NationStates Jolt Archive

Okay, I'm reasonably computer-savvy, but in recent years my knowledge has noticeably regressed. Nothing much, I'm stilly typing here after all, but the more complex issues I once did with ease are now a source of confusion. So, I come here asking for help (Which, sadly enough, I've done on numerous previosu occasions). Now, it's quite easy get an external video to play on my laptop, I hook my X-Box and cable into it quit often (There are times when my TV is simply unavailable), but I'm not sure how to do it the other way around: Get my laptop to play on a TV screen.

When I'm using my laptop as a TV, albeit a small one, it's nothing complex; it came with a plug adapter with the standard three video/audio prongs on one end and a plug for the computer on the other. I plug my Box (X or Cable) into that, that into the laptop, and press a buttom. Bada-bing, my laptop screen is now my own little TV (So now I can play a game on here while I watch a movie on my TV, or vice-versa). However, I don't know how to do the reverse.

There has to be some way to plug my laptop into my TV (Or into something else which I then plug into the TV) so that my TV is, in essence, the laptop screen. Anybody have any ideas?

Depends on your laptop's outputs and telly's inputs...

If you've got a shiny new probably-LCD telly, it'll hopefully have a VGA-in; your laptop should have VGA out, so it's easy. (Or DVI instead of VGA, perhaps.)
If your laptop's got video out (if yours has component-in it may well have component-out, or maybe S-Video) then hopefully your telly has some kind of input that you can get a converter for; if the telly has the same as the laptop, it's easy.

If it's not that simple you need a device/cable to convert your laptop's VGA output to some sort of TV input; S-Video, SCART, composite, component, whatever you have. I don't have any recommendations, I'm afraid, and couldn't turn any up with a quick google.

I'd be very surprised if your laptop didn't have VGA out, but do check before buying anything ;)

Okay, I'm reasonably computer-savvy, but in recent years my knowledge has noticeably regressed. Nothing much, I'm stilly typing here after all

I think there must be one of those internet laws out there that says the moment you claim to know anything about computers, you'll make a typo. :p

Your graphics card will need a special type of output I think, but there maybe adaptors.

I found an adapter online, it fits my laptop's s-video post and audio out and converts them to RCA (composite) yellow (video) and red and white (audio). I got it from frontierpc.ca (sku 20232312B), but I got it from about $25 canuck and now they're listing it at close to $50. The sound quality is not perfect, though, cause there's a hum on the audio so I end up using external speakers for the sound. But the picture is great.

The other option is to buy a box that can convert signals from co-axial, vga, s-video to RCA. Different ones I saw have different features, but this is a good option if you already have all the cables you need and just need an adapter/converter.

Good luck finding what you need