# Need help on connecting computer to television **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-on-connecting-computer-to-television/522666 "2009-12-27T02:31:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Intolt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ec9cab/32.png) [@Intolt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intolt)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-on-connecting-computer-to-television/522666/1 "2009-12-27T02:31:12Z")
I’m using a SVideo cable. I get the desktop on the TV (or rather the photo I use on the desktop, and no icons). When I launch a program, it runs fine on the computer’s monitor, but the TV still shows the desktop photo. Any suggestions? I figure there is some setting to be changed, but cannot find anything that pertains to that. intolt ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-on-connecting-computer-to-television/522666/2 "2009-12-27T02:49:12Z")
You don’t mention the make and model of the TV, nor the screen resolution. WAG - The TV resolution is such that the icons are off the viewing area of the TV. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-on-connecting-computer-to-television/522666/3 "2009-12-27T03:02:17Z")
It sounds like the TV set is configured to extend the PC desktop. If that’s the case, you need to drag the program window out of the PC screen and onto the TV screen. Or you might change the setting for the TV screen to mirror the PC screen. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-on-connecting-computer-to-television/522666/4 "2009-12-27T03:06:58Z")
An S-video cable is not capable of carrying typical computer video resolutions. In general, only HDTVs can be used as computer monitors - and must use DVI-D or HDMI cables. ---
**Author:** ![633squadron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/ee59a6/32.png) [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-on-connecting-computer-to-television/522666/5 "2009-12-27T03:16:07Z")
> [@Intolt](#): > > I’m using a SVideo cable. I get the desktop on the TV (or rather the photo I use on the desktop, and no icons). When I launch a program, it runs fine on the computer’s monitor, but the TV still shows the desktop photo. > intolt Sounds like your system now thinks it has two monitors instead of one. All of the icons and stuff are on one “side” of the desktop, which now spans across both monitors. Kinda like seeing an outdoor scene through two different windows in your kitchen. When you run a program, it appears on one side of the desktop. You can confirm this by selecting **Control Panel** \> **Display** , then selecting the **Advanced** tab. If you have two monitors set, you’ll see two little “windows” in the middle of the panel, marked “1” and “2”. I think there’s a button that you can click to identify the displays, after which the number will appear on the monitor itself. If you then click the **Advanced** button, you’ll get more tabs. One is Monitors, which has controls for the monitor configuration. This is documented in Windows Help. Unfortunately I can’t be more specific. I don’t walk around with those settings in my head, and the only computer I have with me right now is a Mac. By the way, the Mac works the same way. The controls are in **System Preferences** \> **Displays**. ---
**Author:** ![Intolt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ec9cab/32.png) [@Intolt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intolt)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-on-connecting-computer-to-television/522666/6 "2009-12-27T04:26:56Z")
Ahh! **633squadron** , thank you. That was what I was looking for, though in my case it was an NVIDIA app. intolt ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-on-connecting-computer-to-television/522666/7 "2009-12-27T12:33:48Z")
You were expecting clone mode and it wasn’t. There are 3 operational modes of a duel monitor system. I printed this for anybody else that needs this, since you know this now. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-on-connecting-computer-to-television/522666/8 "2009-12-27T13:39:07Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > An S-video cable is not capable of carrying typical computer video resolutions. In general, only HDTVs can be used as computer monitors - and must use DVI-D or HDMI cables. I’m sorry but this is just not true. S-video cables can carry almost all typical computer resolutions. All TVs can be used as a computer monitor but the quality may suffer. HDTV are not limited to DVI or HDMI cables. In fact, my 2 HDTV “monitors” have specific instructions not to use HDMI for computers but the RGB port they’ve supplied.