Member Avatar for KaruiKage

Hi there. I've been all over different forums trying to get some help with this, but have been unsuccessful so far.

The situation is: I want to hook my girlfriends laptop up to my Samsung HDTV (model TX-P3064W, link here: )

For the time being, we've just been using an s-video cable. The quality is ok, but we have to listen to audio via the laptop, as there's no audio inputs with the s-video channel. I have a cable for headphone jack -> audio (the two white/red plugs), and I recently bought a cable for VGA to component. I had been hoping to use the latter to get some better quality, but so far haven't been able to get it to work. The most I've gotten was some flickers on the TV's component channel when I logged into windows, but nothing else.

The laptop I'm using has an old Radeon Mobility 9000 card. I updated it with the latest Omega drivers and programs.

Any suggestions? Is S-video the best quality I can hope to get with this laptop and the tv? If so, is there a way to get audio on the tv from the laptop?

I just want the best quality I can get, I'll get whatever cables I need. :) Thanks in advance for the help.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by dewabo

Dani AI

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Short expert summary: the symptom you describe usually comes from a signal-format mismatch rather than a bad cable. VGA (the laptop's analog monitor output) and component (YPbPr) are different analog formats. A passive VGA→component lead will only work if the laptop's video subsystem actually drives component signals on the VGA pins — many laptops do not — which explains intermittent flicker instead of a stable picture.

Practical checks to try next: with the TV and cable connected, open the GPU/display control panel and look specifically for any "TV‑Out" or "Component/YPbPr" options (drivers often hide these until a TV is detected). Use the laptop display toggle (Fn+display key) to cycle outputs. Force a TV‑friendly mode when available (try progressive 480 or 720 modes the TV accepts) and test clone/duplicate display rather than an extended desktop. If nothing appears, the laptop likely does not natively support component over that jack.

If the GPU lacks native component output, an active converter is the reliable route. Look for a powered "VGA→YPbPr (component) scaler/converter" that accepts PC resolutions and outputs progressive/component video. Pick one that lists support for 480p/720p, low latency, and hardware scaling; cheap passive adapters or wrong pin‑mappings will keep giving problems.

Quick troubleshooting checklist: confirm the TV's component input works by testing it with a known component source (DVD player), verify the VGA port works with a PC monitor, try alternate driver versions, and plug the cable in before boot to force detection. As noted, audio must be sent separately to the TV or receiver; factor that into your cabling plan. If the goal is the best possible quality and you want to avoid adapters, consider a simple external USB video adapter or a source with native HDMI/component outputs.

Member Avatar for dewabo

S-video is just video, go to your local radio shack and get an adaptor cable(Y cable) that has the mini plug on one end and two rcs plugs on the other. these plugs should be female. You will need two rca audio cables. Once you have these, plug the mini plug into the laptop and hook the two rca audio cables to the rcs plugs on the y cable that you just pluged into your laptop, now plug those two cables into the audio inputs on the back of the tv and you should have sound from the tv speakers.

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