaffer
    Commented Sep 7, 2009 at 4:50
  • -laughs- I'll courier you one if you are willing to pay postage. I got heaps lying around. Seriously, it's dirt cheap, buy from DealExtreme. dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2645
    – caliban
    Commented Sep 7, 2009 at 5:05
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sounds like a driver issue. unfortunately win7 is still too young to have many other versions available. try getting the vista 64 version of the drivier, finding the .dll, and manually pointing win7 to it. worst case scenario you'll have to roll back to the version you're using now.

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Okay, I figured it out. It's the TV. Older TVs (like my 4 year-old Vizio plasma) have the old HDMI spec. This prevents it from being recognized by Windows as a primary monitor. I replaced my TV with a new Sony Bravia, and it works just fine.

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What worked for me was uninstalling the nVidia driver and using the default Windows driver.

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