View Full Version : Question about hooking up a laptop through S-video to 16:9 tv


Prof.Who
07-16-07, 12:18 AM
When I hook up my laptop to a 4:3 TV the picture fits the screen perfectly, but when I hook it up to my 16:9 TV, the picture is too small and does not fit the screen properly. I was wondering if there is some setting I can change in the laptop to adjust the output to fit the 16:9 TV?

FYI: The 16:9 TV is a Slimfit, if that makes any difference.

bkchurch
07-16-07, 08:13 AM
When I hook up my laptop to a 4:3 TV the picture fits the screen perfectly, but when I hook it up to my 16:9 TV, the picture is too small and does not fit the screen properly. I was wondering if there is some setting I can change in the laptop to adjust the output to fit the 16:9 TV?

FYI: The 16:9 TV is a Slimfit, if that makes any difference.

I could be wrong but I don't think S-Video can carry anything other than a 640x480 signal and seeing how that isn't widescreen and widescreen Slimfits traditionally have trouble with 4:3 pictures I don't know if theres much you can do to fix the problem. If you ran a DVI cable from your computer and hooked it up to your TV with an HDMI adapter would that work?

Prof.Who
07-16-07, 10:31 PM
I could be wrong but I don't think S-Video can carry anything other than a 640x480 signal and seeing how that isn't widescreen and widescreen Slimfits traditionally have trouble with 4:3 pictures I don't know if theres much you can do to fix the problem. If you ran a DVI cable from your computer and hooked it up to your TV with an HDMI adapter would that work?

Sadly I cannot do that since I have only an S-video, VGA, and some "HP expansion port 3." I have seen that there are VGA to Component cables, but I already have all of my component inputs used on my TV.

bkchurch
07-16-07, 10:43 PM
Sadly I cannot do that since I have only an S-video, VGA, and some "HP expansion port 3." I have seen that there are VGA to Component cables, but I already have all of my component inputs used on my TV.

There's no such thing as a VGA-Component cable, you'd need some kind of external signal converer since VGA is an RGB signal and component is Y Pb/Cb Pr/Cr. Other than going at it that way however I think your outta luck, computer signals tend to look like crap on CRT TVs anyway, why not just buy a monitor?

Prof.Who
07-17-07, 12:18 AM
There's no such thing as a VGA-Component cable, you'd need some kind of external signal converer since VGA is an RGB signal and component is Y Pb/Cb Pr/Cr. Other than going at it that way however I think your outta luck, computer signals tend to look like crap on CRT TVs anyway, why not just buy a monitor?

I just want to watch movies that are on my laptop. So, I guess this VGA to Component cable for $50 at radioshack.com is pretty much a scam. (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2290596&cp=&pg=2&sr=1&origkw=vga+to+component&kw=vga+to+component&parentPage=search)

bkchurch
07-17-07, 09:15 AM
I just want to watch movies that are on my laptop. So, I guess this VGA to Component cable for $50 at radioshack.com is pretty much a scam. (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2290596&cp=&pg=2&sr=1&origkw=vga+to+component&kw=vga+to+component&parentPage=search)

O check that out... hmm maybe it has a converter built into it. I've just never heard of a VGA-component cables. If it's worth the $50 to you give it a shot, it just may work.