Connecting a Laptop to a Plasma?

I'm looking to connect my laptop to my Samsung Plasma HDTV. Do any of you have any suggestions as to the best way to do this? Can a cable carry an HD signal? I'm clearly clueless.

 

What are your video output options on the laptop? What inputs on the TV?

HDMI and DVI are your best options. VGA will limit the resolution you can output, but will still look OK.

Lots of slightly-older laptops have S-Video out which is basically worthless with an HDTV.

 

Names if these things, not much idea.
Computer: I've got an S-video, one that looks like a monitor plug and one that looks like a big phone plug.

The TV, I've got the S-video, a the HDMI plugs, and anotehr monitor one.

The laptop is about 2 years old and we got the TV last year.

 

The monitor (VGA) will be the best option. This is assuming the laptop is a VGA output and the TV is a VGA input. I'm not sure why they would be anything different, but just covering myself here. :laugh:

I've been seeing a lot of laptops lately with HDMI ports, which is nice. Component video would be nice too, but I haven't seen laptops with those.

 

Sounds like you have S-video and VGA on your laptop. That is what I have on mine which is about 3 yrs old. VGA would probably be a better output as it supports a higher resolution that S-video. I am currently running my 23" LCD at 1080P off of my VGA port. It looks pretty sharp and works fine until I get around to building a new desktop w/ HDMI outputs.

 

So, can I get a VGA/VGA cable at Target or do I need to hit Radio Shack or something?

 

This would probably work, but I would prefer ordering from some place like newegg if it were me.

http://www.target.com/Belkin-HDDB-Monitor-Extension-Cable/dp/B0000296Y3/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton

edit....I just saw it's not available in stores.

 

i know best buy has the cords you need

 

ted, I may have one... If I do, its yours!!!

also were you still thinking of "lifting" your forester? did you want my forester springs?

 

Need the VGA to VGA cable AND an audio cable (headphone plug to headphone plug style). Both can be found at Radio Shack for sure, maybe at Best Buy. Great for watching Hulu and Netflix on the TV.

 

check monoprice.com for cables

 

I'd bet on it being a headphone plug to RCA connectors. Those are the red and white ones.

My laptop is at least 6yrs old, and it will happily run my 50" Samsung Plasma at the full 1920x1080 over the VGA cable. As far as it knows, it's just a hi-res monitor. The docking station for it has a DVI output, but the TV only has HDMI inputs. We used a DVI cable with an HDMI/DVI adapter, which worked OK but was a bit clunky sticking out the back of the TV. Eventually, I picked up a proper DVI-HDMI cable. This doesn't work any better, but is a much neater solution.

The only problem with this is that the laptop's CPU and video card are too underpowered to render HD video files. As such, if I want to watch HD videos, I have to hook up my Shuttle XPC instead.

Oh, and if Big Buy doesn't have what you need, Micro Center should carry it all.

Stuart.

 

+1 to this. They had the cheapest price on cables the last time I had to order them. Seriously check the prices between monoprice and any local store. Local stores gouge deep on cable prices, like 10x more. Also They will have everything you need, as I picked up HDMI, VGA, DVI, mini-jack -> RCA cables and a bunch of converters to mess with those cables some more.

Here are links to what you would need, note you may want longer cables but they have those as well.

This is the audio cable you need: $0.63 Vs. ~$5
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=665&seq=1&format=2

For VGA Video, it should be this one: $5.34 vs. $40+
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10209&cs_id=1020902&p_id=2408&seq=1&format=2

Or to run your DVI output into an HDMI in: $7.09 vs. $50+
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10231&cs_id=1023102&p_id=2218&seq=1&format=2

 

whatever you do don't leave it on for too long, watch a movie or whatever and move along unless you like your high contrast whites sparkling

 

I guess I was just insinuating that many laptops have a limited range of resolution choice out of their VGA port. Many onboard chipsets won't give you many choices at all.

Also, some TV's won't accept 1080P in any form over analog connections due to 'DRM issues'. Stupid DRM.

 

+10,000 for monoprice. Excellent site, fast shipping, unbelievable prices. Looks like you fellas have the technical questions covered, I won't bother.

 

Lol yes to that. Plasmas are prone to burn in especially when displaying something like the windows toolbar. If you have the money I would purchase a "calibration" from Best Buy. It'll turn down the factory settings (use less power) and make your picture 10x better (whites are true, blacks are deeper).

Analogy - calibrating a Panasonic plasma makes it look like a Pioneer Elite :biggrin:

But yes, a VGA cable will work, I got around the drm issues somehow buy using a Belkin VGA to HDMI converter. Had to buy it online

 

Right on, thanks for the help everyone, I really appreciate it!!! I just plan on watching some Hulu and shows that we can't DVR because the box is acting up.

 

If you forget to turn on your screen saver I'm going to hurl my dog (which was just sitting on my lap while I was driving) @ your throat. Burn-in SUCKS!!! I've gotten pretty lucky so far though. Do you have a PS3? I know you can get onto hulu from the PS3 browser. Also just about anywhere else.

 

Now the question has been answered, I'd like to offer up an alternative...

We got tired of moving the computers around, and since most of the shows we downloaded were in DivX/XviD format, we bought one of these: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Philips...9495403415&skuId=8701844&st=philips&cp=1&lp=1

Of course, ours is the Euro version, but as far as I can tell, the only difference is the power supply. It's dead handy as you can plug in a USB memory stick or USB HD and play the files directly from there. It upscales normal DVDs to 1080p, it has an HDMI output, and if you tap in the super secret code, it'll go region free and do PAL/NTSC conversions. To us, it's been worth its weight in gold, and my PC can stay on my desk where it should be, and I don't have to worry about unhooking the laptop from the TV if I need to take it anywhere.

Of course, a PS3 will also do most of this, in addition to playing lots more file formats including native hi-res ones, but it's a lot more expensive.

Stuart.

 

The kids spend a lot of time watching cartoons. I am reminded of how much Cartoon Network they watch every time I turn the TV on. It's high time the TV networks stopped putting those static logos on their shows. Or are they in cahoots with the TV manufacturers ? It's all a conspiracy, man !

 

HA HA HA! Damn dog. Nope, no PS3, just an old school Xbox 360 and the Wii.

 

I haven't bothered doing that yet, but House of the Dead Overkill on the Wii is pretty gruesome on a 50" screen. But 'cos it's the Wii, it's only 480p

 

Indeed. I have a Radeon 4850 with HDMI out and love the fact that it carries 5.1 audio to the receiver over the same cable.

Borderlands looks amazing in 1920x1080 on my 50" Pioneer. The textures are insanely high-res.

 

Yeah, I completely agree regarding the 60 hz cap. I find it hard to watch older movies in 1080p with a high refresh rate. The sets look like they're made out of cardboard in my backyard .

 

Even some HD stuff looks like this on ours. It's really uncanny. LOST looks like one of those "left a camera in the woods and just sorta put together the results into a show" type of shows, which may be what they were going for, I don't know. So far it's been a drag for movies, except Silent Hill - THAT looked great, but it was also filmed in full 1080 and was a bluray rip. It seems like for now we'll need Blu Ray exclusively for movies. Cartoons look great though. Even SNES emulators look great :laugh:

But it really is something strange to behold. You will have to see, I can't explain it.

 

I find that a high refresh rate like 120Hz is horrible to use with movies, sports are ok. I first noticed it when watching Pirates of the Caribbean, it looked almost fake. It seems weird that movies are still filmed in 24 frames per second but TVs now are coming out with 240Hz capability...just seems like a waste

 

i think windows media player on windows 7 may support bd/dvd

 

I just checked on my computer and as far as I saw it does indeed support it :biggrin:

 

Give Cyberlink PowerDVD 9 Ultra a go.

 

So, I ordered teh cable from Monoprice and it's the wrong one. Here is what I ordered:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231&cs_id=1023102&p_id=2284&seq=1&format=2

But the output on the back of my computer is quite a bit smaller than this one. This cable would fit into it: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10201&cs_id=1020102&p_id=85&seq=1&format=2

The TV also has one of these so this cable would work, but would I get a better picture quality with one of these to a HDMI?

Thanks in advance,
The village techidiot.

 

I'm so friggin proud of myself... I finally got it fingered out tonight.

 

If you want to get rid of that first cable, Dave at Gearhead Graphics is looking for one. You might want to PM him.

 

There will be no noticable difference at all. Also, no sound. You'll have to figure that out if you haven't already

 

I could have sworn I read somewhere that VGA is not nearly as clear as HDMI, since VGA is analog and HDMI is digital. I could be wrong, though.

 

None of that matters if your laptop only outputs in VGA. You can't make it do HD, even with a VGA/HDMI converter. It's just a plug, there is nothing in the converter that makes it better quality

 

Oops, forgot he was trying to hook-up a laptop.

 

Glad you got it going!

I have heard that you can get some extra frames per second by using a digital signal over an analog, but that probably isnt super important for most people.