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I have a Windows Vista Dell hybrid and I want to hook it up to a TV to get the Internet on TV. I did so, but the TV screen goes black and tells me the signal is not compatible with input. The computer screen also goes black

Without knowing what kind of TV you are using and the connections it requires, we’re going to have to do a little troubleshooting to see if we can find and fix your problem.

TVs as Monitors

Many people look at their old TVs and think that they would make great computer monitors. The problem is that most older TVs have a display that is about 640×480 at best. In contrast, most video cards start at about 800×600 and most monitors support at least 1024×768. Because of this the picture is disappointing, to put it nicely. Newer digital and high def TVs support better resolutions, so your chances of success are higher if the TV is newer.

Most older TVs have one of three kinds of inputs - coaxial cable, RCA composites (the old yellow, red and white connectors) and the S-video connectors. Newer TVs may have DVI, VGA or DHMI inputs. Some even have specific PC inputs. Depending on your connectors, you may need to get an adapter for your connection - you can also get a wireless adapter that will eliminate a pile of cables around your computer.

Troubleshooting

Have you activated the TV as the second screen for your computer? Go to Start and Control Panel. Find the Display Settings and activate the second screen, which is your TV screen.

This error is often seen if the screen resolution on your computer is too high or is not supported by the TV - high resolutions are not supported by common S-video outputs. A good way to test this is to try a lower resolution on your computer and work your way up until you have a problem with the screen. To do this, find a blank spot on your desktop and right click on it. Choose Properties and then Settings. Choose Screen Resolution, then drag the bar to the left to lower it. Click on Apply. You can experiment by changing the resolution up by tiny increments.

Have you tried plugging the cable into the TV once the monitor is on? Some people don’t like this method because it can be hard on the hardware, but it is worth a try. Turn off the computer and plug the video cable into the monitor. Turn on the computer and wait until it loads the desktop. Unplug the cable from the monitor and plug it into the TV and turn the TV on.

Does your TV have a reset button on the back? If so, get a paperclip and poke it in the hole for System Reset.

Hopefully, one of these solutions will help watch your computer on your TV screen and give you the resolution you’re looking for.

My laptop will not play/read CDs or DVDs. Do you have any tips?

There are several different scenarios that could lie behind this type of problem. Read through the following tips, completing them one at a time to see if you can resolve the issue.

Troubleshooting CD/DVD Errors: Checking the CDs/DVDs

The first step that you should take is to try the CDs/DVDs on another computer to see if they work. The possibility that the CD/DVD is corrupted does exist and this strategy eliminates that possibility. If you have tried numerous CDs/DVDs on the laptop already, then you can safely skip this step.

Troubleshooting CD/DVD Errors: CD/DVD Drivers

One of the most common reasons behind CD/DVD players not being able to read the media is that the drivers need to be updated. If the drivers aren’t current, this fact can lead to CD/DVD players not working properly. Visit the website for the manufacturer of the CD/DVD drive that you have on the laptop and check for updates for the drivers.

Troubleshooting CD/DVD Errors: DVD Decoder

In order for the laptop to play DVDs on it, you need to have a DVD decoder installed on it. This is a software application that lets the DVD play so that you can view it. In order to protect the data on the DVD from copyright infringement and theft, the data is encoded/compressed onto the DVD. The decoder translates the data so that users can see it.

Troubleshooting CD/DVD Errors: Checking for a DVD Decoder

Not all laptops come with a DVD decoder installed unless it has the Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows Vista Home Premium operating system installed on it. However, some laptops have them installed even if they are using a different operating system, so you’ll have to check. If you don’t have one, then you need to install one in order to be able to view DVDs.

To see if you have a DVD decoder, follow these steps:

• Navigate to “Start” and “All Programs.”
• Select “Windows Media Player” or “WMP.”
• Select “Tools” and “Options.” If you can see a tab for “DVD,” then you have a DVD decoder installed.
• Check to make sure that the decoder is enabled by selecting the “File Types” tab and marking off the box in front of “DVD” video.

Troubleshooting CD/DVD Errors: Drive Failure

In order to check the status of the CD/DVD drive, you need to access the “Device Manager.” Depending on your operating system, the following directions might vary a bit.

• Navigate to “Start”
• Open “Control Panel.”
• Open “System.”
• Open “System Properties.”
• Select “Hardware.”
• Select “Device Manager.”
• Look in the list of devices and select the entry for the CD/DVD drive. You will see a message stating whether or not the device is functioning properly. If it is not, click on “Troubleshooting Tips” and follow the suggestions there. It should also tell you if the drive isn’t functioning properly due to an incompatibility with another application or device.
• If it turns out the drive isn’t recognized and included in the list, you need to carefully uninstall and reinstall the drive. It is possible that it isn’t installed properly. Make sure that you follow precautions to ground yourself before completing this task.
• If the drive doesn’t work at all, even after reinstalling it, it is possible that it no longer works and needs to be replaced.

Troubleshooting CD/DVD Errors: Clean the Registry

If you have gotten this far and it still doesn’t work properly, you might want to clean the registry using a reliable registry cleaner such as RegCure. This strategy places broken files, lost files, etc back in the proper location.

Troubleshooting CD/DVD Errors: Additional Tips

• Check that you have properly uninstalled any old DVD/CD drives that were on the laptop.
• Check that you are using CDs/DVDs that are compatible with the drive that you are trying to use.

I edit videos on my computer. I have Sony Vegas Pro 8 so I know that the problem is not the program I’m using. When I watch the videos that I’m editing, they are very glitchy. I want to know what I have to do to or buy to fix that problem.

Sony Vegas Pro 8 System Requirements

First, let’s look at the basic system requirements for Sony Vegas Pro 8:

• Microsoft Windows XP 32-bit SP2 (SP3 recommended) or Windows Vista 32-bit or 64-bit (SP1 recommended)
• 1 GHz processor (multicore or multiprocessor CPU recommended for HD)
• 1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended)

More system requirements covering firewire, USB cables, and storage media are also listed. Since you can edit the videos, we’ll assume that you have the appropriate cables and DVD drives.

Video editing is one of the most demanding tasks the typical home user will ask of his or her computer. If your computer does not have at least two gigabytes of memory or one gigahertz of CPU power, these are the areas that will need to be upgraded. Memory is fairly inexpensive, so if you have available slots, I’d invest in memory first.

Glitchy Video Editing

I also do a bit of video editing on my computer and have found that even with a high performance PC, the videos come out glitchy if I multitask. Whenever editing, make sure that the only thing you have running is your editing program. Close your e-mail, turn off your screensaver, and don’t be tempted to surf the web while your videos are rendering! When I follow these rules and give the editing program as many resources as possible, the glitches are few and far between.

I normally edit the videos during the day and then let them render overnight when I don’t need the computer.

Burning the Video to DVD

If the videos seem fine when you view them on the computer but not after being burned to DVD, then you might want to adjust your DVD burn settings. I’ve also found that reducing the burn speed down to its lowest setting helps resolve glitchy playback errors.

Update Sony Vegas Pro 8

It’s also not a bad idea to update the Sony software just in case Sony has corrected any known issues. The list of fixes and known issues for Version 8.0 is huge! Head over to Sony and update the software to take advantage of these fixes. In addition, if you have Windows Vista, Microsoft has issued an update that helps with memory issues and Sony Vegas Pro 8.  

Could you tell me a programme for playing MP4 files?

What is an MP4 file?

The MP4 file is classified as a video file. It uses both video and audio compressions in a separate format. While the MPEG-4 audio is compressed using the AAC compression format, the MPEG-4 video compression uses MPEG-4 video encoding. Together, these compressions create a file that has both sound and picture.

How to open an MP4 file

Due to the specialized compression formatting that occurs with MPEG-4 files (mp4 file extensions), you need a specialized program to open the file. Fortunately, you have several options available. It is important to obtain a program that is compatible with your operating system. Some programs can be used for both Windows and MAC OS operating systems.

Opening an MP4 file on a computer with a Windows Operating System

Any of the following programs can be used to open an MP4file:

• Apple QuickTime Player- The Apple QuickTime Player was developed by Apple as a multimedia player that can easily play a variety of codecs including MP4 files.
• Roxio Easy Media Center

Opening an MP4 file with MAC OS

The following applications can be used to open MP4 files:

• Apple QuickTime Player- Produced by Apple to play a variety of file formats, specifically with video content.
• Roxio Toast

Opening an MP4 file with QuickTime Player

First, check to see if you have QuickTime Player installed on your computer using one of the following sets of directions. If you don’t have it, visit Apple’s website and download it. If you do have it, follow the tip’s section listed below.

Checking for QuickTime Player:

• Double click on the “My Computer” icon on your desktop. Double click on the “Control Panel” icon. Double click on “QuickTime.”
• Navigate to “Start.” Select “Settings.” Select “Control Panel.” Select “QuickTime.”
• Navigate to “Start.” Select “All Programs.” Select “QuickTime.” Select “QuickTime Player.”

Tips for QuickTime Player and Playing MP4 files

• Once you are in “QuickTime Player,” select the “Edit” tab.
• Select “Preferences” and then, “QuickTime Preferences.”
• Next, you need to select “File Type Associations” in the menu.
• Look near the bottom of the dialog and select the “File Types” tab.
• Select the “+” symbol in front of “MPEG -MPEG system, video, and audio files.”
• Now, you need to place a “check” in the box that is in front of “MPEG-4 media file.”
• Select “Apply.”
• Select “ok.”
• Select the “x” tab to close the QuickTime dialog.

Help! I cannot activate a video. It appears on my screen but won’t play, no matter what buttons I push and the sound won’t play either. So much info now is in video form. I’m really frustrated.

Video Plug-Ins

It sounds like you need the right plug-in so that you can access video and Web-based games on your computer. You’re right, so much information is now in video form, and unfortunately, different websites use different plug-ins in order to access their information. Most of the time, you will get a pop-up or message that you either don’t have the right player installed, or you need to get an update in order for it to work properly.

This actually happened to me recently. My mother lives in another state and I sent her a Flip video in an email - she could hear the sound, but couldn’t see any images. The program told us what we needed to have installed, but it didn’t completely solve the problem, so on the phone, I walked her through installing several different players until we got to the Adobe Flash player which did the trick. A quick download while I was on the phone with her and she was in business.

Most Popular Plug-Ins

Unless a particular Web site or video is telling you specifically what you need installed, you might have to do a little trial and error yourself. These are the most popular plug-ins:

• Windows Media Player - currently running version 10
• Quicktime - currently running version 7
• Real Player
• Adobe Flash Player - currently running version 10
• Java - currently running version 6, update 13
• ShockWave

If you already have one of these programs installed, you shouldn’t have to uninstall it to do the update to the latest version. One other possibility is that you are having an issue with the Web browser you are using. Occasionally, a video won’t play in Mozilla because it has been coded for Internet Explorer. As a last resort, try switching browsers and see if that helps.

If you’ve downloaded all of the current versions and are still having problems, let us know and we can help you troubleshoot any graphics card issues you may be having. My gut feeling is that one or all of these players will help you access videos anywhere on the Web.

I have a Cine player 2.31 with Windows 2000. I need an upgrade but I keep getting Vista products from Sonic.

CinePlayer will allow you to play DVDs and VCDs on your PC. It offers the widest range of compatibility so that you can watch most titles without problems. The current version is 3.2, so you’re right, you do need an upgrade.

CinePlayer Updates

I went to the Roxio site and they are only offering upgrades for Windows XP and Vista, but I did find a site called VersionTracker that claims it is offering the newest version of CinePlayer for Windows 2000. This is a paid update and will cost about $30. In order to make it work, you need 128MB of RAM and a minimum of 50MB of hard disk space for installation. In addition, you need a 16MB video card a compatible sound card and speakers, a DVD ROM drive and DirectX 9b or later.

DirectX

DirectX is proprietary Windows technology that drives high-speed and multimedia games on your computer. The new 10 version is supported by Windows 2000, but you must be able to validate your system in order for the update to work. You can download DirectX 10 by clicking on the link to the Microsoft website.

Update to Windows XP or Vista

You’re probably not going to want to hear this, but you are going to run into this problem more and more as you continue to use Windows 2000 and have programs that are no longer supporting that platform. Both Windows XP and Vista have more user-friendly graphics interfaces, faster user switching and are much more stable than older versions. Using an older version may be a personal preference, but more and more software is going to drop their support for older versions.

Although I can’t guarantee that it will work with Windows 2000, sites like VersionTracker claim to allow older platforms to update this software, although you might be wise to put the money toward updating your operating system.