Connecting laptop to tv

zootroid

The last time I was home my brother had bought a vga cable, and connected his laptop to the tv. When I came home it was still connected to the tv, so tried with my laptop, but no joy. Any ideas why? My brother uses XP, while I use vista, could that have anything to do with it?

AlmightyCushion

You usually need to set the laptop to display on the tv. To do this it's usually just a combination of the fn button and one of the f keys. Mine is fn and f8.

zootroid

Cheers fella!

AlmightyCushion

No problem.

Overheal

Is that what that button is on F4?

doesnt do jack-all for me.

thebman

It has to be setup as a shortcut, usually this is done when purchasing the laptop.

You can do it manually in Control Panel-> Display-> Advanced then click Properties and flick around in there until you find the relative option for your laptop. Usually its on an ATI or Nvidia tab.

Sometimes these graphics cards come with their own software shortcuts for enabling this. There is no one easy way to say how to set it up as the shortcuts are usually different depending on laptop/graphics card manufacturer.

Somtimes the graphic card manufacturer will install a shortcut to their properties in Control Panel and the option is usually in there too.

As you can see, its actually really hard to just tell you where this option is
They should probably all get together and agree on something TBH.

suppafly

Hi I'm having a similar prob to the OP. I'm trying to connectmy laptop to the tv using an s-video cable. I'm getting sound but no picture. The computer recognises that this is another display device plugged into it and I set it in the computer to display onto the tv. Have tried using the function key thing and the little icon comes up showing that i've moved it to "show on comp and tv" but still don't get any picture. Anybody have any ideas on how to sort this out?

thebman

That's happened on mine and a house mates laptop, turned out to be a dodgy s-video cable.

suppafly

yeah i suppose i might try bringing back to the shop and get a different one. got it from maplins

suppafly

actually just realized thats the tv is 4 pin and the computer is 7-pin so thats probably why i wasn't getting any picture. The guy in maplins said that i needed this big adapter thing to do it which cost €50. Anyone know where i can get one of them cheap or have any other ideas?

AlmightyCushion

The difference in pins doesn't matter. The extra pins on the 7 pin just transmit hd audio (I think that's what it is any ways). The standard 4 pin to 4 pin should still work.

suppafly

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

The difference in pins doesn't matter. The extra pins on the 7 pin just transmit hd audio (I think that's what it is any ways). The standard 4 pin to 4 pin should still work.

R u sure, cuz I was told that before on here(maybe by yurself even) so i thought i would be fine but when I asked the guy in Maplins he said that there was no way of doing it and that they were incompatible because of the different pins amounts and that whoever said it didn't know what they were on about(no offence, his words not mine). I don't know if he knows his stuff either though. If it is the case that it should work with the current setup i have; 4-pin s-video cable in 7-pin in the laptop; would u have any idea of were i'm going wrong and why the picture isn't showing up?

AlmightyCushion

suppafly wrote: »

R u sure, cuz I was told that before on here(maybe by yurself even) so i thought i would be fine but when I asked the guy in Maplins he said that there was no way of doing it and that they were incompatible because of the different pins amounts and that whoever said it didn't know what they were on about(no offence, his words not mine). I don't know if he knows his stuff either though.

From wikipedia (I know it's not exactly the most reliable source):

Non-standard 7-pin mini-DIN connectors are used on laptops and video cards. The 7-pin socket accepts the 4-pin plug (unlike the standard 7-pin socket) and the S-video signals are available on the matching pins. When a 7-pin plug is inserted, one of the extra pins carries a CVBS composite video signal for non S-video displays.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Video#Specifications

So like I said it should work.

suppafly wrote: »

If it is the case that it should work with the current setup i have; 4-pin s-video cable in 7-pin in the laptop; would u have any idea of were i'm going wrong and why the picture isn't showing up?

You may need to set your laptop to use the video out function. Normally this is a combination of the fn key and another key. On mine it's fn + f8

suppafly

You may need to set your laptop to use the video out function. Normally this is a combination of the fn key and another key. On mine it's fn + f8

Yeah i did try doing that. I think on my laptop its fn+f8 as the f8 key says lcd/crt beside it and when u hold them both down it shows the icon on the screen of it swaping between just laptop display, laptop+tv and just tv

thebman

Check the advanced display properties which should have a tab for your graphics card, their is usually an option to enable duel screen from there.

I don't trust keyboard shortcuts on keyboards

whiskeyman

Guys, whats the screen quality like when a laptop is hooked up to a TV like this?
I'm a bit of a tech n00b - and am moving house where I want to have a laptop and the option of connecting this to my 32" TV.
Can I hook it up to watch DVDs / browse the internet / general work on PC (I do a lot of photo editing) and playing games?

Thank you

WM

thebman

whiskeyman wrote: »

Guys, whats the screen quality like when a laptop is hooked up to a TV like this?
I'm a bit of a tech n00b - and am moving house where I want to have a laptop and the option of connecting this to my 32" TV.
Can I hook it up to watch DVDs / browse the internet / general work on PC (I do a lot of photo editing) and playing games?

Thank you

WM

You'll need a VGA connection on your TV (blue rectangle usually) to connect your laptop to your TV and do work on it.

S-Video is good enough for watching video's but crap for reading text or graphics editing.

suppafly

brim4brim wrote: »

Check the advanced display properties which should have a tab for your graphics card, their is usually an option to enable duel screen from there.

I don't trust keyboard shortcuts on keyboards

Yeah i did that too when i was trying to get it to work, but didn't have anyone joy. The laptop screen moved down to the res of the tv and was doing its part of the clone but nothing on the tv.

gamer

Download powerstrip program , install it ,reboot, go 2 graphic right click screen, click,propertys,advanced,click,output device ,analog, tv pal.set resolution to 720x576 for tv s video mode.
click clone to analog for tv svideo, or click clone 2 digital external display,720res,or 1024x768 if you r using vga input.
720X576 for svideo mode .
GOOGLE powerstrip download to find it.

suppafly

thanks for the reply gamer, i'll give that a try and see how it goes

gamer

set clone 2,analog ,set device output, tv pal b, res 720x576, if tv is not vga in, or using sd tv ,ie not a hd tv,
using svideo ,set res to 720x576 pal b.
manual 4 tv will have the supported resolution, if not sure ,stick with 720res.
GOOGLE pc to tv for more info.FIRST try setting res to 720x576 .
in 720 res you can watch tv,set icons ,dpi to large ,or extra large.
my toshiba laptop ,is fn key plus f5 key, it has icons on f5 key, monitor/rectangle .ie press fn plus some function key, select tv square icon on osd,varys from laptop depends on
what model laptop,grahics card have you got?. are you using vga,or svideo.

suppafly

Its a dell xps(only a few months old) with an nvidia 8400M GS and i'm using an s-video cable

oh yeah by the way i'm using vista aswell

thebman

Have you tried the cable on another machine to make sure its working if you have access to another machine?

suppafly

i don't have access to another machine to try that but i think i might just pick up another one tomorrow just to if it is the cable.

Gamer I downloaded that program but i couldn't really follow your instructions as they the menus and such seemed to differ on my machine.

Tom Dunne

whiskeyman wrote: »

Guys, whats the screen quality like when a laptop is hooked up to a TV like this?
I'm a bit of a tech n00b - and am moving house where I want to have a laptop and the option of connecting this to my 32" TV.
Can I hook it up to watch DVDs / browse the internet / general work on PC (I do a lot of photo editing) and playing games?

I don't have my laptop hooked up at the moment, but I do have a PC via s-video.

In terms of reading, it's fine, I can surf Boards.ie without problem. I do, however, sometimes increasethe size of the font.

As for games/DVDs they all play perfectly.

Photo editing might be a bit awkward, due to the screen resolution. Also consider how you will be interacting - I have a "PC" remote, wireless mouse and wireless keyboard.

Regarding the 4 pin vs. 7 pin, I have always used a 4 pin cable without problem (both laptop and currently PC). Anyone who tells you I don't know what I am talking about is welcome to come into my sitting room to have a look at it.

gamer

Go 2 display propertys ,advanced ,click nview ,clik clone 2 alanog,I have nvidia 440 go,it may be called sumthing different on your pc.YOU probably have a more advanced grahics control panel,just go thru advanced options ,google your grahics card eg geforce500 tv out.Clik dislay propertys ,settings,advanced,nview or similar tab.
1st try and set grahics resolution to 720x576 ,thats the standard tv pal resolution.ANY higher than that could damage the tv.enable large,extra large fonts.

zilog_jones

suppafly: How do you have it connected to your TV? Is your TV set to the correct AV input? It will not auto-switch like a SCART cable (a proper one, not an adaptor) would. If you are using a SCART adaptor with a switch on it, make sure it is set to "input".

And for future reference, that kind of stuff is usually a rip-off in Maplin!

suppafly

zilog_jones wrote: »

suppafly: How do you have it connected to your TV? Is your TV set to the correct AV input? It will not auto-switch like a SCART cable (a proper one, not an adaptor) would. If you are using a SCART adaptor with a switch on it, make sure it is set to "input".

And for future reference, that kind of stuff is usually a rip-off in Maplin!

I'm not any kind of adapter. Just plugging the s-video cable straight into the tv and then sound wire into the RCA inputs. Do i still need to adjust it?

Yeah I know Maplin r proper expensive alright. The s-video cable was like a tenner. it was a moment of weakness

BeciMester

I connect my Compaq laptop (ATI graphics, 7-pin SVideo) with a 4-pin cable to the TV as well, works all right (cable is bog standard, bought in D.I.D). Here's how I do it: once the cable is connected, right click on Desktop - Properties - Settings, there I see 2 blue rectangles numbered. I select no.2, set the resolution to 800x600 (doesn't let me go any lower), and towards the bottom of the window, tick "Extend my windows desktop onto this monitor". Set the TV to the A/V input, this is probably different in your case as I plug into a SCART outlet through an adapter. And that's it. Laptop's desktop resolution is not affected, but when I open the video player I have to drag it out from the laptop screen to the right, onto the TV screen. Hope this helps a bit.

gamer

press av ,av ,at least 5 times on remote control to see svideo in,the manual for the laptop is on dell.ie ,support ,input model no.

zilog_jones

suppafly wrote: »

Just plugging the s-video cable straight into the tv and then sound wire into the RCA inputs.

That makes things easier if your TV has an s-video socket.

Do i still need to adjust it?

Well you need to have the TV set to the s-video input. How to do this will vary - read the TV's manual is the best option TBH