How to connect your laptop to your TV

Posted by will | Filed under Christianity, Make, Technology, Tips, Uncategorized, Web Campus

I have gotten several questions about how to watch our NewSpring Web Campus on your HDTV with a group of friends.  Here is a very general guide on how to make that happen:

In order to connect your laptop to your HDTV you are first going to have to get determine what video and audio outputs your laptop has. The following are a list of some of the most prevalent possible outputs.

Video outputs:

  1. S-Video
  2. VGA
  3. DVI
  4. HDMI

Audio outputs:

  1. 1/8″ headphone jack
  2. HDMI
  3. USB audio output

If you have either S-Video, VGA or DVI outputs these are video only meaning that the audio will have to be run separately.

Most modern laptops circa 2006-present will have a DVI out which is usually supported by many HDTVs along with an 1/8″ audio input. If your HDTV and laptop both have this then is probably the most straight forward and cheapest route.

If you are going to use S-Video make sure that your and laptop both use an S-Video cable with the same number of pins either 4 or 7.  Most laptops with S-Video have 7 pin.

Possible options:

  1. If your TV has an 1/8″ input that can be paired with one of the first 3 video inputs then you can use a 1/8″ to 1/8″ cable.
  2. If your TV has RCA jacks paired with one of the first 3 video inputs then you can use a 1/8″ to 2 RCA cable.

If your laptop has a VGA output, but your HDTV does not have a DVI input you can use a VGA to DVI adapter and then follow the above steps.

If your laptop has a DVI output, but your HDTV does not have a DVI input you can use a DVI to composite video adapter or a DVI to HDMI cable.  This however will only provide you with video because even though it is outputing HDMI it is only getting a DVI, video only, feed in. Many HDTVs will not allow you to pair a separate audio input such as RCA or 1/8″ source up with an HDMI input which means you will need to have another way to play audio if you want bigger speakers than the ones on your laptop.  This can be achieved by:

  1. Hooking up desktop speakers to the laptop via the headphone output.
  2. Running an 1/8″ to 1/8″ cable to a stereo receiver hooked to external speakers.
  3. Running an 1/8″ to 2 RCA cable to a stereo receiver hooked to external speakers.

After you get the laptop connected you may have to adjust your screen resolution and refresh rate to be compatible with the settings of your HDTV.

This post only attempts to address some of the many combinations of audio/video inputs and outputs available on HDTVs and laptops.

It is also reported that you can watch the NewSpring Web Campus via a PlayStation 3, but since I don’t have one I can’t verify this.  If you would like to give me a PS3 to test this claim, I would gladly do it.

This is a great way to watch the NewSpring Web Campus or NewSpring’s Video On Demand with a group of friends. If you click on the video on either one of these sites it will make the video go full screen.

Permalink | March 4th, 2009

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