How to connect laptop to TV

wazza

Want to connect my laptop to TV so we can watch recorded family movies. Am i right in saying that the blue 25 pin connector (D-Type?) on the laptop is the video out?

JOel_2

Yes, that is VGA out. If your TV has a VGA port (most LCD screens do) You can usually plug and go (you may need to do FN and F8, or similar depending on your laptop).

If however your TV does not have a D-Sub (VGA) port, you can buy converters from maplins to convert it to RGB / Scart.

Joel

vyseyboy

A VGA to RGB / Scart convertor will be expensive, however.

If your TV doesn't have a VGA input, the next best thing would be if the laptop has a small round yellow composite video out, or small black s-video out, both female. Many have one or the other. You can get cables / kits that convert both of these video outs to scart on a popular auction site for < £5.

windra

Also remember that you need an audio cable that plugs into the headphone slot of your laptop, into the back of your TV,so you can have sound.

You should also need to press a button on your laptop so that it actually outputs to the video out, usually its a function button with either a tv on it or writing that says LCD.

loracan1

Is the s-video the round one with 5 pins?

I run a laptop with a separate monitor using the blue 25 connector (had to F5 to switch to monitor) - if I were to connect the laptop to a tv via the s-video would I need to switch anything else to output to the tv?

vyseyboy

Most likely, pressing fn F5 like you currently do will cycle through all the output modes including the s-video one. If it doesn't, the other possibility is you might need to enable s-video out in windows XP / vista control panel, under display, settings.

And yes, S-video is round, with 4 pins (and an addition big space in the middle,)

like this:

http://www.coloredhome.com/video/s-video_PC.JPG

shadowdragon

wouldnt using the Svideo out ect be of a substandard quality to VGA though?

I ask cos I dont know and have never tried.

vyseyboy

Yes, it would be substandard on an HDTV, because S-video can only carry Standard definition signals. But if your TV doesn't have a VGA input, then it's the best you'll get without expensive scanline converters.