help connecting laptop to tv!

Ok, so I ordered some cables from ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/HDMI-Male-to-5-RCA-RGB-Audio-Video-AV-Component-Cable_W0QQitemZ320354744314QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL?hash=item320354744314&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A15|39%3A1|240%3A1318#Nav01

My problem was that my laptop has VGA and HDMI and on my tv i can only get to the S-Video and RCA plugs. So I thought I had it solved with those wires, but when i plug it into the tv, ill go to 'connect to another display' or w/e on my laptop, and it doesnt find anything. Any suggestions or maybe im doing something wrong?

 

You need a very expensive converter to do this, not just a adapter cable.

by far the best thing for you is a VGA --> RCA/S-Video adapter its the cheapest converter you can get and less to mess up as its analog into analog, going from HDMI requires a digital into analog conversion.

And going by that here is by far the best quality one you can get for a cheap price.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10114&cs_id=1011407&p_id=4724&seq=1&format=2

You should also take the time to get familar with the correct terms for everything, the connection interface is RCA, meaning the type of cable but there are two main connection types that use that cable for video.

Composite - Just a single usually yellow color RCA cable caries the video signal, often complimented with a Red & White RCA cable for your left/right audio
Component - Uses 3 RCA cables usually colored Red, Blue, Green to carry the video signal. This is higher quality than Composite as it uses the RGB spectrum to transmit video data, sometimes this comes as a 5 cable setup 3 for the video and 2 for the audio. This is the type of cable you linked from ebay.

These strange cables you see like HDMI --> Component will work for almost nobody unless its a custom built project that just uses different interface types similar to my arcade how I use DB25 (printer port) cables and it comes out as RJ45 (ethernet cable) for interfacing my video game systems.

Notice the 20% restocking fee, they probably depend on duping people into buying a uselss cable and then collect the 20% restock fee, or the whole fee because people wont bother to return it.

 

First - PLEASE use the Link tool or TinyURL.com instead of posting out a long link like that. I've done so in my reply so you can see.

That cable probably isn't going to work - your system is expecting an HDMI response from an HDMI enabled monitor. You could also have the wrong cable plugged into your TV - remember to match colors. Yellow for Video, Blue / Green / Red is for Component Video, Black is Mono Audio (though sometimes Red & Black can be Stereo - it depends on how the cable is configured).

Edit: Expensive Converter?? Yeah, right.

Your best option is to use your VGA out and connect it to a Video RF converter box that has VGA input and S-Video and RCA out ports - you can get them at Wal-Mart for about 30 bucks or less. Ones with multiple ports run around $80 or so if you've got many devices to hook up. Look in the Electronics section where the cables are - Phillips makes a good one.

Here's an example of one at Amazon: 3-Way AV Selector

 

That AV selector is exactly that, a swich box.

Takes 1 AV in and makes it 3 AV out. It will not convert his VGA into another source.

He needs the converter I linked, I own one for my HTPC, works a charm.

Also I was saying the HDMI --> Analog converter is expensive they start at like $100 for a el cheapo no name one and go up into hundreds before you can even get a decent one.

 

There's no probably about it. You CANNOT convert HDMI directly to S-Video/VGA/RCA. That's a digital to analog conversion, and unless you have a magical unicorn cable, it's not going to work.

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