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    Questions about VGA to S-Video

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by Hahutzy, Dec 24, 2008.

  1. Hahutzy

    Hahutzy Notebook Deity

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    I want to hook up my laptop to my old 28" tube TV, and it only has composite video and S-video

    I believe it's easier to convert VGA to S-Video, so I'm going with that option.

    Is the resolution quality the same between S-Video and composite video?

    How easy would it be to get the TV to act as a monitor if I have a simple VGA to S-Video cable? And how will I be able to use the TV's speakers as well?
     
    Hahutzy, Dec 24, 2008
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  2. Hahutzy

    Hahutzy Notebook Deity

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    Bump, still wondering.
     
    Hahutzy, Dec 26, 2008
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  3. Noterev

    Noterev Notebook Consultant

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    Don't expect the resolution to be anywhere close to what you'd see on your laptop screen.

    For sound, you'll need a 3.5mm stereo plug to dual rca jack adapter or similar cabling. This goes from your laptops headphone plug to the rca jacks on your TV, VCR or whatever. This is the cheap and easy method. You'll have cables and wires going across the room.

    For a nicer setup, there are kits available to do this wirelessly.
     
    Noterev, Dec 26, 2008
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  4. Hahutzy

    Hahutzy Notebook Deity

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    Oh the PC's there to stay; it's gonna be behind the TV so I dont care about wires.

    Do I need a converter? Or can I just get a VGA to S-Video cable?
     
    Hahutzy, Dec 26, 2008
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  5. PhoenixFx

    PhoenixFx Notebook Virtuoso

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    In my experience those VGA to S-Video cables don’t work, I've tried several different notebooks and TVs without any luck. And I have seen similar complaints from several other users here and elsewhere. So don’t bother. You need something more than a simple cable, like one of these VGA to TV converter boxes.

    As for the resolution, S-Video only supports standard definition 480i or 576i which is equivalent to 640x480 PC resolution or DVD resolution of 720x576. And old TVs anyway have 576 scan lines, therefore even if you send a higher resolution, the actual output will not look any sharper. Even at 640x480, small text is barely readable. Therefore you can’t use it as a monitor for general computing work. Only good for watching movies and playing games.

    S-Video, composite or component does not carry audio. You have to connect your headphone output to TV's audio input to get sound through TV speakers.
     
    PhoenixFx, Dec 26, 2008
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