Hardly Embarrassing At All - PC to TV Connection

EMarkM · 23 Oct 2014 at 22:32

Hullo OC forum; it's nice to be here.

I seem to be very stupid. Worse still, I work in IT all day and absolutely cannot figure this out

This afternoon I picked up my brand new OC PC, based around the 770 graphics card. My only display option at home is our Panasonic TX-L37E5B television, and I simply imagined in my innocence that I would just connect an HDMI cable between the PC and the TV, select the correct HDMI channel on the TV, and that would be that.

I simply cannot get a picture. Can anyone help with what I have missed?

The TV has four HDMI inputs, and I've tried them all, with several different cables. All I get is a black screen.

The way the TV is normally set up is SKY box in HDMI 1, and then the PS3 into the Panasonic Soundbar amplifier which then goes to HDMI 2.

I've tried pretty much every configuration of cables, and then resorted to Google-bashing which has got me precisely nowhere.

Any chance of a little help? I don't care about involving the Soundbar in the equation at the moment - I just want to see my desktop.

Many thanks in advance.

DaleTheWhale · 23 Oct 2014 at 22:56

Do you have another cable/monitor to test, PC might not be booting as it should be and isn't actually showing a desktop.

RJC · 23 Oct 2014 at 23:01

Does the system have onboard graphics - if yes try that.

EMarkM · 23 Oct 2014 at 23:06

Thanks both.

I've tried a few cables, don't have another monitor, and will check in the morning to see about bypassing the graphics card.

I'm going to bed now. All further suggestions welcome in the meantime

Confused Stu · 23 Oct 2014 at 23:17

Dumb questions first, just in case:
Is the HDMI plugged into the graphics card connector, not into a motherboard one?
Are any lights/fans on the PC firing up at all, or is it showing any signs of life?
What are the full specs of your PC and do you have access to any other monitors at all (or a friend with one) to try?

Pulse · 23 Oct 2014 at 23:22

Try Windows Key + P. Cycles through the display adapters, may or may not work.

EMarkM · 23 Oct 2014 at 23:26

Thanks for those further two answers. The one that's got me thinking is "video card or m/b HDMI socket?"

I hadn't realised there might be two.

I'll go down and check now.

PC lights, keyboard & mouse lights all come on.

EMarkM · 23 Oct 2014 at 23:36

Stu: not so confused. Wrong chuffin' socket.

I love you

DaleTheWhale · 23 Oct 2014 at 23:47

EMarkM said:
Stu: not so confused. Wrong chuffin' socket.

I love you

We've all done something, how else did we all learn eh?

EMarkM · 23 Oct 2014 at 23:56

Now to get some games...

Thanks again, everyone.

Brackish · 24 Oct 2014 at 01:09

Everytime I build a PC or upgrade mine i always forget to turn the power switch on on the PSU, press the on button and the devistated face shapes on me ugly mug!

Enjoy your games.

EMarkM · 24 Oct 2014 at 07:28

Cheers Brackish.

Looking forward to Dragon Age: Inquisition, but I think my first game will be Divinity: Original Sin. Might start d/loading in a minute.

I also feel the need to install my old Baldur's Gate II disks...

Confused Stu · 24 Oct 2014 at 09:16

Glad you got it sorted mate.

My favourites are forgetting the PSU 1-0 switch (as Brackish mentioned), having the monitor on the wrong input setting (monitor looking for VGA and I've plugged in DVI), or forgetting to plug in the front panel connectors onto the motherboard and then wondering why the power button doesn't work!

Enjoy the PC and if you get the chance pop a picture of your setup in the show off your rig thread, we all appreciate good looking hardware round here.

EMarkM · 24 Oct 2014 at 09:30

Confused Stu said:
Enjoy the PC and if you get the chance pop a picture of your setup in the show off your rig thread, we all appreciate good looking hardware round here.

I will do, and thanks, many times over, for the "dumb question first"

Marine-RX179 · 24 Oct 2014 at 10:15

Brackish said:
Everytime I build a PC or upgrade mine i always forget to turn the power switch on on the PSU, press the on button and the devistated face shapes on me ugly mug!

Everytime I finish a build and before I press the power-button for the first time, I would literally pray "Please God let this work the first time without issue, I don't want to spend half more day trying to figure out what problem is/trouble-shooting!"