Help Connecting New Laptop to Old Tv Please!

Monster

Monster

Monster

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Hey,

I'm looking to connect my laptop to my friends tv (shared house) and am a little confused. I'm generally looking at setting my laptop up with XBMC and using it as a temporary HTPC until I get my own place, new tv and a decent HTPC with HDMI etc (in reality in about 9 months ish).

The laptop is new (work one) but only has a VGA output, no DVI/HDMI/S-Video. The TV has S-Video/Scart/Composite (the one a Wii goes into?) and a DVI-I input + a DVI audio in socket - looks like a 3.5mm jack.

What is the best way to connect them up so I can watch films/DVD/iplayer on the TV? Is a VGA-VGA with a VGA->DVI adapter going to work? Do I need a specific VGA->DVI cable for it to work?

Also would I need a 3.5mm jack - 3.5mm jack cable from the headphone socket to the input on the tv?

Any help would be appreciated, I don't want to buy the wrong cable and screw myself over!
 
DVI-I has connections for analog (VGA) and digital so it's compatible with both. So your plan to go VGA-VGA with a VGA->DVI adapter is right on the money. To make it simpler and less bulky why not go for a VGA to DVI-A* cable. You're bound to get it right then.

* analogue via DVI is called DVI-A


Audio is indeed done from the headphone jack unless you have an external audio card which will give a clearer signal. It won't much matter though through TV speakers.
 
depends if the DVI connector on the TV is a DVI-D, DVI-A or DVI-I.

DVI-D is digital only, so HDMI or DVI to DVI is the only thing that will work (unless you had some magic box to convert an analogue VGA to digital DVI/HDMI. They do exist :)). DVI-A is analogue only, so basically a VGA masquerading as a DVI lol. DVI-I is the type usually found on graphics cards that can handle both analogue and digital connections. If it's this one then a simple VGA to DVI-I converter should do the trick.

EDIT: beaten like a ginger....you know the rest! :p
 
Excellent help guys, and thanks for explaining the different types of DVI a question I meant to ask :)

I'll buy a cable and see how I get on :)
 
Ok so I decided not to abuse my work laptop too much as I intend to buy a proper media streamer soon.

However I do have another laptop with S-Video and an S-Video socket on the TV (Philips Flat TV). I have an S-Video cable attached to both sockets and a 3.5mm jack from headphone socket to the white and red RCA sockets on the TV.

However I can't seem to get any picture coming through, only the sound. Is there a way to turn on the S-Video output on the laptop? The S-Video is next to the yellow RCA on the TV - cant seem to find any way to change between them for the input on the TV.

Anyone got ideas?
 
iDroid84 said:
Playon - ACRyan. The best media device on the market.
Click to expand...

Looking at the Playon HD2 and the Xtreamer Prodigy currently, waiting to see prices etc.

However I'd like to get this laptop working with the cables I've got, can't seem to find the answer on Google.
 
It'll be somewhere in the Display Properties tabs on the laptop. There'll be an option for TV output. You'll need to have that on and either switch the display to both laptop & TV out or possibly just TV out.
 
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