TV tuners, S-Video, VGA, and Laptops: how do i connect them?

[nsuka]

Hi,

I'm in the process of buying a laptop, and I'm trying to figure out whether I need an S-Video output or a VGA output to use a TV tuner (which I will buy soon, as well) with my laptop. I've really tried to dig online, and though I'm excellent at internet research, after an hour and a half, I'm giving up--all of the sites ive found discuss various details (which have been useful and im sure will come in handy), but no one gives the very basic breakdown of how all of these components connect.

 

My questions are these:

1) If my laptop doesn't have an S-video out, *can I* still connect it to the TV tuner via the VGA output?

 

2) If and when I connect my TV tuner to my laptop, can I also somehow connect a television or another LCD screen to my laptop, and watch TV via the TV tuner ON the LCDscreen/television? Or should I be plugging the TV Tuner directly into the LCD and/or the television (and if so, into which of the two?)?

 

Many thanxxx to all-

 

NSuka

[Reaper man]

Hi,

I'm in the process of buying a laptop, and I'm trying to figure out whether I need an S-Video output or a VGA output to use a TV tuner (which I will buy soon, as well) with my laptop. I've really tried to dig online, and though I'm excellent at internet research, after an hour and a half, I'm giving up--all of the sites ive found discuss various details (which have been useful and im sure will come in handy), but no one gives the very basic breakdown of how all of these components connect.

 

My questions are these:

1) If my laptop doesn't have an S-video out, *can I* still connect it to the TV tuner via the VGA output?

 

2) If and when I connect my TV tuner to my laptop, can I also somehow connect a television or another LCD screen to my laptop, and watch TV via the TV tuner ON the LCDscreen/television? Or should I be plugging the TV Tuner directly into the LCD and/or the television (and if so, into which of the two?)?

 

Many thanxxx to all-

 

NSuka

 

You've got it backwards. S-video and VGA outputs on your laptop OUTPUT whatever is on your screen to a TV or Monitor, respectively. A TV tuner on the other hand outputs a TV broadcast to the laptop meaning the laptop would be acting as the input. Anyway there is more than one way to get TV goodness on your lappy

 

1. Buy a laptop with a TV tuner already built in. That'll be the simplest way, but it would be upgradable.

2. Buy a TV tuner that's either internal plugging into the PCMCIA slot, or external that plugs into USB. YOu can get either from Newegg.

[nsuka]

You've got it backwards. S-video and VGA outputs on your laptop OUTPUT whatever is on your screen to a TV or Monitor, respectively. A TV tuner on the other hand outputs a TV broadcast to the laptop meaning the laptop would be acting as the input. Anyway there is more than one way to get TV goodness on your lappy

 

1. Buy a laptop with a TV tuner already built in. That'll be the simplest way, but it would be upgradable.

2. Buy a TV tuner that's either internal plugging into the PCMCIA slot, or external that plugs into USB. YOu can get either from Newegg.

 

 

Hi--thanks for that--but I've got that part straight--I'm aware that what an Svideo out and a VGA out do, is put whatever's on my laptop screen onto a TV or monitor. My question related to that is this: if my computer does NOT have an s-video...will a VGA work with a TV? I looked up VGA's on wikipedia, but it looks more like a monitor output...how would i ever hook that up to a TV? Actually--I'm re-reading your post--I think you're saying that VGA works exclusively and only with monitors, and S-video is for TV's--please let me know if I've got it right.

 

Related to the TV tuner question.. can I hook the TV Tuner up to my laptop, and then hook up my laptop to a monitor/TV, effectively making the TV tuner (eventually) display on the TV/monitor *via* my laptop? Or should I skip the middleman (in this case, the laptop), and just plug the TV tuner directly into the TV screen/monitor (if that even works)?

These questions are partly based on the assumption that a TV tuner may somehow lets you bypass the need to *purchase* cable, which may be an incorrect assumption. My goal is not necessarily to circumvent the cable company, but I'm trying to figure out how the he** TV tuners work in general, and what their scope is, and it's proving to be darn hard.

A component diagram would help here, yet they're markedly absent online.

 

 

And lastly: laptops with built-in TV tuners are too expensive for my budget at the moment...I'm looking to stay under $600 for the laptop (minus any other toys).

 

many thanks--

nsuka

[nsuka]

actually---one other question. Can a laptop without an S-video output EVER out put to a TV screen? Via a VGA out and an adapter maybe? or some other way? At all?

 

Many thanks--

NSuka

[Reaper man]

actually with VGA output, some HDTVs do support VGA-in. For everything else in regards to TVs, you would need a converter to change the VGA signal to saaay component, which is pricy.

 

as for the TV tuner to laptop to TV question... whyyyyy? I'm going to assume that said TV doesn't have a tuner of it's own. And using a laptop to do it isn't recommended because one the signal will start to lose quality because it'll keep getting converted and such. Taking the laptop out of the picture is good, but the tuner designed for the laptop can't connect directly into the TV. There ARE digital tuners made for HDTVs without them. I'd go with that. As for cable circumvention, I know that you have to have cable turned on for that to even work, and I think that can only work with analog signals, which will no longer be supported in 2009 I believe. Digital broadcasts might be a different story... either way, if your cable is physically cut off, you're SOL in that regard

 

As for your budget, save more money. You are not going to get anything good for under 600. Trust me on this one. I sold Computers and laptops for around 6 months and believe me when I say that all of our $599 laptops were pure crap ;/

 

Also, if the laptop has no form of video out, be it VGA or S-video, you are SOL. If it's just VGA, you'll have to get a converter if your HDTV odesn't support it

[BlackKnight]

nsuka- to keep it simple:

 

You can buy a TV tuner PCMCIA or whatever the new standard is called, as Reaper said, or get one built in.

 

You can use the VGA port to connect to a HDTV, but probably not a normal TV.

 

You can use the S-video port to connect to a Tv and watch TV, and use the VGA / DVI port to connect an LCD monitor for your apps and use both at the same time.

 

I'm bad at comprehension- does this cover everything?

[nsuka]

nsuka- to keep it simple:

 

You can buy a TV tuner PCMCIA or whatever the new standard is called, as Reaper said, or get one built in.

 

You can use the VGA port to connect to a HDTV, but probably not a normal TV.

 

You can use the S-video port to connect to a Tv and watch TV, and use the VGA / DVI port to connect an LCD monitor for your apps and use both at the same time.

 

I'm bad at comprehension- does this cover everything?

 

many thanks to both of you--it's now clear as a lightbulb!!! makes a lot of sense.

 

as a follow-up question to your under-$600 computer quality comment, Reaper: does the following sound bad to you? (i say that with a tinge of sarcasm):

 

1) a 15.4" Acer Aspire (5100series) with an AMD Athlon64x2, weighing in at 6.2lbs, 1600MHz bus, 1GB RAM expandable to 4GB, and a 160GB harddrive for $530 (with a printer, router, and anti-virus software thrown in)

 

2) a 15.4" Compaq Presario (F572 series) also with an AMD Athlon 64x2, weighing in at 6.6 lbs (on the heavy side), 1600MHz bus, 1GB of RAM expandable to 2GB, with 80GB harddrive (small, but so's the price), @ $450?

 

On the real, they both actually seem like decent deals to me--obviously the slightly more expensive one is superior to the Compaq bc of the HDD size and expandable RAM, even if it IS an Acer....

 

But would you say that Compaq's tend to be a better buy than Acers? Ive heard rumors that Acers have a high breakdown rate. (And I'll have an external harddrive for most of my s**t anyway, so I won't need to burden my [potential] Compaq with it...) Let me know what y'all think--

 

peace & blessin's

N

[Reaper man]

hmm, the first one sounds actually really decent for your budget. Now all you need is a TV tuner ;p

 

btw, buying those new? From what site? I know newegg is pretty nice when it comes to reviews and such. It can give you a general idea on the quality of the product. All I know that no matter what brand you use there's going to be a few bad eggs in the basket so-to-speak. I would look at the reviews of both the compaqs and the acer laptops at newegg to give you a general idea of the overall quality. Oh yeah, and wherever you are buying from, make sure they have a decent return policy!! (most do)

[nsuka]

hmm, the first one sounds actually really decent for your budget. Now all you need is a TV tuner ;p

 

btw, buying those new? From what site? I know newegg is pretty nice when it comes to reviews and such. It can give you a general idea on the quality of the product. All I know that no matter what brand you use there's going to be a few bad eggs in the basket so-to-speak. I would look at the reviews of both the compaqs and the acer laptops at newegg to give you a general idea of the overall quality. Oh yeah, and wherever you are buying from, make sure they have a decent return policy!! (most do)

 

thank you so much. your help was CRUCIAL in my decisions.

 

i JUST bought the first one i listed--the acer--and i cant WAIT to go pick it up at circuitcity. what a steal. TV tuner or not...it's great.

 

newegg WAS helpful. though they didnt have either of the specific models i was looking at, they had at least comparable models in the same series, so that was good...all in all....I'M PSYCHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

i guess the best way to repay the 1emulation community would be to contribute to the blogs, as well...?