Laptop HDMI ==> RCA Television

[JMaruru]

Guys,

I have an LG TV, which can take in RCA input (i.e yellow, white, and red) but does not have S-Video socket. Now i got myself a new laptop with HDMI out feature. I had got a HDMI to RCA cable from SP Road in b'lore, but later came to know he passed me off an HDMI to component cable(i.e Red, Green and Blue). It was not of much help.

Now, Is there anyway i can get the video from laptop played on my television ?

[SirAlec]

i doubt it! you need a converter box. as HDMI also carries audio.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by SirAlec

i doubt it! you need a converter box. as HDMI also carries audio.

So does RCA, as it carries 2 lines of audio and one for video. Now, what is this converter box and where can i get the same in b'lore ?

[HotChillyPepper]

RCA stands for the termination socket standard. So if you asked the shop keeper for HDMI to RCA, and if he gave you HDMI to Component there is no fault from his side Basically the component and composite wires are same at terminations, but different in the conductors as both of them conducts different frequency spectrum. You may be able to use one for the other but definitely the quality will be affected.


Now coming back to your issue:

HDMI carries the picture data on separate conductors as in component . In layman's terms red,green,blue data will be passed on separate wires. This makes the manufacturing of HDMI to component converter cable easy.


On the other hand composite signal carries all primary colors on same wire (Yellow wire). So definitely the signals will interfere each other and hence a lower display quality. So to modulate the three primary colors signals from HDMI together to conduct on a single wire needs some active circuits which can down scale the HDMI video to analog level signal which your TV can display. Sorry that Im not able to suggest you any direct viable solution for this. As this involves video scaling the solutions will be expensive.

But one option I can think of is VGA cable. Im sure that your laptop will have a VGA out socket. What about your TV? Does it have a VGA in provision? If yes you can buy a VGA female to male connector of approx 200 bugs and solve your issue. Anyways you can not have the advantage of HDMI connection in your TV as it does not support high definition pics. So VGA would be just fine.

.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by HotChillyPepper

But one option I can think of is VGA cable. Im sure that your laptop will have a VGA out socket. What about your TV? Does it have a VGA in provision? If yes you can buy a VGA female to male connector of approx 200 bugs and solve your issue. Anyways you can not have the advantage of HDMI connection in your TV as it does not support high definition pics. So VGA would be just fine.

Thanks. This is pretty informative. Well, as such my TV (2001 model) just has RCA sockets. But yes, the laptop has VGA out socket. Now am not sure what i can do with this. Would there be a possibility for VGA to RCA connection ?

[d3mon]

I got a S-video to component conversion cable with my graphics card some time back. The manual states that the cable can work with component input TVs as well as regular TVs with RCA input. It suggests connecting just the blue output of the component cable to the TV input for video.

I tried it out and it works perfectly! Don't know if this is specific to my graphics card though. No harm in trying, I'm sure ! Let me know if this works.

Originally Posted by HotChillyPepper

Now coming back to your issue:

HDMI carries the picture data on separate conductors as in component . In layman's terms red,green,blue data will be passed on separate wires. This makes the manufacturing of HDMI to component converter cable easy.

.

I'm sorry but how can that be? HDMI is completely digital, while component cables are completely analogue! You can't just take the signal from the HDMI cable and pass it to the component cables!!

[greenhorn]

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadget...ter-cable.html (VGA to RCA S-Video TV Adapter Cable)

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by d3mon

I'm sorry but how can that be? HDMI is completely digital, while component cables are completely analogue! You can't just take the signal from the HDMI cable and pass it to the component cables!!

Then, what is the use of HDMI to component cables which are available in electrical shops ? Why do they manufacture the same, if it is of no use to anyone.

[d3mon]

Originally Posted by JMaruru

Then, what is the use of HDMI to component cables which are available in electrical shops ? Why do they manufacture the same, if it is of no use to anyone.

No, I'm not saying that they are useless. I haven't used one personally so I can't say. All I'm saying is that it can't just be a simple matter of taking out a wire from the HDMI end and using the component plug at the other end.

Because HDMI has content protection mechanisms in place, any protected content won't play at all with any of those conversion cables.

But even for unprotected content, you'd need to have a D/A converter for converting signal from HDMI cable into something component cables can carry. And that's oversimplifying things a LOT. So the upshot is I'm not sure that it's too easy to build a conversion cable from HDMI to component that actually works.

[redfire]

Originally Posted by JMaruru

Now, Is there anyway i can get the video from laptop played on my television ?

HotChilliPep has given the excellent answer. You cannot directly connect an HDMI to an analog connecton like composite. You need to get a HDMI to Composite scaler / converter box like this

HDMI_TO_COMPOSITE

I dont know much about the availability in India though. Ask a buddy to get one for you if you have someone coming from US. But I would say it is not worth the price. It is too costly for the pupose and the result we are gonna get.

[JMaruru]

Okie guys. So HDMI to component does not work. Now how about S-Video (Laptop) to RCA (Television) ? Has this worked for any of you guys ? The market has some multiple choices like S-Video to 2 RCA and 3 RCA. Does 3 RCA carry audio also ?

Please advise.

[Comrade]

s-video to composite is the easiest method. Just one single wire. that is because they are based on same platform. DVI to HDMI is another. However platform-shift requires a converter "box". eg: composite to component, HDMI to component, VGA to component etc etc.

Coming to s-video, a word of caution is look for manufacturer specific cable. manufacturers do not use any standard pin interface for s-video. there are 4 pin, 7 pin and 9 pin s-video interfaces. Further complicating the matters, some manufacturers even change the pins layout (eg: swapping pins 4 and 5). This forces users to buy manufacturers' proprietary branded cables (similar to mobile manufacturers using proprietary ports on USB platform).

So, when buying a s-video cable, you might have to specifically look for "s-video cable for dell" or "s-video cable for intel" etc etc. e-bay has these specific listed cables.

Some laptops/graphic cards generally give component out (not composite) with s-video interface. But that need not be a compulsory rule again. It might be composite too.. So you need to check for your specific model and then decide between 1 RCA (yellow plug, composite) and three RCA (red, blue and green plugs, component).

this is only video and s-video doesn't generally carry audio. But then audio can be routed from headphone jack too.

[longford]

The discussion looks like an overkill.

The converter and cables might cost more than the TV itself!

Trying so hard for a 2001 model TV with a latest HDMI enabled laptop is going to be quite a struggle.

Lets understand somethings.HDMI is fully digital and digital to analog takes conversion.

I suspect the author is a bachelor in IT world and is trying to eke out various experimental combinations for the thrill of it.

Here is a link for VGA to Component DIY.
VGA Cable from CAT5

My final piece of advice: If you can afford that HDMI enabled laptop, chances are that you can probably afford a wall affixed 19 inch LCD panel as well. Junk the antique TV,pal.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by Comrade

So you need to check for your specific model and then decide between 1 RCA (yellow plug, composite) and three RCA (red, blue and green plugs, component).

this is only video and s-video doesn't generally carry audio. But then audio can be routed from headphone jack too.

Thanks Comrade. That was one detailed explanation.

But, getting the S-Video to 1 RCA cable itself is so difficult in the market, i don't know how i can get one specifying the laptop brand.

Originally Posted by longford

The discussion looks like an overkill.

The converter and cables might cost more than the TV itself!

Trying so hard for a 2001 model TV with a latest HDMI enabled laptop is going to be quite a struggle.

Lets understand somethings.HDMI is fully digital and digital to analog takes conversion.

I suspect the author is a bachelor in IT world and is trying to eke out various experimental combinations for the thrill of it.

Here is a link for VGA to Component DIY.
VGA Cable from CAT5

My final piece of advice: If you can afford that HDMI enabled laptop, chances are that you can probably afford a wall affixed 19 inch LCD panel as well. Junk the antique TV,pal.

I agree.

I know, how dumb of me to think that HDMI to Component works. I have left that path now. I have an other laptop which has S-Video out. Now the discussion is about S-Video to 1RCA and i need to find these cables in the market. And i should be good with another set of stereo to 2RCA to carry the audio from laptop to TV.

But it beats me how in the market they have hundreds of cables of HDMI => Component. May be coz of people like me.

[omishra]

Originally Posted by JMaruru

Okie guys. So HDMI to component does not work. Now how about S-Video (Laptop) to RCA (Television) ? Has this worked for any of you guys ? The market has some multiple choices like S-Video to 2 RCA and 3 RCA. Does 3 RCA carry audio also ?

Please advise.

As far as, I know S-Video means only video and audio is something different. Look here,
S-video to composite video