If I want to use my Vostro to watch tv via the internet (and disconnect cable
tv), what cable should I get?
The Vostro has S-Video out. So I can get an S-Video cable to use at home -
except if I ever want to use this setup in a hotel room, I'd think that most
tv sets there don't have S-Video in. (But then would I ever want to watch tv
through the internet in a hotel room anyway.)
So should I get an S-Video to RCA plugs on the other end? (and I'm not clear
on whether that's composite or component).
But then I've just also seen cables that take VGA to tv.
And are gold plated plugs worth it, or are the value cables sufficient?
I'm just looking for some observations from people who have done this.
On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:34:34 -0400, Jerry <Jerry@notspam.non> wrote:
>If I want to use my Vostro to watch tv via the internet (and disconnect cable
>tv), what cable should I get?
>
>The Vostro has S-Video out. So I can get an S-Video cable to use at home -
>except if I ever want to use this setup in a hotel room, I'd think that most
>tv sets there don't have S-Video in. (But then would I ever want to watch tv
>through the internet in a hotel room anyway.)
>
>So should I get an S-Video to RCA plugs on the other end? (and I'm not clear
>on whether that's composite or component).
>
>But then I've just also seen cables that take VGA to tv.
>
>And are gold plated plugs worth it, or are the value cables sufficient?
>
>I'm just looking for some observations from people who have done this.
If the TV has a S-Video in, and your laptop has a S-Video out, then
use that for video and use the headphone out of your laptop to attach
to whatever speakers you want to use (the TV may have an audio input).
More modern TVs such as HDTVs often have a VGA or DVI in. Mine has a
VGA in so I haven't needed to research further. I don't know if there
is a VGA to HDMI in.
Some monitors such as the Samsung 26.5" one have an audio in
(headphone jack type, I think it's a 3.5mm plug) that output to the
speakers.
Whatever TV you are using will determine your options.
All the above is my limited understanding based on the products that I
have and I may be missing something -- if so someone may point out
anything I've missed.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jerry [mailto:Jerry@notspam.non]
> Posted At: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 8:35 PM
> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
> Conversation: Vostro to tv
> Subject: Vostro to tv
>
> If I want to use my Vostro to watch tv via the internet (and
disconnect
> cable
> tv), what cable should I get?
>
> The Vostro has S-Video out. So I can get an S-Video cable to use at
> home -
> except if I ever want to use this setup in a hotel room, I'd think
that
> most
> tv sets there don't have S-Video in. (But then would I ever want to
> watch tv
> through the internet in a hotel room anyway.)
>
> So should I get an S-Video to RCA plugs on the other end? (and I'm not
> clear
> on whether that's composite or component).
>
> But then I've just also seen cables that take VGA to tv.
>
> And are gold plated plugs worth it, or are the value cables
sufficient?
>
> I'm just looking for some observations from people who have done this.
There really isn't an s-video to composite cable. The Vostro should,
however, support a dongle that has multiple outputs, including
composite. You'll need audio too, as s-video and composite don't carry
sound.
Most hotel rooms don't have inputs you can use. Even if you carry an RF
converter to go to a cable connection, most hotels 'bolt' on the
connection so you can't remove it.
Keep in mind it will be ok for TV, but only SD, not HD quality. The
Windows desktop and windows applications will NOT be usable.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: journey [mailto:journey@merr.com]
> Posted At: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 9:18 PM
> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
> Conversation: Vostro to tv
> Subject: Re: Vostro to tv
>
> On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:34:34 -0400, Jerry <Jerry@notspam.non> wrote:
>
> >If I want to use my Vostro to watch tv via the internet (and
> disconnect cable
> >tv), what cable should I get?
> >
> >The Vostro has S-Video out. So I can get an S-Video cable to use at
> home -
> >except if I ever want to use this setup in a hotel room, I'd think
> that most
> >tv sets there don't have S-Video in. (But then would I ever want to
> watch tv
> >through the internet in a hotel room anyway.)
> >
> >So should I get an S-Video to RCA plugs on the other end? (and I'm
not
> clear
> >on whether that's composite or component).
> >
> >But then I've just also seen cables that take VGA to tv.
> >
> >And are gold plated plugs worth it, or are the value cables
> sufficient?
> >
> >I'm just looking for some observations from people who have done
this.
>
> If the TV has a S-Video in, and your laptop has a S-Video out, then
> use that for video and use the headphone out of your laptop to attach
> to whatever speakers you want to use (the TV may have an audio input).
>
> More modern TVs such as HDTVs often have a VGA or DVI in. Mine has a
> VGA in so I haven't needed to research further. I don't know if there
> is a VGA to HDMI in.
>
> Some monitors such as the Samsung 26.5" one have an audio in
> (headphone jack type, I think it's a 3.5mm plug) that output to the
> speakers.
>
> Whatever TV you are using will determine your options.
>
> All the above is my limited understanding based on the products that I
> have and I may be missing something -- if so someone may point out
> anything I've missed.
Journey's right and I should have added that. If it is an HDTV, it will
work pretty well, either VGA or DVI. Your laptop likely only has VGA.
Be careful as some TVs do terribly with VGA (I have an LG LCD that
will only support 1024x768 through VGA). The cheap Vizios at WalMart
work well.
Tom Scales wrote:
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Jerry [mailto:Jerry@notspam.non]
> There really isn't an s-video to composite cable. The Vostro should,
> however, support a dongle that has multiple outputs, including
> composite. You'll need audio too, as s-video and composite don't carry
> sound.
thanks to you both, I'm glad I asked.
>
> Most hotel rooms don't have inputs you can use. Even if you carry an RF
> converter to go to a cable connection, most hotels 'bolt' on the
> connection so you can't remove it.
in fact, what I have in my living room is an older tv with an RF converter
that I use to take the DVD output in to the cable input on the tv. It's that
converter that has S-Video input, but I use the RCA cables: a yellow one for
video and two more for stereo audio. What is that? It doesn't seem like composite.
>
> Keep in mind it will be ok for TV, but only SD, not HD quality. The
> Windows desktop and windows applications will NOT be usable.
uh oh... can you explain that, please? How would the S-Video "out" jack carry
movie etc but not the Windows desktop?
>
> I doubt you're going to be happy.
it's looking that way but forewarned is forearmed anyway. Thanks again.
Jerry wrote:
> Tom Scales wrote:
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Jerry [mailto:Jerry@notspam.non]
>
>> The
>> Windows desktop and windows applications will NOT be usable.
>
> uh oh... can you explain that, please? How would the S-Video "out" jack
> carry movie etc but not the Windows desktop?
>
okay, I see that the S-Video output will only show what the laptop's DVD
player is playing. So that avenue will not let me watch online video via my tv set
also, although I see <S-Video to RCA composite> cables (e.g., as at amazon
Cables To Go - 27992 which has an S-Video plug, and also a mini-phone plug
for sound at one end --- and then the usual three RCA plugs for video and
stereo sound at the other end) that does me no good because the S-Video output
is only for the DVD player.
[for the record, there are in use both 4 and 7 pin S-Video jacks, so you need
the matching cable/plug unless you get the special S-Video cable that has a
plug which fits either 4 or 7]
now, the last alternative is to use a VGA to RCA converter. Back at amazon, I
see one example is the Cables Unlimited AUD-2350 VGA to S-Video or RCA
Adapter. That page says, "This adapter works with graphics cards that have
TV-Out function capability through the VGA connector. Check your Video Card
manual or manufacturer to make sure that your VGA card has TV-Out function
capability". So that would let me see the Windows desktop on my tv.
"NVIDIA GPU-based graphics cards with a TV-Out connector can use a television
as another display device (the same way that it would use a CRT or digital
flat panel). The TV can be used by itself, or in conjunction with another
display device in a TwinView or multiple X screen configuration. If a TV is
the only display device connected to your graphics card, it will be used as
the primary display when you boot your system (i.e. the console will come up
on the TV just as if it were a CRT)."
What's a GPU based graphics card? Device Manager tells me that I have a NVIDIA
GeForce 8400M GS card.
My NVIDIA control panel does not present an option to turn on TV-out... BUT,
I've read somewhere that that option might not be presented unless/until a tv
is actually attached. The card must sense the connection.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jerry [mailto:Jerry@notspam.non]
> Posted At: Thursday, July 24, 2008 11:15 AM
> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
> Conversation: Vostro to tv
> Subject: Re: Vostro to tv
>
> Tom Scales wrote:
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Jerry [mailto:Jerry@notspam.non]
>
> > There really isn't an s-video to composite cable. The Vostro
should,
> > however, support a dongle that has multiple outputs, including
> > composite. You'll need audio too, as s-video and composite don't
> carry
> > sound.
>
> thanks to you both, I'm glad I asked.
>
> >
> > Most hotel rooms don't have inputs you can use. Even if you carry
an
> RF
> > converter to go to a cable connection, most hotels 'bolt' on the
> > connection so you can't remove it.
>
> in fact, what I have in my living room is an older tv with an RF
> converter
> that I use to take the DVD output in to the cable input on the tv.
It's
> that
> converter that has S-Video input, but I use the RCA cables: a yellow
> one for
> video and two more for stereo audio. What is that? It doesn't seem
like
> composite.
>
> >
> > Keep in mind it will be ok for TV, but only SD, not HD quality. The
> > Windows desktop and windows applications will NOT be usable.
>
> uh oh... can you explain that, please? How would the S-Video "out"
jack
> carry
> movie etc but not the Windows desktop?
>
> >
> > I doubt you're going to be happy.
>
> it's looking that way but forewarned is forearmed anyway. Thanks
> again.
>
> >
> > Tom
> >
Your yellow cable is composite.
s-video will carry your windows desktop, but a regular SD TV isn't high
enough resolution for it to be useful. It will be fuzzy as heck.
> uh oh... can you explain that, please? How would the S-Video "out" jack
> carry movie etc but not the Windows desktop?
The S-Video connector could certainly be used to display the Windows desktop
on your TV. That much will work fine--after some tweaking in the video
driver settings pages.
What may be a problem is actually reading anything that a Windows
application puts up on the TV screen. Most TVs--especially older ones that
were intended only for watching TV programming--simply don't have tight
enough focus, dot pitch, or resolution for computer screen elements to look
good. So windows, fonts and screen features may look blurry. Your movies
should look fine.
Newer TVs can do much better--especially if they have VGA, DVI or HDMI
inputs onboard. The result with those can be every bit as good as a
dedicated computer monitor.
Vostro to tv 
but forewarned is forearmed anyway. Thanks again.
Linear Mode
