From Laptop out to TV?

Logan LeBlanc

Logan LeBlanc

Well-known member
DISCLAIMER: This may be an assenine question!!!
Hey guys, I have a G4 Powerbook and was wondering if there is any way to be able to use a TV as a monitor. You know video out into the telly. Thanks
 
G4 powerbooks are supplied with an s-video to rca adapter for either extending your desktop or ,mirroring the desktop image, you would also need a mini to rca adapter for audio that would be plugged into the headphone jack. The image quality of this configuration is quite poor in my opinion, you also might be able to use the DVI connector for video if you have a HDTV. My HD set recommends against doing this because of a possible burnt image on the screen and the reason is that it is a projection screen, a plasma or LCD screen would probably work fine.
 
plasmas burn easy. lcd ok though. beside the point really. i plugged my pb into my plasma once via dvi and the picture was awful....
 
The only real good looking picture I get out of my PB is when I go out through the VGA supplied cable (DVI-VGA comes with the Aluminum or Ti Books). You would probably only have this connection on a projector or newer TV.

Otherwise, you can go out through s-video or the yellow RGB.
 
the picture quality through s-video is quite poor when you first hook it up. This is how I got around it.

First, you're gonna need to purchase a tv calibration dvd like Avia or Digital Video Esstentials. Okay, now hook up your computer to the tv. Now play the calibration dvd in your powerbook. The dvd window pops up, now move it over to the tv and adjust your tv settings from there using the different tests.

The results aren't perfect, but it's close enough. In fact, I was able to then use my TV with these calibrated settings as a poor man's production monitor to color correct to. I know it worked because when I took my laptop to my local PBS station where I work parttime and hooked it up straight into their super expensive production monitor, the images looked pretty much identical. Maybe a little darker on mines but nothing major.
 
if you need to use it for video monitoring, ala FCP, then plug a cheap camcorder into the firewire port and then run that into the tv. it will only show the dv footage, not the actual computer screen.
 
PunkMetalDrummer17 said:
We use VGA to Composite (Computer to Switch Board), adapters at school and we don't have a problem with video quality. and Viceversa, Composite to VGA (DVD to Projector).

Here's a DVI to Composite adapter, if you need VGA to Composite get a VGA to DVI adapter.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=M9267G/A
Click to expand...

For us G4 PBook users, do you know if that works the same/better/worse than the s-video output already on the pbook?

ps. PMD17 hows your movie coming along?
 
epsilonbass said:
For us G4 PBook users, do you know if that works the same/better/worse than the s-video output already on the pbook?

ps. PMD17 hows your movie coming along?
Click to expand...

beside that, if you are interested to capture from dvd player
i used canopus exteral box.
to capture and to view on tv.
firewire to external box, than svideo to tv,
rca to speaker.
sound good and look good.
best of all, it can be use to capture footage.
hmm, but just a bit costly...like 500 SGD
maybe its about 800-900 US $
In Singapore, sometime, when i need to rip
dvd footage, i prefer to use this way to rip
dvd as is more stable, and best of all
with fcp, i dont need to render the footage.

www.vocaremedia.com
Call to Inspire
 
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