what do i need to use tv screen for my laptop monitor

[richardkeith97]

i've got a dell inspiron mini. i am trying to figure out what i need to use my tv screen as my monitor. do i need a vga to rca cable? can i use a vga to hdmi cable? thanks for the help in advance.

[LBJefferies]

I looked up the inputs for that notebook and your only option is vga so if they make a vga to hdmi then that is probably your best bet. Rca is old and shitty.

[e34john]

HDMI to HDMI, is yours the newer ones like the 10? If you have HDMI on the laptop and TV then thats the way to go. Cord is like 25 bucks at Target for a decent length.

[LBJefferies]

HDMI to HDMI

dell inspiron mini doesn't have an hdmi port... at least from what I read.

[richardkeith97]

the newest one has an hdmi port. mine has the vga port. i just read somewhere that i need to make sure that my comp puts out a hdmi signal through the vga. i know the rca will work but i'm not sure on the hdmi

[e34john]

The one reviewed on CNET does, but the OP didn't give too much info on his setup.

[richardkeith97]

mine doesn't have the hdmi port. just vga. just not sure if it puts out an hdmi signal.... or does that not matter?

[LBJefferies]

mine doesn't have the hdmi port. just vga. just not sure if it puts out an hdmi signal.... or does that not matter?

It probably matters. You could buy the cord and find out and then return it if it doesn't work. You might also need to turn on hdmi in the control panel.

[unrlmth]

What connectors are on both your TV and laptop? I like to use monoprice for cables, nice quality and very cheap prices.

Also some TVs have a VGA in. That would be the easiest, but we really need to know what you have on the back of your tv to make a solid recommendation.

[richardkeith97]

i do have a vga input on my tv. is their something in the settings that i need to do to make it work?

[Jand3rson]

If you DO end up running HDMI, do not let anyone tell you that you need an expensive one. Get the absolute cheapest one you can find.

[unrlmth]

i do have a vga input on my tv. is their something in the settings that i need to do to make it work?

Just a VGA cable should do it. You might have to adjust the settings on your computer, but it will be the same as setting up any other screen.

If you DO end up running HDMI, do not let anyone tell you that you need an expensive one. Get the absolute cheapest one you can find.

+1 Unless you are going huge (35+ ft) distances it doesn't matter, and even then it isn't usually an issue.

[richardkeith97]

thanks for the help. i'm going to do the vga to vga first since its the easiest. then get a cheap vga to hdmi to see if that works.

[selturk]

S-video..

[AndrewBird]

There is no need to go VGA-to-HDMI if you hook it up VGA-to-VGA. You won't get any better quality.

Also, unless you want to use the speakers on the laptop, you will also need an audio cable as VGA only does video. A 1/8" stereo jack-to-dual RCA's will be your best bet.

You can get both cables at www.monoprice.com