Media Center - Gateway C-140S Reference Manual

Media Center

This section only covers problems relating to Media Center
mode. Media Center mode is available only on Windows Vista
Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate versions. To view
Media Center troubleshooting information that is not covered
in this section, go to the Gateway support Web Site at
www.gateway.com.
The Media Center video display looks bad on your TV
Many factors, such as the display type, quality of the video
source, type of connection used, quality of video cables,
display device screen resolution, size of TV, age of the TV, or
the type of TV (interlaced or progressive scan), can affect the
video quality significantly:
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CHAPTER 9: Troubleshooting
Display type—The Media Center is best viewed on
display devices that were offered with the Media Center
computer when you purchased it from Gateway. Other
types of display devices, including retail TVs, may
provide lower quality video. If you did not order a
display device when you purchased your Media Center
computer, a progressive scan display device with a VGA
input is the best choice.
Type of connection used—You can connect the Media
Center computer video output to a TV. However, the
connection type has an affect on the video quality. If
your TV includes a VGA port, connect the VGA cable
from the Media Center computer's VGA (monitor) port
to the TV's VGA In port for the best quality. Many TVs
do not have a VGA port.
Quality of video cables—Poor quality or the incorrect
type of video cables can cause problems and affect the
video quality. Gateway recommends using high-quality
video cables that can be purchased from the Gateway
Accessory Store.
Important
Cable connections must be made correctly for optimal video
quality. A poor cable connection can lower video quality.
Screen resolution—By default, the convertible
notebook uses a screen resolution optimized for the LCD
screen. Many TVs cannot display this high of a
resolution and may shift, scramble, or scroll the picture.
For a better picture on a TV display, you may need to
lower the Media Center screen resolution to 800 × 600
or 640 × 480. For more information about changing the
screen resolution, see "Changing color depth and screen
resolution" in your online User Guide.