Basic TV/Computer question

Most flat panel TVs have either VGA or DVI inputs.

If you do not have a flat panel TV, then how (and if) you can use the TV as a monitor depends on the available connections on your TV.

S-video, RCA, PRB, or plain coax, or a combination thereof.

However, if you have an old(er) 4:3 TV without at least S-Video, I think you will find the picture quality too low.

Message was edited by: AJ

I have connected my old PowerBook G4 to my plasma HD TV and gotten good results using an S-video cable. Once connected, I make sure I'm not in mirror mode (showing the same thing on both laptop screen and TV). On my PowerBook, F7 toggled this mode. Next, to get best results for playing video full-screen, you need to go to System Preferences and choose Displays. A window should appear on the TV screen, and the third tab (I forget the name) gives you two check boxes. Turn both on. (The mysterious-sounding "Overscan" one makes the picture stretch to full-screen.)

Now, you have a MacBook Pro, and therein lies the problem. My new MacBook Pro does not have S-video, nor does the F7 key do the same thing it did on my PowerBook. I have not used my new MacBook Pro with a projector or TV, so I don't know what the equivalent steps are, but I'm sure they're there. As to connecting it without S-video, there are apparently adapters available that can plug into your MacBook's DVI jack (where you plug in an external monitor). You can easily find a DVI-to-HDMI converter at Radio Shack, I've seen them there. You can also get a DVI-to-component video adapter, but I was not able to find that at Radio Shack. (I looked just recently, but decided it was easier to stick with using my old machine and S-video cable than to buy a bunch of stuff and then have to figure out how to plug it in to the back of my TV, which is hanging on the wall...)

I have an imac with the intel chip and I just got a new samsung tv and i want to hook up my computer to my tv. I dont really know what i need to do to get it connect to the tv to watch stuff from the computer to my tv. So far I think i need this...
http://store.apple.com/us/product/M9320G/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MjE0ODQzNQ#overv iew

but i dont know if that is correct...can anyone help me?!

Well, I haven't compared, but... in theory, the HDMI should be better quality. Whether or not this is true when the source is a laptop, rather than something like a Blu-ray player or cable box, is unclear to me. I'd expect it to be better with HDMI, but I wouldn't want to commit to that not having tried it.

What might make a bigger difference (assuming your MacBook has S-video output, which mine does not) is cost. S-video cables, even long ones, are comparatively cheap. A DVI-to-HDMI adapter will probably cost as much as an S-video cable, and then you still have to shell out for an expensive HDMI cable. IIRC, a 6-foot HDMI cable runs around $100. Of course, S-video is on its way out, and HDMI seems like it'll be the cable of the future.

Did you actually read any of the posts in this thread before posting what is basically a restatement of the original question? If you have a specific question about the replies, say so, but otherwise just read what has already been said.

As to the adapter you gave a link to... no, that won't be of any use for this purpose.

I use my pre-unibody MacBook Pro a lot in clamshell mode, using bluetooth keyboard/mouse and connected to a Samsung HDTV. The resolution you get depends on what your TV will support, what your connection is, and how good your eyesight is 😝. A VGA adapter/cable is usually a bit cheaper than an HDMI cable, so that might be an option if your TV has that kind of input. There may also be overscan options to deal with (on either the computer or the TV) when using HDMI, since those signals are usually from a TV kind of video source. Either HDMI or VGA will have much better resolution than regular or S-video. The OS can handle all kinds of different resolutions and monitor configurations, so you shouldn't have any problems.

I agree with T Reed; DVI should be the better choice.

I have a (Windows box) connected to a 19" FP HDTV via DVI.
Great picture quality.

S-Video supports 500 line resolution,
DVI can do 2000+ if your video card supports it.

If your TV has SVideo and HDMI, it should also have either a blue VGA or white DVI input. as you cycle through the input options on the TV, that port is typically named "PC"



Message was edited by: AJ

Message was edited by: AJ