How to Connect a Portable PC to a TV
A portable PC, such as a laptop, can be hooked up to a television for viewing content on a larger screen. Choosing a cable for the connections depends on the ports available on both the PC and television. An S-video cable transmits a quality picture in a direct connection between the components, if both are equipped with an S-video port. Some portable PCs may have only a Video Graphics Array (VGA) port, which is a four-sided connection with 15 holes. Adapters are available at electronics and computer stores to convert VGA to S-video. An audio adapter and standard stereo cables complete the connection from the PC to TV.
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Things You'll Need
- S-video cable
- VGA-to-S-video adapter, if necessary
- Stereo cables with RCA-type plugs on both ends
- Y adapter with two RCA jacks and one 3.5mm plug
Instructions
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1
Inspect the back panel of the portable PC and the television to locate a round jack with four holes and three notches around the edge. This is an S-video jack, which accepts a standard S-video cable. Most TV sets and many PCs have S-video jacks. If the computer does not have S-video, buy a VGA adapter for the S-video cable.
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2
Plug the S-video cable into the labeled socket on the back of the TV and connect the other end to the PC, if it also has S-video. Otherwise, use the adapter by plugging the S-video cable into the S-video socket on the adapter and pushing the VGA plug on the other side onto the VGA port on the computer.
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3
Insert the two plugs on one end of the stereo cables into the audio input jacks on the TV, then connect the plugs on the other end to the Y-adapter jacks.
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4
Insert the plug on the Y adapter into the Line Out jack on the PC. Use the headphone jack if connecting to a laptop.
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Tips & Warnings
Click the Display icon on the computer to open the monitor properties on the system. Select "Clone" or "External Projector" or similar wording to activate the connection from the computer to the TV for transmitting video.
References
- Photo Credit laptop image by martini from Fotolia.com
