Many people would like to watch videos from their laptop or desktop computers on their TVs, but the connections between the two devices may not be compatible. There's a solution to this problem. While most laptops feature an S-video output, not all televisions have an S-video input. Nearly all TVs have RCA inputs, however, which are typically color coded in red, white and yellow. To connect the two devices so you can watch video from your computer on your TV, you can purchase an expensive converter. There's an inexpensive way to get the job done as well. This technique can be used between any two electronic devices where you would need to convert an S-video signal to RCA, but here we'll focus on a laptop to TV integration.
Determine what type of S-video output your laptop has. It will most likely be either a four-hole or seven-hole output, and you can determine this by looking at the output and counting the number of tiny holes that you see. You can also consult your laptop's user manual to figure this out.
2
Purchase an S-video to RCA adapter from an electronics store, such as Radio Shack. You can also buy them online at Amazon, Ebay or by following the link in the References section. The S-video end of the adapter should have as many prongs as your laptop's S-video output has holes--in other words, you should be able to plug them in together.
3
Plug the S-video end of the adapter into your laptop, and insert the RCA end of the adapter into your TV's video input (typically color coded yellow) on the back of the TV. Sometimes, the adapter will be too short, so you may need to purchase an additional length of RCA cable to complete this step.
4
Turn both devices on, and you now have converted your laptop's S-video signal to an RCA signal your TV can recognize.
Tips & Warnings
S-video to RCA adapters only transfer video, not sound. To get sound from your laptop to the TV, you can purchase an adapter that has three RCA connectors instead of one (left speaker, right speaker). This type of adapter is often called an "S-video to 3 RCA adapter."
Always turn the TV and laptop off while connecting cables between the two for safety reasons.
7-hole S-video output
