Will HP Pavilion DV7 support VGA to Component?

[Diogones]

Hey all,

This is my first post in this cool forum, so be nice! Rest assured it won't be my last either.

I think my post title says it all, but I will certainly elaborate. I have an HP DV7-1245DX with a ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics card, which has both a VGA and an HDMI port. I know that I can connect to an HDTV with an HDMI cable without issue, but whenever I connect to an older CRT TV that only has composite/component RCA hookups, I'm at a loss.

Could I use a simple VGA to Component adapter cable that would output to Y PB Pr? Or would I have to use a more advanced converter box, such as this one? I couldn't find any information in my user manual or on my laptop's support page as to whether my video card in the laptop supports TV out, or if I would need to get a converter box to modulate the signal. Any advice would be appreciated!

[aedipuss]

if your card can output component over vga it might work if you computer is set for 640x480 screensize. otherwise the electronic converters are required and even then they tend to only output 480i or sometimes 480p over component.

[Diogones]

Thanks for your prompt and helpful reply! Well that's the key point, isn't it? You said "if" it can output to component; and that's what I'm trying to find out before I purchase anything. I'm hoping someone here with a similar card or laptop can tell me if it worked for them.

That's fine if the resolution is only 480p or 480i: it is a CRT TV, so it couldn't do HD anyway.

Keep the responses coming; we gotta figure this out!

[usually_quiet]

There were some discrete video ATI cards that used VGA to component adapters for analog TV-out, but most recent ATI video cards with TV-out have a round mini-din connector for analog TV-out.

As far as I can tell, a VGA to component adapter cable is unlikely to work with your onboard Radeon HD 3200 graphics. I have the 785G chipset, which is one generation later than the 780G chipset your motherboard has, and its drivers do not provide any settings that allow it to output component video via its VGA port.

A VGA to composite or S-Video converter is more likely to work. This is one example: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?seq=1&format=2&p_id=4724&CAWELAID=132944...FQJx4AodaFMACQ

[Diogones]

Thanks a lot usually quiet; your reply has really brought me up to speed on the situation! Well if your card is in the same generation/model line as mine, I guess there really is no question that I can't simply plug a VGA to component cable directly into the TV. I downloaded the latest driver version from HP, and even though the driver included the ATI control center, which gave me tons of neat video options, it was just like your card: no VGA video out options.

I really shouldn't be surprised; this laptop has an HDMI port after all, so it was really designed for modern digital TVs, and lacks direct TV signaling. I guess a converter box will work nicely, like the one you linked usually quiet. I just have one more question before I wrap this thread up: could I by a VGA to S-Video, Composite, or Component cable, and hook that up to an RF modulator, and attach the RF cable to the TV and get the right signal? Maybe the modulator could convert the RGB signal from the computer into a coaxial signal the TV could interpret?

Also, you mentioned a round mini-DIN connector; are you referring to S-Video, or a different type of connection entirely?