MovieChat Forums > Displays and Projectors > laptop/VGA to TV/SCART advice please

laptop/VGA to TV/SCART advice please

posted 13 years ago by tutankhaten
2 replies | jump to latest

I'm looking to connect my laptop to my 42" LCD TV. From what I gather, the 15-pin D connector on the back of the laptop is known as a VGA connection, used to connect auxiliary monitors/displays.

Unfortunately the TV has no VGA connection, but it looks as if I can pick up a VGA-SCART adapter cable for not too much money, and since my laptop is not blu-ray/HD compatible there's no point in going for the more expensive VGA-HDMI option. I'm guessing I'll then be able to use my laptop as a DVD player... and display other digital media through my TV.

Any advice about whether or not it's worth the effort? What kind of picture/audio quality can I expect through my TV?

Also, I've got an old portable TV upstairs with a SCART connector... I'll be able to connect the laptop straight up to that too, right?

Thanks in advance for all comments and advice :)

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[–] dangus 13 years ago

If that's just an adapter cable, not a converter, it may only work with a very limited number of laptops or video cards that happen to use a couple of spare pins on the VGA connector for TV output. If it uses the RGB version of SCART, it may require special drivers (like PowerStrip) and a compatible VGA chipset.
http://www.idiots.org.uk/vga_rgb_scart/ If you check reviews of simiar adapter cables at Amazon, you'll see an awful lot of disappointed and angry buyers...

TV output from a laptop or desktop can look pretty good: I used to run my HTPC through RCA or S-video to my old 27" TV. It wasn't great for working with text, but video looked fine.

[–] tutankhaten 13 years ago

Thanks very much for that dangus. I'd no idea there were different versions of SCART.

That link's extremely handy... I'll look into the equipement specs and may be able to knock something up myself if the straight connection's not an option. I'm not too bad with a soldering iron :)

Thanks again my friend :)

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