Tv as monitor getting black screen

Hi,
I just set up my new computer and, since I don't have a monitor used my tv as a monitor. Now I'm having trouble with what I think may bed the refresh rate... (not very computer savvy) I keep getting instances of black screen... Is my video card not good enough? I'm also going from the dvi port to hdmi port, would I be better using the s-video port, our is it just a bad idea to use the tv for a monitor?
-kat

I'm using my tv as a monitor and it works out just fine. I was using the dvi port to hdmi for awhile and never an into any issues. When you say black screen, is it quick flashes, or does it just go black for awhile, and then come back after a few seconds?

Check that both the resolution & refresh rate that you are using are supported by your TV

This.

Makes all the difference to the problem. There have been a lot of reports of blackscreens inbetween loading areas. Nobody is sure if it's W7 or gw or latest graphics drivers. It happens on ATI rigs and nVidia rigs. It's a pain in the heatsink.

If it isn't a brief black flash between zones, we'll have to talk about your TV and its supported resolutions

I've had many instances of HDMI simply dropping out and losing connection. It seems to come and go for no reason.
Make sure that your desktop resolution matches the native pixel resolution of the TV - e.g. 1920x1080, 1280x720, etc.
Also, unplug and re-plug each end of the cable to make sure you are getting a solid connection. Unplug/plug helps to wipe any dirt and/or corrosion off the contacts.

Btw, the only advantage to HDMI over DVI is that DVI would require a separate audio cable. If you have the provision for a computer audio input, feel free to use the DVI (or even VGA) connection if it works as well (video-wise).