# Any way to display a laptop computer screen onto an HDTV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 16, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657 "2008-04-16T22:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/1 "2008-04-16T22:16:49Z")
Mrs. Mercotan has a CD which contains an adobe acrobat presentation with many still images, and apparently text and narration too. She wishes to show this to a crowd. Well, 8 people. Is there any way to jack this from her laptop into our HDTV to make it happen? Thanks for any advice! ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/2 "2008-04-16T22:24:56Z")
What model of laptop and what model of HDTV? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/3 "2008-04-16T22:26:19Z")
Well, I did it while putting together a poster as one gigantic Powerpoint slide (greatest idea ever in using the HDTV for a monitor for this). I used my mini-DVI to VGA adapter on my MacBook to hook it into the VGA port of my HDTV. Change ports as needed, but I bet you can go VGA-VGA, DVI-DVI, mini-DVI-DVI, DVI-VGA, mini-DVI-VGA, or DVI-HDMI depending on what exactly is used on her laptop. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/4 "2008-04-16T22:27:45Z")
Toshiba laptop, recent vintage, running Windows Vista. TV is Mitsubishi HD 1080. It has a HD cablebox. I’m now told that it’s actually a powerpoint presentation she wishes to show on the TV. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/5 "2008-04-16T22:28:14Z")
My Sony HDTV has a PC video connector on the back as does a friends Toshiba. My HP note book PC has a HDMI output which would match up with the HDMI connector on the TV. Does her PC have a blue connector with an icon that looks like a little CRT? If it does that where the video output is. What type of connectors does your TV have? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/6 "2008-04-16T22:31:36Z")
Toshiba Satellite U300. It has an RGB (monitor) port, 3 USBs, a network port, and a modem port. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/7 "2008-04-16T22:33:34Z")
Short answer is Yes, you can. It just comes down to cabling, the instructions for the laptop and the tv will advise on which variant will be best. I’d guess the TV-out socket (DIN socket) to composite video in. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/8 "2008-04-16T22:38:06Z")
TV has S-video connectors, multiple video and audio jacks ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/9 "2008-04-16T22:38:17Z")
If the Mitsu doesn’t have a PC port, you’ll need something like this: [http://www.svideo.com/vga2video.html](http://www.svideo.com/vga2video.html) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/10 "2008-04-16T22:39:20Z")
I’d best go fiddle with it for a while then. Thanks all! ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/11 "2008-04-16T22:43:23Z")
If you want HD on the TV you will have to use a digital out like DVI. S-Video wont cut it ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/12 "2008-04-16T23:14:35Z")
Well, that was easy! S-Video cable from computer to S-Video slot on TV. And voila, the computer screen appears in 60" glory on the TV. It may not be HD, but it’ll serve the purpose. Thanks, all. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/13 "2008-04-17T13:49:12Z")
You can have the SDMB in 60" glory? I don’t think the world is ready for that. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/14 "2008-04-17T15:13:28Z")
Is it a plasma? If so, and it’s an older model, be careful about screen burn. I’m told they’ve fixed this on newer models. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/15 "2008-04-17T20:16:38Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] Is it a plasma? If so, and it’s an older model, be careful about screen burn. I’m told they’ve fixed this on newer models. [/QUOTE] I think screen burn is only a concern when the same image is displayed for hours upon hours. Probably nothing to worry about for what the OP’s wife is doing. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-display-a-laptop-computer-screen-onto-an-hdtv/445657/16 "2008-04-17T20:29:24Z")
[QUOTE=ChrisBooth12] If you want HD on the TV you will have to use a digital out like DVI. S-Video wont cut it [/QUOTE] That bears repeating. S-Video cables cannot carry an HD signal. If you have an HDTV and are using S-Video cables you have seriously gimped the television. You need HDMI, DVI or Component (Y, Pr, Pb) cables depending on what your TV accepts to get the good HDTV stuff. Note: Do not buy cables at your local Best Buy or such stores. They are an absolute ripoff there. There are many internet sources which will sell them for a fraction of the cost (just did a quick check…Best Buy Monster Component Cables = $80, Internet = $10).