To plasma without DVI/HDMI ?

I am still shopping for a notebook. One thing I was wondering is there a way to hook the notebook up to my HD Plasma tv to playback divx/xvid files if it does not have a DVI/HDMI port? Better yet is it possible without losing quality, I am sure it must be possible but I would like the best quality picture possible. Any info would help.

 

Yes, there is!

Get a VGA to Component Video adapter. VGA is basically the same as Component video, it is just in a 15 pin D-sub connector instead of 3 RCA plugs. Both will get you 720p and 1080p HD picture.

http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/30h1-50200.htm

Get a component video cable and connect them together.

http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/10v2-02506.htm
http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/10v2-02512.htm

If your TV does have a VGA in, then you can just connect directly to that with a VGA cable.

 

75 Ohm Coaxial cables are used to carry audio and video in SD or HD, but they are totally different from Component video cables. Off the top of my head, RCA cables have an impedance of about 4 Ohms, but I don't remember the exact value. Today, almost all mid range coaxial cables, and for that matter, all video cables, are shielded. Despite this, even Composite video gives much better quality (compared to coaxial cables carrying SD) because of the high impedance. What they probably did at the conference was swap the coaxial cables with the component video cables. The scale goes like this:

Coaxial > Composite video > S-video > Component Video/VGA > DVI > HDMI

 

This is getting pretty hi-tech, I think I might just go with an HP dv9000 series, they have a hdmi output. I can't afford the dual core 2 7200 though, just the 5500, cache the big diff, but everything else it good.

 

The series 3 docking station for your HP has a component output in the back of it.

 

My laptop has the DVI connector. My $120 Sony DVD player has the HDMI but no divix playback.

Before I blow $ on cables and adapters I have to ask me, myself and i how much use I'm going to get out this just to play movies or games. But of course, your mileage may vary.

My wide screen is only 720P; I cannot see any difference from analog component versus HDMI digital from a good source. So IMHO go with the cheaper of the two cable kits you decide on. I found my 6’ HDMI cable at RS for 10$. Since this cable also carries audio, I snagged it. I have seen the same cable at Worst Buy for $60 but it was in a far nicer package

I did see some cheapo dvd players that did have divix compatablity but your VGA connection should be your easy bet if it's on your wide screen. My sony gives me a small black border when using VGA but no problem.

 

RGB and component are not the same. Some displays support RGB over those cables but most take YCrCb (or YPrPb, the P only clarifying that it is progressive, whereas the C does not specify) which means red,green,blue vs light(luma),red,blue. The red and blue in RGB are not the same as Cr and Cb. Cr and Cb are essentially a difference from Y, not absolute values.


For cables, check out www.monoprice.com. They have an excellent reputation and are rather cheap. All us guys over at www.avsforum.com love 'em.

 

Yes AVSforum. i must have lived on that site for a year trying to get a feel for several different widescreens

I also found the service codes to fix my red push at the AVS site. Good stuff.