Terri

My tube TV has the ordinary composite outlet and a scart.

Is it possible to connect a PC laptop with VGA connection to the TV and display video data files on it? Perhaps with a cord that combines scart and VGA?

I know it's possible to burn the data files onto a disc in DVD format and play them on a DVD-player for the TV. But I would like to keep them in data file format and display them directly onto the TV screen, because when a data file is transformed into DVD format it looses some of its resolution detail.

Mr. Salty

Not if you do it right.

Jay G.

Mr. Salty, please read this thread for reference:
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=523973

Terri, I don't know about SCART, since it's not common in the US, but VGA to RCA composite converters do exist:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

Keep in mind that composite video can only transmit 480i (or 576i if PAL) at best. Also, the converter only supports a limited range of monitor resolutions that it can convert. Basically, any resolution higher than 640x480 it's going to have to down-convert to show on the TV.

Terri

I was very naive I guess, in thinking that it would be a simple cord with VGA plug at one end and scart/or composite plug at the other end, and that the video data file could be displayed directly onto the TV screen like onto the PC screen.

But with a converter inbetween the PC and TV, I guess the picture data information will deteriorate somewhat, like when a data file (even 640x480) is converted into DVD format? If so I might as well burn a DVD disc.

The Cow

You are missing the point.

Your TV does not support the resolution of your PC monitor.

Mr. Salty

Well thanks, now my head hurts.

Terri

Well, I know that the TV has lower resolution than the PC, but I thought that the TV perhaps would show so much resolution of the video data file as the TV can handle (720x480).

For example, we recently got a digital TV program receiver instead of the old analog, and we are getting digital programs, even HD programs. And even though the TV cannot display high resolution, the picture sharpness and colors are better than ever. The full capacity of the TV screen is used.
The digital program receiver connects with a scart and I guess it must have a converter then.

I will be fine with a converter between the VGA plug and composite/scart (edit: after a closer look I am afraid composite is out of the question, since it gives a much inferior picture than scart) plug, if the picture will not deteriorate as much as with conversion from data file to DVD format disc. Burned DVD discs played in a DVD-player don't look very good on the TV.

GHackmann

Standard-def TV has a resolution of 720x480 (or 720x576 if you're in PAL territory). Period. Doesn't matter whether you're using a DVD player or a PC.

Ranger

I haven't looked into the device from monoprice, but the vga to rca/s-video devices at amazon seemed to say that they'd only work if the computer video card supported tv-out. I find that confusing b/c if the video card supported tv-out then you shouldn't need the cable converter. This product is one example.
http://www.amazon.com/NEW-CONVERTER-...7456412&sr=8-1

Jay G.

It will do that, yeah.

VGA to SCART converters exist:
http://cgi.ebay.com/PC-VGA-XGA-to-TV...3286.m14.l1318

Keep in mind though that while it will use the maximum capacity of the TV, NTSC/PAL TV signals or very low res and interlaced, and will not look anywhere as good as the same image on your PC. To use your HD receiver as an example, while it may look impressive to you on your TV, if you could compare it to the original HD signal, you'd see how terribly lacking your TV image actually is. So don't look at your PC monitor and think you're going to get that quality on a TV.

The main advantage to a video cable adapter will be that the video won't go through an encoding to MPEG2, like it would to be put on a DVD.

Jay G.

Monoprice has a similar cable, but as you point out it needs a compatible video card.

This isn't for video cards that already have a separate TV-out port, but for video cards that support TV-out, but don't have a separate port for it. The cables are configured in a way so that the video card passes a TV-out signal through the VGA port. This is handy for space reasons, especially on something like a laptop, where you want to support VGA, composite, and S-Video out but don't have room to put separate ports for each on the device.