Has anyone connected laptop to a TV?

I have an old TV with RCA input. My laptop has an S-video output and headphones output. Has anyone seen or used a cable that connects audio and video signal from such a laptop to the TV. The cable must be male-male. If you've seen it anywhere, please, let me know.
Thank you.

 

There are a number of USB and PCMCIA products that you can use. Many of them are rated well by users, if you look around. Make sure the device is USB 2.0, if it is USB.

 

Why do I need a USB product? I have S-Video-out in my laptop.

 

I do it when I use my laptop as a jukebox (for the visualizations, Graphics are OK but text SUCKS). There are lots of S-Video -> RCA cables out there. Google forth and ye shall find them.
P.S. It should cost less than $10.

First PC = Vic-20, 8" 128KB Home-Brew Floppy Drive ... Current Rig = eMachines m6805 ... Quantum Leap?

 

Hi Olyteddy,

My question is actually - can you watch movies on TV from a DVD playing on the laptop? I mean, I need to forward both sound and video to the TV since M6809, 05 etc. do not have powerful speakers. So, do you hear TV sound or you just have a movie picture on TV?

 

Radio Shack sells a S-Video to RCA adapter. Looks like you'll need a regular S-Video cable and then attach the adapter to the end feeding to the TV. Expect some signal loss going from S-Video to RCA.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Wyrm

 

Hi Olyteddy,

Just wondering if you could please elaborate a little for me. I'm new to this whole computer gig and I need a little direction.

I have a Toshiba A70 laptop and I've purchased an S-Video cable and also audio cables. I know that the audio cable goes from the headphone socket on the lappy to the speakers attached to my TV.

Now, I'm having a few issues with the S-Video cable. I plug one end into the lappy and the other end plugs into the back of my video player. Is this correct? Because this is the only place that I've found that the plug fits. It doesn't fit in the TV.

Now when right-click the desktop and click on Properties, I select the Settings tab. I can see that there are 2 monitors. the first monitor has a "1" on it which is obviously the laptop and the second monitor has a "2" on it which i'm guessing is supposed to be my tv screen. Now, when I hold my mouse over "2" box, a little box appears saying "not active". My understanding was that all I need to do is click on box "2" and tick the box next to "Extend my windows desktop to this monitor". Is this correct? Because when I do that and click "Apply", the whole laptop screen goes black and the screen comes back up again with the same Properties box but the box is unticked again.

FYI, on the Properties window, the Display drop down box reads "Multiple monitors on ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 IGP". Incase that means anything.

All the time I am doing the above, nothing changes on the TV. I have the TV on the Video channel. If i was to put a dvd or video into the player, it would play the movie. But what I'm after is to play movies on my laptop harddrive on to the TV. Because its kinda awkward for everyone to crowd around my laptop to watch a movie, know what i mean? =)

Hope you or anyone else who would like to give a newbie some advice can help me out with this. And I know it sounds like a lot but if you could assist with a step by step guide, I would be extremely greatful. Thanks. [ )]

 

4NGI3:

You should have a 'hot key' that will allow you cycle through he different monitor modes (monitor, external, dual). The hot key is is usually the FN key along with one of gthe function keys (f1, f2, etc.).

If you don't have that hot key combo (eg. fresh install of OS), then you should be able to access the Display Properties and activate the second display. If you dual monitors (labeled one and two), you should be able to right-click on the second one and select 'Attached". After that, you should be able to use the Identify button which will display a numeral to indicate what monitor you're looking at (1 usually appears on laptop, 2 on external monitor).

The only Toshiba I own is a Libretto L5 so the setup may vary for North American models...I doubt it'll very much though. Hope this helps.

 

$2.40 on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15066&item=5721447047&rd=1

your welcome