Laptop to LCD TV

[whatever911]

My laptop only supports VGA output, but my TV doesn't accept a VGA input nor does it support a DVI input. I did some research on this and found out that you can just do VGA to RGB, but I don't know if my TV support RGB inputs.

Can someone guide me through this? Thank you very much.

*EDIT: maybe I can go from VGA to DVI-I, then DVI-I to HDMI?

[Baldrick]

No, VGA-to DVI-I to HDMI wont work. You need some kind of device that converts your analog vga to digital dvi/hdmi.

[jagabo]

I did some research on this and found out that you can just do VGA to RGB

VGA is RGB. If your TV doesn't have a D15 VGA input you can't use VGA. I suspect what you saw was an inexpensive VGA to component video cable. Those are designed for devices which have component video on a D15 shell. No modern graphics card or laptop has that. The unscrupulous sellers of those cables are happy to take your money because they know you won't bother to ask for a refund on a $5 item when you find it doesn't work.

http://www.amazon.com/VGA-RCA-Component-RGB-Cable/dp/B000FM3EQ0/

Note the small print that says "This cable is not designed to work in anyway with a computer's input or output."

What you really need is a scan converter. Something like:

http://www.amazon.com/Sewell-Converter-All---One-Cable/dp/B003BVVYSM/

That will only give you a poor standard definition picture. The devices that give high definition cost a lot more:

http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Component-YPbPr-Video-Converter/dp/B004Y16VRC/
http://www.amazon.com/Atlona-AT-PC-AVSCOMP-Scan-converter/dp/B000O5GIFM/

[whatever911]

Thanks guys, you're both very informative and helpful.

@jagabo: Oh man, u just saved me some money right there. I was really gonna about to order it. I guess i'll go with the HD devices....

[jagabo]

I guess i'll go with the HD devices....

I can't vouch for the quality they deliver. I've never used one. Verify your TV has component video inputs. Usually red, green, and blue, RCA connectors.



And verify that it will accept HD video on that input.

[whatever911]

um...on second thought, this is quite pricey. I think I'll just settle for the cheap converter one...

[jagabo]

The resolution of the cheap SD scan converters is pretty low. OK for Youtube video but you you can barely read normal desktop text. Web browsing is pretty much of of the question. Roughly like the image in this post:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/283861-VGA-to-S-video?p=1756748&viewfull=1#post1756748

[whatever911]

man, that's horrible graphics. Man, I'm so out of options

[jagabo]

NTSC video has a resolution of roughly 640x480. If the desktop is set to a higher resolution it has to be scaled down to 640x480 before being sent over the wire. So the higher the resolution of the desktop the worse it will look on TV. That image was a simulation of a 1024x768 desk. You can get clearer results by using a lower resolution desktop. At 640x480 normal sized text starts becoming readable (still not crystal clear like on a computer monitor) but it's hard to do much of anything with such a low resolution. You can also force Windows to use larger fonts but at 640x480 with normal sized fonts some dialog boxes don't fit on the screen (you may not be able to see the OK and Cancel buttons at the bottom, for example). You can zoom in with a web browser (Ctrl+, Ctrl-) but then you end up having to pan around large web pages. This is why TVs were hardly ever used as computer monitor before HDTV came along.