Best way to get computer image onto TV? (not as general as it sounds) (1 Viewer)

[RobertCharlotte]

Of the upgrades I have in my future, I'm hoping to go to a 32" TV and a laptop computer. Occasionally, I'll probably want to use my TV to display the image from the laptop, and I'm curious as to what the best way to do that will be. I know there are converter boxes I can use but for simplicity's sake, I'm wondering if there are

• any 32" TVs with VGA input?
• any laptops with component or S-video output (perhaps even through a PC card)?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

I believe the RCA/Proscan HD capable tube sets have VGA inputs ... at least they did have for the last 2 years.

Regards

 

[David WS]

My Dell Inspiron 8000 laptop has s-video output. (so does the new 8100, I think) My laptop came with a little break out box to plug into a port on the side of the compter. The box has a connection for S-Video, composite video and a Coax DD cable. You can also plug in an analog audio cable to the line out for prologic sound. I've only hooked it up to a TV once at my In-laws to watch a DVD with my little brother-in-law. I didn't have much success getting a picture I was happy with. It seems that you have to set the computer screen resolution to match the TV. The output shows the entire computer screen on the TV, you have to switch the DVD player to full screen to get only the movie on the TV. I didn't really try that hard but I was able to get a picture. I'm a Software Engineer and a HT geek so It's not like I don't have the skill set to get a good picture...

Dave

 

[RobertCharlotte]

Thanks, guys! That's just the kind of thing I'm looking for!

Dave, according to the Dell site, the new 8200 has the same goodies as your 8000.

 

[ChrisB]

My compaq presario 2701 has S video out oon the back of it, I got it on the Compaq referbished site for around a grand.

 

[David WS]

Robert, After your post I decided to hook my laptop up to my new Hitachi 43uwx10b tv. It took a little tweeking but I got a pretty decent picture. The problem was my computer screen is 4:3 and my tv is 16:9. I never really got an anamorphic DVD to work correctly. The image was pretty good but not nearly as good as my Toshiba DVD player with component outputs.