Laptop S-Video to TV S-Video

So I hooked up my laptop via S-Video to my TV. And I pushed the TV button which switches the display on my laptop to the TV's display, and my LCD goes black, but nothing happens on the TV. How do I make it work on the TV?

Thanks.

Switch to the correct input on the TV?

[quotea9cfbf9904="dmorris68"]Switch to the correct input on the TV?[/quotea9cfbf9904]
Lol yeah that sounds about right...
Just go through the inputs till you hit the right one.

I did. I plugged it into Input 4, and I selected Input 4.

I'm not that dumb. P

Instead of hitting the TV button on your laptop, have you tried manually doing it? Right click on your desktop, then hit Properties. Then go to Settings, and under the display, depending on your video card, you can choose the TV as the monitor or to even do multiple monitors, where you can keep your laptop screen on and extend the desktop over to the TV. Try this, I'm sure it will work. If this doesn't, then I suggest trying another S-Video cable (maybe the one you're using is defective), or try using a VGA if your TV has it, or even a DVI to HDMI if your computer has it.

I'll try that. I know the S-Video cable isn't defective because it was being used for the TV before we switched to component. The DVI doesn't have HDMI or DVI, or VGA. However my laptop has an HDMI port, and if I ever wanted to, I guess I could get an HDMI to Component cable.

No such thing as an HDMI to Component "cable." Electronics are required as it's a conversion between digital and analog signals. They do make converter boxes, but they're pretty expensive. Probably not well suited to what you're trying to do.

BTW in case you're just trying to use the TV as a big secondary monitor, S-Video resolution completely sucks for anything other than gaming, video/photo viewing, etc. Text rendering with normal sized fonts is horrible. Resolution is maxed at 400 vertical lines.

Mhmm. Okay. Thanks. I was just merely trying to test it out. I wasn't gonna use it for anything.

Also, about the converter thing, I've seen HDMI to DVI cables, but those are because they are both digital, I assume. I didn't realize Component were analog I/O's.

Thanks again.

Yeah, HDMI and DVI use the same digital video signaling, so no electronic conversion is required -- you just wire up the video pins on the HDMI connector to the same video pins on the DVI connector. That's why HDMI/DVI conversion cables & adapters are so cheap.

[quote05344c7e36="dmorris68"]Yeah, HDMI and DVI use the same digital video signaling, so no electronic conversion is required -- you just wire up the video pins on the HDMI connector to the same video pins on the DVI connector. That's why HDMI/DVI conversion cables & adapters are so cheap.[/quote05344c7e36]
You're so darn smart dmorris ...