Laptop to HDTV

Hello, I have a Dell Vostro 1500 and a 32" Olevia HDTV.

I am interested in connecting my Vostro to my tv to watch videos. What is the cheapest, best quality, and easiest solution for doing this? Having audio on the tv would be nice too if possible.

Thanks for any help.

 

If memory serves me correctly, the Vostro only has S-Video and VGA out...that isn't going to be very helpful. Your best bet would be a VGA=>DVI adapter, and then a DVI=>HDMI adapter...but you're going to have some signal quality issues most likely...but they might not be severe.

If course, this is all rendered moot if your HDTV has a VGA port.

 

Best option for IMAGE QUALITY would be to run a VGA cable to your TV. You could always use the S-Video port, but the image quality would SUCK compared to the VGA cable.

If your TV doesn't have a VGA connector, I'd recommend finding an adapter cable to run VGA - DVI or VGA - HDMI.

To get audio on the TV, most electronics stores sell these great cables that take an 1/8" stereo headphone jack (like your Vostro has) and give you dual RCA plugs. That's really the best way to get audio from your notebook to your TV.

 

I really want to watch these torrents on my computer, and I am thinking of getting a zune 2 which outputs @ dvd quality (700 something by some other number for resolution). The zune would be a pain because I have to transcode all the videos, but would the zune give me better image quality?

Thanks

 

It all depends on how you're hooking up to the TV. An S-Video connection on an HDTV looks like freshly-puked arse compared to your other options, just because of how much the TV has to upscale the image to fit the native resolution. Not to mention the fact that component cables give a much better image quality over S-Video. If you can use a VGA cable (and/or an adapter for it), that's going to give you the best image quality, hands down, because you can output at the TV's actual resolution, instead of upscaling from somewhere between 640x480 - 800x600

 

Oh ya and my tv does have a vga port.

 

Then there you go...use VGA-VGA. That will give you a much better image than a Zune or your S-Video port. ALWAYS use the highest-resolution option available.

 

Torrents...well...I think this thread has served its purpose. VGA is your highest quality option.