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So I hooked my Laptop to my TV, Now What?

C

Counted Out

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 8, 2008
34
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I bought a DVI cable with RCA (Green, Red, blue) ends. I hooked the DVI port to my laptop, and plugged the RCA's into the TV (the TV has yellow, white, and red ports, but I heard they are interchangeable). I changed the input on the TV to AUX (which is what I use when playing videos games with an RCA cable) but the TV just stays black. I tried plugging the RCA cables into the different colors (as the colors don't match up obviously) and still nothing.

Do I need to do something to the Laptop? Or am I just completely doing this wrong?

Thanks for any help guys.
 
More in the completely doing it wrong column.

Your cable outputs the DVI as Component (3 cables, one each for RGB)

You TV is expecting Composite (1 cable all colors combined - the yellow one you're used to)

If your TV has Composite in, try putting the cables into the correct colored inputs, if it doesn't you need a different cable.

Depending on your model you may need a S-Video to Composite cable, or DVI to Composite, or something else entirely.
 
hobbbz said:
More in the completely doing it wrong column.

Your cable outputs the DVI as Component (3 cables, one each for RGB)

You TV is expecting Composite (1 cable all colors combined - the yellow one you're used to)

If your TV has Composite in, try putting the cables into the correct colored inputs, if it doesn't you need a different cable.

Depending on your model you may need a S-Video to Composite cable, or DVI to Composite, or something else entirely.
Click to expand...
I figured I should have asked the question first. My Laptop doesn't have an S-video that I know of. It's a MacBook pro with 10.4.11.
 
So my HDTV has the proper RCA hook ups, or so I thought.

I plugged them in, plugged in the DVI to my computer and changed the input on the TV to what was listed just above the RCA ports and I still get a No Signal message on the TV.

Any suggestions?
 
Counted Out said:
So my HDTV has the proper RCA hook ups, or so I thought.

I plugged them in, plugged in the DVI to my computer and changed the input on the TV to what was listed just above the RCA ports and I still get a No Signal message on the TV.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
instead of switching to antenna, go to video 1 2 or 3
 
Mine lists the Component In as component, not Video this that or the other.

Do you have a pic of the TV and /or Cable? that might help
 
Counted Out said:
So my HDTV has the proper RCA hook ups, or so I thought.

I plugged them in, plugged in the DVI to my computer and changed the input on the TV to what was listed just above the RCA ports and I still get a No Signal message on the TV.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I'm completely confused at what you're doing now. Did you read what hobbbz wrote? From the first post - you have a DVI to component video cable.

If you're seeing yellow, white, red input - you're putting component cables into a composite in. You can't do that.

OP said:
I hooked the DVI port to my laptop, and plugged the RCA's into the TV (the TV has yellow, white, and red ports, but I heard they are interchangeable).
Click to expand...

Even if you had DVI to composite cables (which you don't), they're still not "interchangeable". Yellow is video, red and white are for stereo. Your DVI port does NOT transfer sound.

If you DON'T see ports for the red/green/blue connectors, your tv does not have a component in, and you'll need to get another cable to connect to your TV.

Just post the make and model of your TV.
 
hobbbz said:
Mine lists the Component In as component, not Video this that or the other.

Do you have a pic of the TV and /or Cable? that might help
Click to expand...

i meant video 1 2 or 3 as a setting on the tv. Most tvs let you switch between inputs that way. I cant imagine why going to antenna would make this work.
 
Counted Out said:
I figured I should have asked the question first. My Laptop doesn't have an S-video that I know of. It's a MacBook pro with 10.4.11.
Click to expand...

If you have a "Classic" MBP, then you need this http://store.apple.com/us/product/M9267G/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MjE0ODQ2MQ to connect it to a TV as well as this http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=665&seq=1&format=2 . You will also need a single video cable to go from the dvi adapter to the Yellow input on your TV. The 3.5mm -> RCA goes from your headphone jack to the Red and White input on your TV and you are good to go.

Once you have it hooked up either use your TV as an external monitor, or turn mirroring on in Display preferences.
 
Counted Out said:
So my HDTV has the proper RCA hook ups, or so I thought.

I plugged them in, plugged in the DVI to my computer and changed the input on the TV to what was listed just above the RCA ports and I still get a No Signal message on the TV.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

If there are three plugs coming out of the DVI output on your computer then you have the wrong cable if you are trying to plug into the RCA; Red,White,Yellow on the back of your TV. That input is Left and Right Audio (Red and White) and Video (Yellow), however DVI only outputs video. See my above post for what you need to hook up your TV to your MBP.
 
NT1440 said:
i meant video 1 2 or 3 as a setting on the tv. Most tvs let you switch between inputs that way. I cant imagine why going to antenna would make this work.
Click to expand...
I never have the TV on antenna.

six.four said:
I'm completely confused at what you're doing now. Did you read what hobbbz wrote? From the first post - you have a DVI to component video cable.

If you're seeing yellow, white, red input - you're putting component cables into a composite in. You can't do that.



Even if you had DVI to composite cables (which you don't), they're still not "interchangeable". Yellow is video, red and white are for stereo. Your DVI port does NOT transfer sound.

If you DON'T see ports for the red/green/blue connectors, your tv does not have a component in, and you'll need to get another cable to connect to your TV.

Just post the make and model of your TV.
Click to expand...
The TV is a newer Polaroid HDTV, I'm not sure of the exact model. On the back it a green, red, and blue inputs, I plugged the cables into these. I then changed the input on the TV to the correct setting and still got nothing, not even video.

Sirus2400 said:
If there are three plugs coming out of the DVI output on your computer then you have the wrong cable if you are trying to plug into the RCA; Red,White,Yellow on the back of your TV. That input is Left and Right Audio (Red and White) and Video (Yellow), however DVI only outputs video. See my above post for what you need to hook up your TV to your MBP.
Click to expand...
Here is a link to the cable I have. Click here.

Is it just not going to work with this cable?
 
Counted Out said:
Here is a link to the cable I have. Click here.

Is it just not going to work with this cable?
Click to expand...

Yeah, thats the wrong cable if you are trying to plug into the composite input in your TV (the Red White Yellow input). You need the stuff I linked in my above posts because DVI doesn't do sound, only video.
 
Sirus2400 said:
Yeah, thats the wrong cable if you are trying to plug into the composite input in your TV (the Red White Yellow input). You need the stuff I linked in my above posts because DVI doesn't do sound, only video.
Click to expand...
So with the stuff in your link, I'll be able to get both video and sound?

A simple DVI to HDMI cable won't work?
 
Counted Out said:
So with the stuff in your link, I'll be able to get both video and sound?

A simple DVI to HDMI cable won't work?
Click to expand...

Like I said, DVI does not output sound so even if you got a DVI to HDMI cable, there would be no sound. You could use your TV as a monitor, but not to watch movies, etc. If you have a separate sound system, you could use the second cable I linked, or an optical cable to connect your MBP to your receiver for that, but there is no way to get sound out of the DVI out on your MBP, period.
 
Sirus2400 said:
Like I said, DVI does not output sound so even if you got a DVI to HDMI cable, there would be no sound. You could use your TV as a monitor, but not to watch movies, etc. If you have a separate sound system, you could use the second cable I linked, or an optical cable to connect your MBP to your receiver for that, but there is no way to get sound out of the DVI out on your MBP, period.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I understand now.

Seems like this cable can basically be used for nothing. Atleast it was only 5 bucks.
 
Counted Out said:
Thank you. I understand now.

Seems like this cable can basically be used for nothing. Atleast it was only 5 bucks.
Click to expand...

Your TV surely has to have Red green blue inputs on the back.

Hook your cable up to that and try every input or mode that your tv has. On each mode try going in to system preferences -> Displays and clicking detect displays.

But you will still need the 3.5mm to RCA cable for sound
 
hobbbz said:
Your TV surely has to have Red green blue inputs on the back.

Hook your cable up to that and try every input or mode that your tv has. On each mode try going in to system preferences -> Displays and clicking detect displays.

But you will still need the 3.5mm to RCA cable for sound
Click to expand...
I tried every input on my TV, I did not try a "detect settings", I don't think my TV even has one and I've never had to do it with any device I've had on the TV. It worries me though that I'm not at least getting video out of this cable. Do I have to change a setting on the laptop?
 
Counted Out said:
I tried every input on my TV, I did not try a "detect settings", I don't think my TV even has one and I've never had to do it with any device I've had on the TV. It worries me though that I'm not at least getting video out of this cable. Do I have to change a setting on the laptop?
Click to expand...

The Detect displays happens on the laptop. System Preferences -> Displays -> Detect Displays
 
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