Connect Laptop to TV: VGA

Showing posts with label VGA. Show all posts

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Index of Ports (Inputs and Outputs)

Video

Digital Video

HDMI (Can carry both audio and video)

DVI

Analog Video

VGA (High Resolution Analog)

S-Video/RCA (Yellow) (Low Resolution Analog)

Audio

Digital Audio (Provides Surround Sound)

Optical

Coaxial

Analog Audio

RCA (White and Red) Stereo

3.5mm (mini-jack) Stereo

Connect VGA Laptop to S-Video/RCA TV

Your Laptop (VGA Out)

Your TV (S-Video/RCA In)

If you have both an older laptop and older TV, you probably have the input/output configuration listed above. While you will lose quality going from high-resolution VGA to low-resolution S-Video/RCA, this setup is still better than nothing. To connect your laptop's VGA output to your TV's S-Video/RCA inputs, you'll need the following items.

VGA cable

The VGA cable will carry an analog signal from your laptop's VGA OUTPUT to the VGA to S-Video/RCA converter. Any simple VGA cable will work, so if you have an extra VGA monitor cable lying around your house you can use that and save yourself a few bucks.

VGA to S-Video/RCA Converter

This VGA to S-Video/RCA converter will take your laptop's analog VGA signal and convert it into a format usable by S-Video and RCA cables. Plug your VGA cable into the converter's VGA INPUT and your S-Video and RCA Video cables into the device's OUTPUT.

S-Video Cable

While not completely necessary to connect your laptop to your computer, the S-Video cable makes your picture noticeably crisper than just connecting the converter to your TV using an RCA video cable. Plug one end into the converter's S-Video OUTPUT and the other end into your TV's S-Video INPUT to make the connection.

RCA Video Cable

The RCA Video cable takes the converted video signal from your S-Video/RCA adapter's video OUTPUT and transmits it to your TV's RCA Video INPUT. It is necessary in order for your laptop's video to be successfully transmitted to your TV.

VGA to S-Video/RCA Audio Options

There are several options for transmitting your laptop's audio to your TV's speakers, but the most reliable one in this scenario would be to use a 3.5mm to RCA Stereo Y-Splitter like the one pictured to the left. Plug the 3.5mm end of the cable into your laptop's headphone OUTPUT jack and the other end into your TV's RCA Stereo (red and white) INPUT jack and you're instantly good to go.

Connect Laptop to TV via VGA

Your Laptop (VGA Out)

Your TV (VGA In)

Do you ever feel like you're writing the same thing over and over again, just switching out a few words and trying to put a clever spin on the next iteration of the exact same instructions? Sort of like "If your laptop takes Output A and your TV takes Input B, use this cable or converter..."

No?

If your laptop has a VGA output and your TV has a VGA input, this VGA cable is all you need to connect your laptop's video to your TV screen. Also known as a "blue monitor cable," chances are if you're reading this on a desktop computer you're sitting within a few feet of one. While a VGA cable carries an analog signal, unlike its digital HDMI and DVI counterparts, it is the only (common) analog cable that can also carry a resolution comparable to a 1080i TV (1920x1080 pixels).

This particular cable comes equipped with a built-in 3.5mm audio cable that allows for a quick and easy method of connecting your laptop's audio to your TV's speakers. Next to using an HDMI cable, this single VGA/3.5mm cable is probably the easiest solution available to fully connect your laptop to your TV.

Of course, if 3.5mm audio isn't your thing, there are other options...

Connect DVI Laptop to VGA TV and Vice Versa

Your Laptop (VGA Out)

Your TV (DVI-I In)

Your Laptop (DVI Out)

Your TV (VGA In)

If you don't have a digital input available to you on your TV like HDMI or DVI, using a VGA input is the next best thing. While it doesn't carry a perfect signal like its digital cousins, VGA is capable of at least providing a higher resolution than any other non-digital cables. Known commonly as a "blue monitor cable," chances are if you're reading this on a desktop computer you probably have one within a few feet of you. VGA outputs are common on most laptops, but if you have a small netbook, DVI output may be your only option. If that's the case, you'll need this DVI to VGA converter cable. Just connect the DVI end into your laptop's DVI OUTPUT and connect the VGA end to your TV's VGA INPUT and you're all set.

Converting VGA to DVI

Unlike many of the other conversion processes on this site, converting a VGA signal to a DVI signal isn't always as straight-forward as you would think. This is due in part to the fact that there are several types of DVI ports and only a few of them will work with the cable listed above. The simple rule is this: If your TV's DVI INPUT has a small group of 4 pins off to the side this cable will work. If there is not a group of 4 pins, then it won't and you'll have to find a VGA analog to DVI digital converter like the one pictured to the left.

If your TV INPUT looks like a DVI-I connector, the cable will work.
If it looks like the DVI-D connector, you'll need a converter.

VGA to DVI and DVI to VGA Audio Options

Like every video cable, with the exception of HDMI, using the methods above will only get you half way in connecting your laptop to your TV. If you want your laptop's audio to play on your TV's speakers, you'll need to select one of the following options. While I recommend using an optical to optical cable or coaxial to coaxial cable if at all possible, if those options aren't available you can try one of the following.

Connect HDMI Laptop to VGA TV

Your Laptop (HDMI Out)

Your TV (VGA In)

If connecting your laptop to your TV directly with an HDMI cable or with an HDMI to DVI converter cable isn't an option, the next best option is to use an HDMI to VGA converter. While VGA is not a digital signal like HDMI or DVI, and therefore will never be quite as crystal clear, it does allow for higher resolutions than its component, S-Video, and RCA counterparts.

Using an HDMI to VGA converter to connect your laptop to your TV will allow for 1920x1080 resolutions (the same pixel resolution as 1080p), but when viewing the same picture at the same resolution through an HDMI cable, the trained eye will notice a slight difference in quality. In order to successfully connect your laptop's HDMI output to your TV's VGA input, you'll need the following items.

HDMI cable

First, you'll need a standard HDMI cable. Nothing fancy is necessary; a simple, $3-$5 cable with good reviews is all you need. Don't get tricked by a salesman at Best Buy into buying a $200 "guaranteed for life" Monster cable that carries the exact same 1's and 0's as a $5 BlueRigger cable.

One end of this HDMI cable will attach to your laptop's HDMI OUTPUT and the other end will attach to your HDMI to VGA converter's HDMI INPUT.

HDMI to VGA Converter

Since HDMI carries a digital signal and VGA carries an analog signal, a converter is necessary to connect your HDMI laptop to your VGA TV. In addition to converting video, this adapter also will take audio from your HDMI cable if you so desire and output it to an analog 3.5mm audio format.

To use this adapter, simply plug the HDMI cable originating from your laptop into the adapter's HDMI INPUT port and plug one end of your VGA cable into the adapter's VGA OUTPUT slot.

VGA cable

Lastly, you'll need a VGA cable to carry the analog signal from the adapter to your TV. A VGA cable is your basic monitor cable and usually has a blue colored plug on each end. If you have a spare montior cable lying around (make sure it's VGA and not DVI) that will work as well.

One end of your VGA cable should already be plugged into your adapter's VGA OUTPUT port, so simply plug the other end into your TV's VGA INPUT port, change your TV's input to VGA, and you should be up and running!

HDMI to VGA Audio Options

While HDMI cables have the ability to carry audio, VGA cables, being analog in nature, do not. There are several options you can pursue when connecting your laptop's audio to your TV's speakers. However, considering the build of the HDMI to VGA converter listed above, your best bet in my opinion is to simply buy a 3.5mm analog audio cable and connect it from your converter directly to your TV. Check to make sure your TV accepts 3.5mm audio input first, but chances are if it accepts VGA video input it does. Then, set your computer to send audio over HDMI and you're in business!