Pictures & Sound from Laptop to TV

okidoki987

I want to play some files from my Laptop on my TV.
Laptop is a Dell Inspiron with VGA Connector and TV has all the bells and whistles.
What type of cable do I need if I want both pictures and sound through the TV?

lmimmfn

VGA-VGA cable

Audio cable with male headhpone on 1 side and Audio Left and Right on the other end( presuming your tv has audio left and right inputs and allows audio in left + right if you use the VGA ).

okidoki987

Cheers
I assume Maplins or somewhere like that for the cables?

lmimmfn

no probs mate, yeah theyre standard cables, i picked up one in a regular electrical shop

youcancallmeal

Check if your Laptop has an svideo port because that can be used as well with something like this. Its what I use to connect my laptop to my TV.

lmimmfn

youcancallme>al wrote: »

Check if your Laptop has an svideo port because that can be used as well with something like this. Its what I use to connect my laptop to my TV.

svideo pic is rubbish though

youcancallmeal

Strange I find it very watchable?

polyfusion

lmimmfn wrote: »

svideo pic is rubbish though

Desktop probably not the prettiest, but DVDs/media files play great through it.

For the VGA cable, if you know someone in a computer department, ask if they have some that will be thrown otherwise. I saw a batch of Dells coming in recently with DVI and VGA cables with each monitor. Only the DVIs will be used.

lmimmfn

youcancallme>al wrote: »

Strange I find it very watchable?

polyfusion wrote: »

Desktop probably not the prettiest, but DVDs/media files play great through it.

its ok, but is a far far cry from the digital video quality available from VGA/DVI/HDMI.The max vertical resolution is rubbish and the picture is analog and blurry.

polyfusion

lmimmfn wrote: »

its ok, but is a far far cry from the digital video quality available from VGA/DVI/HDMI.The max vertical resolution is rubbish and the picture is analog and blurry.

Agreed, but I still use an old (but fantastic) CRT, so S-video is the best I can interface with a HTPC. It's possible to tweak desktop settings (text size, icon size, etc), as well as graphics card settings and TV settings to get a workable desktop, but it'll never be as good as a digital interface.

Also, not to be pedantic, but IIRC, VGA is analogue.

lmimmfn

polyfusion wrote: »

Agreed, but I still use an old (but fantastic) CRT, so S-video is the best I can interface with a HTPC. It's possible to tweak desktop settings (text size, icon size, etc), as well as graphics card settings and TV settings to get a workable desktop, but it'll never be as good as a digital interface.

Ahh its great for old CRT's as the options are limited. I have to tweak the desktop stuff for my HTPC and 40" HD tv too as the text @ 1920x1080 is too small for browsing etc. but its fine for XBMC etc.

polyfusion wrote: »

Also, not to be pedantic, but IIRC, VGA is analogue.

lol, nah its ok, youre right, still though extra tech for h&v synch make a world of a difference and also of course the resolution capibilities are higher.

okidoki987

Additional help needed.

Used VGA x2 cable and got a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio wire and connected it to the headphone socket on laptop and connected it to tv.
Now have picture from the Laptop on TV but sound won't work through TV.
When I take out the audio lead on Laptop it works on Laptop speaker so I assume it's the settings on the TV/Laptop.
If I need to start changing any settings, give us the nob version please.

lmimmfn

okidoki987 wrote: »

Additional help needed.

Used VGA x2 cable and got a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio wire and connected it to the headphone socket on laptop and connected it to tv.
Now have picture from the Laptop on TV but sound won't work through TV.
When I take out the audio lead on Laptop it works on Laptop speaker so I assume it's the settings on the TV/Laptop.
If I need to start changing any settings, give us the nob version please.

how did you connect it to the tv? did you use a headphone->audio Left + right cable which connects to audio in L+R on the tv? did you check the tv settings?

skar

okidoki987 wrote: »

I want to play some files from my Laptop on my TV.
Laptop is a Dell Inspiron with VGA Connector and TV has all the bells and whistles.
What type of cable do I need if I want both pictures and sound through the TV?

Does your TV have LAN connection? I found it very useful.
Stick in LAN cable to your TV and other end to your Laptop..
Kids can watch E-WALL from your laptop, while you surf internet on your laptop over wireless etc. No mess with cables, and your laptop is not overloaded (TV is decoding video and using laptop as storage device). Had to fix some laptop's, found video cards burned. Why?? ..simply overloaded video card, no proper cooling/weak vga card etc.

ricman

try the other 3.5mm socket, line out, not headphones out,or get a 3.5mm to 2 rca stereo male cable, 2euro powercity.READ TV MANUAL,re pc to tv audio.try tv audio in settings,advanced,, set volume up.or tv menu, pc audio,volume settings ,audio in,select source,input.
google pc to tv setup,or look on www.svideo.com, audio.setup.
connect to tv audio rca in red,white, l,r. its prbly on the front or the side of the tv maybe under a plastic flap.
http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/how-to-connect-your-laptoppccomputer-to-your-tv/
See here .

okidoki987

All sorted, faulty lead, working now cheers for help.