# Why would my video card operate tis way? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 2, 2002, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-my-video-card-operate-tis-way/112047 "2002-06-02T22:24:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-my-video-card-operate-tis-way/112047/1 "2002-06-02T22:24:51Z")
A couple of years ago I bought a video card (a Radeon SDR) with an S-video out, so I could run DVD’s out to my TV. But the next week or so I came across an Apex DVD player almost as cheap as the card, so I never installed the card til I moved into my new apt… The card’s documentation and control panel say I must choose to output to EITHER my monitor or my TV, it won’t support both simultaneously. And it works that way, ine goes black when I select the other. BUT, when I cold start the computer, the card outputs to BOTH the monitor and the TV, until the video driver is loaded and takes over. I get the windows 98 logo and the memory tests showing up on BOTH screens, until the TV eventually goes black as Windows loads. WTF? The card is clearly _physically_ capable of running both at once, so why would the driver prevent it from operating this way? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-my-video-card-operate-tis-way/112047/2 "2002-06-03T00:34:04Z")
I’d guess that the card has only one digital-to-analog converter. So it can output to both ports, but only if you want to run both at the same frequency and resolution settings. I believe everything up to the Windows logo is displayed in 640x480 mode, which the TV can handle. As soon as the driver loads and switches the video card to a higher resolution, the TV port shuts down. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-my-video-card-operate-tis-way/112047/3 "2002-06-03T00:38:31Z")
I have a few ATI cards, despite what you say, they operate a tv & computer monitor at the same time on my computer. If your directions are the same as mine, you MUST have the tv on BEFORE turning on the computer. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-my-video-card-operate-tis-way/112047/4 "2002-06-03T00:49:33Z")
After the computer is on, one selects the tv from the display panel on my ATI cards. ITs been a while since I used them though.