Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
13 Posts
0
34038
How to connect laptop's vga to TV's s-video?
Hi,
I have a Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop which only has VGA output (no s-video). On the back of my TV, there is only S-Video input and some RCA input/outputs.
I would like to connect the laptop to the TV so I can watch movies on the big screen.
So I bought the following:
1) S-Video to VGA/RCA cable which looks like this:
http://www.gainbery.com/Product/Adaptor/vga%20to%20rca.jpg
2) S-video cable which looks like this:
http://tomcom.ca/catalog/images/S-video.jpg
3) RCA sound cable which looks like this: http://www.logicsupply.com/images/photos/cables/RCAAudio_big.jpg
What I did was
- I connected the VGA end of the first cable to the VGA output of the laptop.
- Then connected the S-video cable (second cable) to the S-video end of the first cable.
- Finally I connected the second cable to the S-video input of my TV.
- Connected the single end of the third cable to the laptop’s sound output.
- Connected the two other ends of the third cable to the audio inputs of my tv
The sound worked but the video didn’t. I hit Fn+F8 but nothing appeared on the TV.
Please help me with this, let me know if I did everything correct and if I need anything else to get this to work.
Thanks
ranger2050
3 Posts
0
April 2nd, 2009 10:00
1. Are you running Vista or XP?
2. Check the resolution to the second display.
3. Did you configure the display?
tezarin
13 Posts
0
April 2nd, 2009 12:00
1. XP
2. I haven't changed any display configuration, I wasn't getting anything on the tv...
ranger2050
3 Posts
0
April 2nd, 2009 13:00
Display config is accessible from your laptop display. Right click on desktop, properties, settings. Should see display 1 and display 2. Left click on 2. You can then use as primary monitor or extend your desktop to it. Pick and apply. Set the resolution for the second monitor (TV)
tezarin
13 Posts
0
April 3rd, 2009 06:00
Thanks, ok, I tried that and the second display wasn't even there... I mean the laptop makes some connecting noise which means it detects the second display but no picture will be displayed on the TV... Please review my initial post and let me know if I did everything correctly.
Thanks
ieee488
4 Operator
4 Operator
•
11.1K Posts
0
April 3rd, 2009 08:00
Ranger2050 is right. It isn't as simple as buying cables and adapters, it requires electronics to do the video signal conversion.
Also, for the sound, you will need what people called a iPod cable which is a mini-plug to two RCA plugs. This you can buy at Radio Shack, Best Buy, etc.
ranger2050
3 Posts
0
April 3rd, 2009 08:00
ok, I just looked up the vga to s-video connector you have. That requires a graphics card that can do tv-out (which yours probably does not). My wife DJ's karaoke and had the s-video go out in her laptop. To solve that problem I purchased a pc vga to s-video converter. http://www.hdtvsupply.com/vga-to-component.html Without going into boring detail, you are changing the output video signal from on format to another. Just a different ended cable is not going to do that without the converter. Maybe this can explain:
S-VIDEO
Short for Super-Video, a technology for transmitting video signals over a cable by dividing the video information into two separate signals: one for color (chrominance), and the other for brightness (luminance). When sent to a television, this produces sharper images than composite video , where the video information is transmitted as a single signal over one wire. This is because televisions are designed to display separate Luminance (Y) and Chrominance (C) signals. (The terms Y/C video and S-Video are the same.)
Computer monitors, on the other hand, are designed for RGB signals. Most digital video devices, such as digital cameras and game
To use S-Video, the device sending the signals must support S-Video output and the device receiving the signals must have an S-Video input jack. Then you need a special S-Video cable to connect the two devices.
Hope this helps.