There are three parts to setting up your scan converter - hardware installation, system setup, and software installation. Please note that there is extensive help on the AITech Web site www.aitech.com.

HARDWARE INSTALLATION                    

1.  CONNECTIONS

1. Remove the cable connection from your monitor at the VGA card on the rear of your computer (Figure 4). (Does not apply to laptop installation.)
2. Connect the "encoder cable" (from the scan converter) to the VGA-out port on the computer (Figures 3, 4, 5).
3. Attach the VGA cable from your monitor to the scan converter. [Not Required] (Does not apply to laptop installation.)
4. Attach the video cable (RCA or S-Video) from the scan converter to the TV (discussed below).
5. Finally, attach the power adapter to the scan converter (figure 3).

• Check to see which type of inputs your TV has. See the pictures of connector types later in this document if you are unsure.
  

• If your TV, VCR, or camcorder uses either the "RCA" or "S-VHS" connectors, you MUST select which input you want to use. FOR EXAMPLE:

Your TV has an "RCA" style VIDEO-IN connector. The TV must be switched to the VIDEO-IN (sometimes VIDEO1, Aux, Input, Vid, Line, Line In, etc.) mode selection.  Pressing an INPUT, VIDEO, or similar button on the device or it's remote control most often does this switching. There is a chart on our Web site listing many brands and their method of switching. In some rare cases, the switching is done automatically.

• If your TV has only the "F" type connector, then you must use your VCR or obtain an RF Modulator. Most VCRs have a built in RF Modulator; this is the F connector labeled Out, To TV or RF Out.

2. VERIFY INSTALLATION

• Verify that all the cables are connected according to the installation instructions.

Figure 3 - The image above shows a typical Pocket Scan Converter 2000 installation on a laptop computer.
If you are using a desktop computer your installation will differ only in the placement of the VGA card connector
on the back of the computer and the need to plug your monitor cable into the scan converter VGA pass through connector.

• Verify that the Scan Converter has power, and that the power adapter is functioning.  Be sure to check the power light on the scan converter. Note that the Pro PC/TV 1 and the PC/TV 1108 have an automatic power-off function and the power LED will not be lit when there is no VGA input. This means that when you turn off the computer these units will turn themselves off automatically. If you try to test the 1108 or the Pro PC/TV 1 right out of the box (not connected to an operating computer) the power LED will not light.  If you have a laptop computer and the external VGA output has not been turned on (see below), your power light will not be lit.  If necessary, a Volt-Ohm meter can be used to measure the output voltage of the power adapter.

Figure 4 - The image above shows a close up of the monitor VGA connector
at the rear of a computer after it has been removed from the video card VGA connector.

3.  LAPTOP USERS

• Make sure that the laptop computer has been switched to External VGA display mode. You will know you are in this mode when the laptop display goes blank. If you are not sure how to do this, please refer to your computer manual. The following are some typical ways to switch display modes on a laptop. 

• HOTKEYS - The majority of laptop computers use a HOTKEY combination to switch the computer among it's supported video display modes.  An "Fn" key is typically used in combination with a function key (F1 - F10 - usually has a monitor icon or the lettering CRT/LCD). There is a chart on our website listing many brands and their method of switching.
  
• SOFTWARE -. There may be a tab in the Display Properties or a listing in the Start/Programs menu for your laptop.  Some laptops require making this setting in the BIOS setup.  Refer to your laptop manual for details.
  
• AUTO-DETECT - Some laptops try to auto-detect if there is a monitor attached to the external VGA port, and will switch to the external VGA mode if there is one attached, when you boot up the laptop. 

• SCREEN MOVEMENT - If you need to reposition the image on your TV please note that most laptop computers will not allow the screen to be positioned while the LCD or internal display is active. This is a safety device to protect the LCD panels. To get around this, the internal LCD panel must be disabled. With the LCD panel disabled - the external VGA port will usually respond to the screen movement commands. 

4. CONNECTOR TYPES

Your TV will have one or more of the following connectors.

"F" Connector - This is a threaded connector used for the antenna, and Cable TV connectors. This is a standard connector for TV's, and VCR's. The "F" connector is for RF signals.  RF signals combine the video and audio information into one signal.

RCA Connector - the industry standard for audio and video connectors on consumer electronics devices.

S-Video - (separated video) This is the preferred type of connection.  S-Video provides the best image quality of the three connection types - RCA provides the second best image quality.

SYSTEM SETUP - If you have a MultiPro Plus, MultiPro 2000, or Pocket Scan Converter 2000, you can skip this section.

Basic Settings

The scan converter requires four basic settings in Windows. These setting will be made differently depending on whether you use Windows 3.x or Win95/98. For Windows 3.x follow the instructions in the User's Manual. In Windows 95/98, you must make the settings shown below):

Depending on which version of Windows you have, you may not see the exact dialog boxes shown below.  However, you should be able to get the general idea of what you need to do with the information that is available here.

Right-click a blank area on your desktop - you should see the menu shown below.

Click the Properties selection at the bottom of the menu as shown above.

Desktop Area and Color

The graphics below illustrate the settings that must be made in Windows 95/98. The illustrations show a Windows 98 installation. Note the setting for 256 colors in the Color Palette, as well as the setting for 640x480 for the Screen Area.

Figure 8 - Display Properties showing Color and Screen Size settings

Refresh Rate

You should have four or more tabs showing (figure 8). Click the Settings tab. The setting for the Color Palette is on the lower left, and next to it on the right is the setting for Desktop Area. Set these as directed above and shown in figure 8. You may have a tab that says Scan Rate or Refresh Rate or one with a manufacturer's name on it. Check this tab to see if there is a setting for the refresh rate. Set this for 60 Hz.  In Windows 98 click on the Advanced button (figure 8) to see the dialog box below. Click the down arrow in the Refresh Rate box. Select 60 Hz. If there is no setting for 60 Hz, select Adapter default.

Figure 9 - Windows 98 Advanced dialog box showing the
Adapter card and the Refresh Rate setting

Monitor Type

To change your monitor type, click on the Monitor tab. Note the current monitor setting is shown next to the icon at the top left of the card (figure 10) and in the Wizard box in (figure 11).

Figure 10 - Monitor card - click change

Click the Change button on the Monitor tab to access the change dialog box. Windows 98 will give you two Wizard boxes before you come to the change monitor box settings (figure 13).

Figures 11 & 12 - Wizard boxes - click next and then click the bottom radio button

Click the Radio Button "Show all hardware"

      Figure 13 - Windows 98 Update Wizard (Win 95 Change Display Type)
showing how to change display type.

For the original version of Win95 click on Change Display Type and set the Monitor Type to Standard VGA 640x480. In the newer versions of Windows 95, use the Advanced Properties button. Windows 98 has an Advanced button (see above). In Windows 95/98 you will find a drop down box at the bottom of the Adapter tab.  Click on the down arrow. You may see a listing of scan rates, select 60 Hz, or select Adapter Default.

TV/VCR Setup

You must set the TV for the proper source.  Normally the TV is looking for input from the antenna or cable connection. You must set it to look at the auxiliary input on the rear of the TV. This is where you have connected the video cable from your scan converter. This setting may be in a menu or on a button on the remote. It is most often a button on the remote. If you are connecting to a VCR you must select it's external input. This is done with the remote or the VCR's menu system, or with a special channel such as 00. In either case you may have to refer to the unit's manual for proper setup. Refer to your TV or VCR manual to determine how to switch your equipment to the video mode. One clue is that you must NOT see a channel number on your TV screen - it must have something like: video, line, aux, etc.  Please refer to a separate document on TV/VCR video mode switching. Please Reference There is a chart on our website listing many brands and their method of switching.

Laptop Setup

If you are using a laptop computer you must set the computer to output the video signal to the external monitor port. This is usually done with the Fn key and one of the F1...F12 keys. The key is usually labeled LCD/CRT or CRT or has an icon of a computer monitor. There is a chart on our Web site listing many brands and their method of switching.

This hot key combination (Fn + F#) usually has three settings:

            a) Internal only (LCD)

            b) Both internal and external (Simultaneous or Dual Display mode)

            c) External only (CRT)

When set to the external only display (CRT) mode, the LCD screen will go black. This mode is most often required.  Some laptops will not output the proper 60-hertz signal when in the "simultaneous" display mode. Switching to external only mode usually resolves the problem. For further information, refer to your manual or contact the laptop manufacturer's tech support. There is a chart on our website listing many brands and their method of switching.

VGA Pass-through

Connecting a VGA monitor to the scan converter is not necessary for operation of the unit.

The VGA pass-through is not required to use the scan converter. If using this device with a laptop, a VGA monitor may not be wanted or available.  If you are experiencing a problem with your VGA monitor attached to the VGA pass through on your scan converter, there may be something wrong with the unit. You should be able to view your PC monitor just as you did before the scan converter was attached.

SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

Note: The software included with your scan converter is optional software for sizing and moving the TV image. It is not needed to operate the scan converter. It is not necessary to install the software included on the supplied diskette to use your scan converter. If you have not installed the software and are having trouble getting your scan converter work properly, installing the software will not help.  It is recommended that you get the scan converter working before you install the software - in most cases it is not needed.  Refer back to the Hardware Installation section and System Setup to correct any problems.

This software gives you a screen control utility that allows you to position the TV image right, left, up and down. It can also resize the image to better fit on your TV screen. In most cases, this software is not needed. Most modern TV's no longer need any position correction. The sizing can best be done in Windows itself or within specific applications.

Sizing can be done in three ways:

1. Some applications have sizing capabilities (i.e. PowerPoint)
2. Running programs in a window then, then sizing and positioning the window
3. Using the AITech software - The sizing utility software is not compatible with most of the video drivers in use today. 

There is much more "sizing" information here.

Installing the Software

To install your scan converter software in Windows 95 or 98 follow these steps:

1. Insert Scan Converter Screen Control Utility disk into your floppy drive.
2. Click Start - Run - then type a:\setup.exe on the prompt line -- then click OK



Figure 14 - Run dialog box

3. Proceed through the installation until you see the dialog box shown below. If you are living in the USA or Canada, you will leave this selection in the default position of NTSC. If you are anywhere else in the world, you will likely choose PAL.



Figure 15 - select TV standard

4. Click Next to continue...
5. The next dialog box you see will be the Options box shown below.
   



Figure 16 - click NEXT - do not change

 

Click Next to continue…

DO NOT CLICK THE "Activate True-TV Size Driver Now" selection.

Note: this option has been removed in later versions.

You can determine later if this option is needed. Clicking the Activate Now option can cause an incomplete installation if your video driver is not supported by the True-TV driver.

6. Continue with the installation of the software until it is complete.
   

Update the Driver

Updating the display driver changes your previous setting of 640x480 to 600x440. This shrinks the image to better fit the TV screen. When you want to return to normal computer use when done with the scan converter, click the Restore Driver icon (see below).

1. Click Start - Programs - AITech Scan Converter - Update Display Driver - Click OK



Figure 17 - Update Driver dialog

2. Click OK.



Figure 18 - Restart dialog

3. Note the message says you must restart to make these changes take effect. Click Yes to update the driver.
4. If your system has a video driver that is not supported by the True-TV Size driver, you will see the warning box below.

At this stage you have two options - leave things as they are and work around any size issue you may have; or change to the Standard VGA driver so you can use the True-TV Size driver. Note: We do not recommend changing your video adapter's driver to Standard VGA. Standard VGA will be limited to 16 colors. For most applications, 16 colors produce an "ugly" looking image. This is the main drawback of the standard VGA driver, but it is compatible with the sizing software.

WRITE DOWN ALL SETTINGS BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES.

Please see this document on our Web site dealing with sizing issues. If you decide to change your video display driver so you can resize your TV image, you MUST write down your current settings before changing to the Standard VGA Driver. If you change this driver and do not know what the original driver is, DO NOT call AITech Tech Support because we cannot help you. You must call the maker of your computer system to find out what the original driver is, so that you can restore it.  You also may need to have your Windows CD and video card drivers handy to reinstall your video driver.

Restore the Driver

When you are ready to set your system back to regular use, restore the driver to its original settings.

1. Click Start - Programs - AITech Scan Converter - Restore Display Driver - Click OK



Figure 20 - Restore dialog

2. Click OK to continue



Figure 21 - Restart dialog

3. Note the message says you must restart to make these changes take effect. Click Yes to update the driver

If you try to restore the driver when the AITech driver is not installed you will get a warning box similar to the one shown below.



Figure 22 - Warning

4. Click NO, because you do not want to proceed doing something that is not recommended.
   

Position Controls

To bring up the position controls right click on a blank area of your desk top - click Properties at the bottom of the menu - click on the TV Out Tab as shown below.

It is recommended that you DO NOT use the TV out button. This will make several changes to your system without you being able to note the current settings. If you have read the System Setup section and followed those instructions, you have already made the necessary changes to enable your scan converter to work properly.

Television Image Quality

It is important for you, the new owner of an AITech scan converter, to understand that your $300 television cannot do the work of a $500 (or even $200) VGA computer monitor. A (relatively) inexpensive TV does not have the bandwidth (electronic capability) to display the fine text used in Windows and Windows applications. The text you see under the Windows 95/98 desktop icons is the finest text you will see in Windows. Unfortunately, this is the first thing you see when you test out your new scan converter. Please use your scan converter for the purpose you purchased it for before you decide that the output to the TV is not what you think it should be.

General

What you see displayed on your TV screen is a function of that TV.  Some TV's are better than others are, and this is not always a function of the cost of that TV. There are several controls on the TV that can enhance the display you see. Adjusting for color, sharpness, contrast, and brightness can help enhance the image coming from the computer.  Also, be sure to use the S-Video cable to connect the scan converter to the TV whenever possible.  The S-Video signal will produce a slightly higher quality image than the RCA/composite signal.

You can opt for using large text within Windows (see figure 25, 26).  For applications like PowerPoint, games, displaying pictures, working with graphics, or surfing the web, your scan converter will work well for you.  Applications such as word processing, database work, and other programs that use a very fine text may be difficult to use when viewed on a TV. This can usually be resolved by choosing a large or bold font.

Internet Explorer

You can select a larger font for displaying the Internet pages you are showing on the TV. Click View - Fonts - and select a larger font to your liking. Note that Medium is the default font size for the normal screen view.

Figure 24 - Setting the font size in Internet Explorer

Windows 95/98 Desktop

In Windows you can specify the font you use for the different areas of the Windows Desktop. To get to your Display Properties just right click a blank area of your desktop - click Properties at the bottom of the menu - and click the Appearance tab at the top of the dialog box as shown below.

Figure 25 - Selecting the Icon properties

Please note the graphic above that shows you how to set the font for the different areas of the Windows. Note the Item list shown dropping off the bottom. This list will allow you to change the appearance of virtually all areas of your desktop. For the purpose of these instructions, you will only be interested in changing the font size for the Icons.

Figure 26 - Setting the Icon font size

The graphic above shows you how to change the size of the font. Select the size you think will work and click the Apply button. If this setting is not suitable for your needs choose one higher or lower that you like better. Note that the default font size is 8-point text. Standard printed text is 12-point. The list goes up to 18-point text but this setting may be too large. Click the OK button when you find a font size that you like.

Macintosh Installation

Installing the scan converter on a Macintosh requires the use of the two supplied adapters. Note that one is longer than the other is. The longer adapter is connected between the Macintosh and the scan converter (#1 below); the shorter adapter connects between the Mac monitor and the scan converter VGA output connector (#2 below). Note that some Macintosh models may not require the use of both of these adapters.

1. Connect your encoder cable to the VGA Out side of the shorter adapter. The Mac In side of this connector attaches to the monitor connection on your Macintosh computer.

Figure 27 - Showing how to connect the Macintosh input adapter to the
scan converter. The Mac In side of this connector connects to your
Macintosh VGA (monitor) output connector.

2. Connect the VGA IN side of the longer Mac adapter to the side of the scan converter on the VGA Out (VGA connector). Your Macintosh monitor cable then connects to the Mac Out side of the longer adapter.

Last Update 02-28-2001