Why doesn't it work?

[Ben M]

Why can I not simply connect my laptop to my TV to watch films on my TV by using the vga output of my laptop, and the component input on my TV?

I have a vga - component cable, which I tried connecting to two TVs, both straight into component sockets, and through a component>scart adaptor.

Both TVs received no signal from the video input, and just buzzed from the audio inputs.

Can someone explain? What else do I need? They are analogue TVs, so there's no dvi/hdmi input.

 

[Ben M]

Does your laptop have a key combo you need to press to send video to an external monitor? It is usually the "fn" key and one of the function keys along the top of the keyboard

When connecting via hdmi to a TV/monitor this doesn't need to be done =\

Because VGA and component aren't the same signals. You'd need to output a component signal through the VGA port on your laptop, which to my knowledge, none can do.

What is the point in the cable which I bought then? Stupid thing.

My laptop is the same. Inspiron 6400. The TV seems to know theres something there, but the PC refuses to let it display anything. Tried different drivers etc, but nothing works. It always just refuses. So I gave up in the end!

The laptop (an inspiron as it happens) sees the "secondary monitor" and displays it as the correct resolution, and the mose dissapears off the side of the laptop screen when moved towards the TV, but the TV is just blank/ fuzzy.

Are the cables in a known "good" condition?

it's brand new.

 

[Ben M]

Brill but I think he's asking about VGA out rather than HDMI. He says that his TVs have no HDMI...

Only thing I can think of is screen resolution. Is your laptop asking too much of your TV? What is the native res of the laptop and what do your TVs display?

The laptop is 1280*800, but can output any res, it beings up the correct res of the TV.

I think that "Caged" is correct, and it's the wrong signal altogether =(