This may not be the best place to post this but I'm not sure where it might be better listed, so I'll put it here...

I'm using an ATI 9600XT, running cable TV signal into the card to facilitate caps and such...the splitter provided w/the card has outputs for 2 monitors and/or one television. I have one monitor hooked up to the card and have the TV output connected to a color TV's composite input.

I've gone through the ATI documentation, which more or less sucks, and I can't seem to figure out the answer to the following question:

How do I set it up so that I can view the cable TV signal on the television set, but NOT have it show up on the monitor? Is there any way to "assign" which screen (monitor or TV) the picture is sent to?

The other reason I'm trying to figure this out is for when I do video editing with a program like Premiere. I would like to have the NLE up on my desktop but be able to watch the preview of the edit on the TV set...the default method is using a DV out from firewire to send a signal to a TV set but that's a) more clutter and b) not always accurate (gamma is off, black levels, etc, even when using a DV box or camcorder) so I would really like to be able to send the monitor and the TV set two discreet signals. Is there any way to do that?

Any help would be appreciated...

This cannot be done that I know of.

Some of the newer ATI cards (newer than my 7000 series cards) can do multiple monitor output, meant for two computer monitors. I do not believe this function extends to a computer monitor and a tv set.

For something like this, I would have to refer you to rage3d.com forums, or to ATI's 1-800 number. I'm really not all that familiar with this. I have done the multi-monitor setup many times at a friend's home studio, and it's great for NLE work, but not sure about the tv out.

You may want to just experiment. Look at installing the drivers that allow this. I believe they are the HYDRAVISION drivers from ATI.com.

Hi,

I gave it a shot and yes, believe it or not you can run 1 monitor plus a Television at the same time (but not two monitors and a tv).

Perhaps the HYDRAVISION would allow me to split the desktop across the monitor/TV as if it were two monitors?

Worth a shot...

-S

Well, yes, you can run tv and monitor at the same time, but they display the same content. I assume this is what you did?

Hmmm...

Well yeah, that's what I did. Haven't had a chance to investigate whether the Hydravision software drivers will allow me to use the TV in such a fashion. Bummer.

It would be so nice though to send the incoming cable TV signal and/or NLE previews to the TV, the latter without needing a firewire-composite adapter. I may just contact ATI anyway to see what they say...

This is the reason advanced editors get realtime NLE cards from Matrox and Canopus.

I'd have to assume, without comparison shopping, that the price difference twixt the ATI and a Matrox card would reflect the extended capabilities/quality....

It would. Those card are easily $1000 apiece.

Okay so next strange question - I have never tried this but I suppose in theory it could work:

Instead of using a television...calibrating a second computer Monitor to color bars so that the gamma/IRE are equivalent to the proper settings for an NTSC (TV) monitor? Then I might be able to use the multiple monitor capabilites of the ATI for previews and such, and skip using the TV altogether? Could this work?

Grasping at straws, here...

Will not happen. A computer monitor and television are just fundamentally too far different. The most you can do is get it "sorta kinda close" but nothing more. Total accuracy needs a true NTSC tv/monitor.