Linking a computer and a TV

[zackzel]

Hey guys,

I want to link my computer to my tv. I have a Dell model Inspiron 5100 laptop and I want to connect it to a 26" Sharp Aquos LCD TV. The people at circuit city told me I needed a DVI to VGA cable so I went on ebay and got the cable hooked it up to my computer and tv and I guess I was just excepting it to work. So I went into my display options on my computer and looked around for somehow to send the signal with no real luck.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Also I'm not very good with computer so don't get to technical please.

Thanks

[Will Wood]

I have an inspiron too, don't know if things will differ but here are the settings I did:
Right click your desktop, properties > Settings. There should be a button for Advanced options. Go to that. In that, go to the Display tab and click the TV that should be there.

Make sure you assign a shortcut to switch in case you like screw things up and can't get back because of any unforseeable problems.

[zackzel]

I have an inspiron too, don't know if things will differ but here are the settings I did:
Right click your desktop, properties > Settings. There should be a button for Advanced options. Go to that. In that, go to the Display tab and click the TV that should be there.

Make sure you assign a shortcut to switch in case you like screw things up and can't get back because of any unforseeable problems.

Hmm it says that the TV is not connected, I can verify that it is. I wonder if I have a bad cable?

[quik]

Your video card, more than likely, doesnt support such a feature.

New video card time!!!

[atm743]

Your video card, more than likely, doesnt support such a feature.

New video card time!!!

was going to say

i have an s-video out

it works but i cant make out anything on the tv on the smallest pixel setting i have and for some reason i cant play videos???

can play video games though

[Yogster]

Hey Bro

Hey Zackzel

I doubt it is your cable
The problems you might have is :
1) Operating system
2) Video Drivers Update
3) Proper video input on your TV
4) Need to reboot laptop with cable hooked up to TV

My IBM thinkpad won't allow you to run the Laptop and TV screens at the same time.Try clicking TV and apply without LCD checked.Also make sure you check on your TV that your on the right input Video 1, Video 2, DVI.

Hope it helps
Yogster

[zackzel]

Hey Zackzel

I doubt it is your cable
The problems you might have is :
1) Operating system
2) Video Drivers Update
3) Proper video input on your TV
4) Need to reboot laptop with cable hooked up to TV

My IBM thinkpad won't allow you to run the Laptop and TV screens at the same time.Try clicking TV and apply without LCD checked.Also make sure you check on your TV that your on the right input Video 1, Video 2, DVI.

Hope it helps
Yogster

Hey guys thanks for all the help but still no go.

I'm running windows XP so I hope its not the operating system.

How do I update my video drivers I have an ATI video card?

I am definatly hooked into the right spots I believe since there wasn't any other spots the ends could go.

I tried rebooting with the cable hooked up still no luck.

So maybe it is the video card, my laptop is about 3 years old and has a 32mb card.

[Arstron]

what is the model number for your ATI card?

I love all the nividia cards I have owned, simply run an svideo cable from it to my 52" big screen, set my computer to "clone" so the display is shown on both the big screen and my monitor, and me and my friends are in DPB (thats digital paintball) heaven!

[Glickman]

Hey guys,

I want to link my computer to my tv. I have a Dell model Inspiron 5100 laptop and I want to connect it to a 26" Sharp Aquos LCD TV. The people at circuit city told me I needed a DVI to VGA cable so I went on ebay and got the cable hooked it up to my computer and tv and I guess I was just excepting it to work. So I went into my display options on my computer and looked around for somehow to send the signal with no real luck.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Also I'm not very good with computer so don't get to technical please.

Thanks

im trying to remember off hand, currently im on a school computer so i might not remember to the dot

ok, goto display options in control panel. there, search for properties, and you should see something with a picture of two screens, labeled "1" and "2" now, click the one labeled "2" and ill bet there is nothing there info wise. there should be a drop down menu, and if the tv is plugged in via vga (DONT use s-video, it ABSOLUTELY sucks) you should see an option for your tv. (usually labeled the same as the model as long as the drivers are installed correctly)

from here, also, you can change if you want ur mouse to go from the monitor to the tv, and whatever, some of the stuff is pretty cool from there.

good luck, just throw out another post if you get stuck

[zackzel]

what is the model number for your ATI card?

I love all the nividia cards I have owned, simply run an svideo cable from it to my 52" big screen, set my computer to "clone" so the display is shown on both the big screen and my monitor, and me and my friends are in DPB (thats digital paintball) heaven!

The Chip is an ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 AGP (LW) if that doesn't sound right let me know it says a few other things too. Its seems to me like the computer isn't sending the signal, but I don't know.

[SIGSays]

same thing happened to me... just go into settings and turn it on... if that doesn't work get onto the ati settings.... and it's a step by step thing on there....