HDMI Connectivity Issues

[Harry_59]

I'm having a very peculiar issue which hasn't applied to anything I've seen yet, and might take a second to explain.

So I built my PC last week, everything is fine but I would like to use my tv as a second monitor, which I've done before but on an older system. My monitor is connected to my Z170A MSI gaming M3 motherboard by a DVI to VGA adapter (dvi from motherboard to vga on monitor) When I try to connect my vga cable to my TV there is just no signal whatsoever. The sourcing is correct and the cable works perfectly. Also, the vga socket on the TV is working fine as I have tested it with my sisters laptop.

I tried the same with my HDMI cable and I own a HDMI switcher which indicates when a signal is being sent to the TV. The HDMI cable I use worked perfectly for my sisters laptop, and my Xbox one and 360 but still not my PC, and when I plug my HDMI cable into the switcher, it indicates that a signal is being received, but not shown on the TV.

I tried a few different methods to solve this such as using the HDMI port on my graphics card (Nvidia gtx960) and motherboard and using the second HDMI port on the TV but to no avail.

The TV is an old model Toshiba 40" flatscreen, I can find the specific details if they are needed.
I am using Windows 8.1 and there is no need to simplify the words you use, as I am no stranger to technology.
Thanks in advance

 

[Epsilon_0EVP]

First off, don't use the outputs on your motherboard. Those use the GPU in the CPU, not your graphics card, which is just wasting power. The integrated GPU might not even be enabled.

Use the HDMI or DVI connection on your graphics card, and check in Windows and the Nvidia Control Panel if any screen is detected. We can start diagnosing from there.

 

[Harry_59]

I've sort of found the issue, I use the HDMI on the gpu and when I boot onto my tv I can see the keys for bios and boot menu, the Windows 8 loading symbol also appears in the middle. Shortly after that (about 4-5 seconds) the signal is lost and doesn't come back

 

[Harry_59]

First off, don't use the outputs on your motherboard. Those use the GPU in the CPU, not your graphics card, which is just wasting power. The integrated GPU might not even be enabled.

Use the HDMI or DVI connection on your graphics card, and check in Windows and the Nvidia Control Panel if any screen is detected. We can start diagnosing from there.

No screen is detected when it is plugged in

 

[Epsilon_0EVP]

It seems I missed an essential fact when reading your post. You say your primary monitor is connected to your motherboard, right? That means your primary monitor is using your integrated graphics. Try moving the connector for the main monitor to your graphics card, and then also connecting the TV to the graphics card.

Now, it might be that your graphics card doesn't have a DVI-I/DVI-A port, so an adapter to VGA will not work. Does your monitor have any other inputs besides VGA that we can use? You might as well try to avoid VGA anyway for modern displays, since it's no as good as modern connections.