
Connecting your television set with your computer is a simple job if you can get the right cables and make the right connections. Read to know about the cable types which you could use for the purpose.
It is really a shame when you have to watch a movie on your small laptop screen, with an HDTV (High-Definition Television) looming in front of you. If you can only figure out how to hook up the TV with your computer, you can harness the power of both. An HDTV can provide you with great picture quality when watching your favorite movies. You could play your favorite video games on the big screen, if only you connect your TV to a computer, using appropriate cables.
Types of Cables
These cables differ according to the input and output ports of your TV and computer. Here they are:
S-Video
This is the most common and least expensive type of TV to computer connection cable, as most TVs have an S-Video port. It comes in a 7-pin and a 4-pin format. Check whether your computer has a 4-pin or 7-pin connection and buy an S-video cable accordingly.
VGA
If you have an HDTV, then you will have to use a VGA cable. The quality of picture provided by a VGA cable is better than S-video cable output.
DVI
If your computer has a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) connection and you have an HDTV, you can use the DVI cable. It provides superior digital picture quality, which is better than what VGA or S-Video provides. This is a costly option and the cables may cost you around USD 50 to USD 80.
HDMI
Since laptop computers or desktops don’t have an HDMI connection, you can use a DVI to HDMI cable for your HDTV.
Connection Technique
This is a three-step process. Here is how you can go about it.
Inspect Your TV Input Ports
Firstly, inspect the connection panel of your television, at the back or at the base, for the kind of input ports it has for audio and video. Most of them have coaxial cable and RCA composite input ports, along with a connector for S-video input. If you have an HDTV or any other such modern television model, it may have a DVI, VGA, Component Video, or HDMI input port.
Inspect Your Computer’s Output Ports
Next, check out your computer’s output ports. It will have a VGA port, an S-video port, and more modern computers might have an HDTV-compatible port.
Select Appropriate Cables
According to your TV’s input ports and the computer’s output ports, you can select the appropriate cables from the above list. Make the connection and you are ready to watch computer movies on television. An S-video cable connection will work for most. An HDTV or DVI connection will work if you have an HDTV. Since the TV uses the NTSC video format, it is limited in terms of resolution, unless you have an HDTV. In case, you do not have one, the resolution may not match your computer monitor’s resolution, but it will be good enough for you to watch movies or play games.
However, I won’t recommend watching movies, using any of the connections mentioned above, unless you have an HDTV.